APR 2005

Tirconnail Calgarlai

Tirconnail Calgarlai, 5 year old horse, affectionately known as Danny by its Greencastle owners Eddie Kelly and Mickey McLaughlin, took first prize at the final event of the competition at the Northern Ireland Novice Championship (winter season) at Danescroft recently.

Tirconnail Calgarlai has competed extensively during the winter season with good results. He collected 12 first prize rosettes, 7 seconds and 5 thirds on the way to the Novice Championship title.

Eddie is delighted with the success, he says that "Danny is in immaculate condition and the praise for that goes to Carolyn Mellor, the horse's rider and trainer. She has schooled him to perfection. Danny's performances over the last few months have sent ripples of excitement outward to the wider equestrian community. Eddie added that there's been much interest in the horse from English buyers. Eddie and Mickey would like to keep Danny, but as he progresses through the ranks it becomes more expensive to have the horse compete. A decision now has to be made to keep him or sell him. "We would like to keep the horse in Ireland because we believe he has the potential to compete at International level. He was born and bred in Ireland and in an ideal world he would go on to represent Ireland. The last thing we want to see is him popping up at the Olympics representing Great Britain or some other country. Sponsorship is one possibility since with the amazing progress he has made we would be tempted to see how far we can go with him."

Eddie and Mickey are looking forward to Danny competing in the Necarne Castle Dressage Festival in Fermanagh in May, which will be another step up for Danny.

We wish Danny and his owners every success in the future.

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