Spring Mayhem

Eleasalde (Hazel)

It’s mayhem and I know, generally if I’m involved there is always an inevitable degree of disturbance but this is real honest to God chaos. The W.I.T. Intervarsities 2011 are being held this weekend at Raheen Na Gun Stud. Over a hundred and fifty college students swarming around and a few show jumpers and dressage horses throw in. If not a recipe for disaster, it’s at least a recipe for more coffee. I rolled up at the crack of dawn this morning to get Eleasalde ready, all polished and plaited to be used for both the jumping and dressage phases and already the stables were mobbed with far too many fervent whippersnappers

Youths everywhere in sight!

At the same time, the weather has taken a turn for the better, not quite daffodils and snow drops yet but less of the howling wind and driving rain, with the competition season not quite so far away, some of the more devoted riders have already gotten stuck into preparation. I have the immense pleasure of coaching as part of the award winning Thomastown and District Riding Club Masterclass series. It’s four weeks of dressage training, first with me before next months jumping training. They are such an eager bunch of people and the evenings, despite some rain that would even shock Noah, have shown quality riding. Horses have made a clear improvement. It seems everyone is doing their best in between training sessions and it’s visible from week to week.

Snaffle Magazine

It’s great for me to be teaching such a diversity of riders and horses all at once as I’m now writing for the splendiferous SNAFFLE equestrian magazine. I’m their dressage correspondent, fitness expert and would you believe it, I’m their agony uncle as-well. That last column is unquestionably keeping me on my toes.

Speaking of fitness, the culmination of all the hard hours slogging in the gym resulted in not only me being extremely proud of my progress but also it meant being booked for a modeling gig by photographer Deirdre Marie O' Sullivan. She shoots amongst other things artistic nudes and with a new competition coming up that she wanted to enter, she decided to change tack and shoot with a male model instead of a female model. Now many of you will have seen some of the images already on my Facebook profile. Some of you may not, they are in their entirety on Deirdre's blog. I’m still shocked at peoples bashfulness so please don’t click the link and then be surprised and act all coy, if you find it too much to bear, just go make yourself a cup of tea and forget it ever happened. I’m posting “milder” versions here, if that is still too much, scroll further down the page really quickly,

NOW!

Deirdre O' Sullivan Shoot

Deirdre O' Sullivan Shoot

Deirdre O' Sullivan Shoot

Deirdre O' Sullivan Shoot

In other less startling imagery, one of my dearest clients, Rose Shanahan has brightened up my life no end. Rose happens to also be the mother of the incredibly talented Kitty Shanahan who tends to all my horses backs. Rose’s horse Christy, is one of my all time, top of the list, head of the class favourite horses. After a stunning career as a show jumper with Kitty, he has heard the calling for dressage and I’m certain that he and Rose are going to not only have great sport this year but also kick up a storm. Christy has more character in his compact little body than most other horses I know put together. After a training session in their native Waterford turned into a tea drinking session, Rose let slip that she is an artist and has been designing a new range of pottery with an equestrian theme. Shortly after wards she presented me with a beautiful drawing of Rex and I that is now taking pride of place in our apartment. It cheers me up just gazing at it across the living room.

Rose and Christy

Rose's Drawing

Another creative collaboration has been with the mega talented graphic designer Rhona Nolan of the Rose Tinted Uncertainty blog

on an image for the core class I’m teaching. The class is a fitness class specifically designed for riders and the promotional poster merges the images from the Ciuin Treacy photo shoot and pictures of Rex. The image will be splashed across the county advertising the new classes and schedules.

CoreFit, Tuesdays and Thursdays

Rhona is an incredibly skillful student at A.I.T. and I’m lucky to be able to work with her on this. Rhona’s work shows an inspiration from old style photo’s and clean cut typefaces. Some of her other work displays her love of more sophisticated, less outlandish colours. She’s definitely one to keep an eye out for.

Rhona's work for Shutterbug Studios