Ireland: Record entries for 2019 St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride

Farmweek.com - Full Article

By Bree Rutledge -September 18, 2019

THE 2019 St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride, held on September 7, was a resounding success for all involved – whether riding, crewing or helping out, it was a brilliant day enjoyed by many. With a record number of entries, the event was truly bustling with riders and horses of all ages, breeds and disciplines, enjoying the fabulous riding offered across the spectacular Lecale area. Beginning at the excellent venue of Downpatrick Racecourse, which offered ample parking, on-site stabling, camping and the ever-popular burger van, over 140 riders headed out to explore the vast routes on offer throughout the scenic County Down landscape.

Perfect riding conditions on the day made for excellent photography, picked up by the official photographer, SDS Photo. If you missed out on purchasing your photographs at the event, check out the dedicated St. Patrick’s Coast album at www.sdsphoto.pro/ ildra. All official photographs included with this article are courtesy of SDS Photo.

The St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride runs over countryside, which is both varied and beautiful. This ride has a taste of everything. All riders firstly head out towards the East Down gallops, which gave many of the horses a chance to stretch their legs at a galloping pace. Riders who chose to ride the 20-mile route, then began to descend towards the endless beaches of Tyrella to Ballykinler, which are shadowed by the impressive Mourne Mountains, before riding back up towards to the historic Old Railway line of County Down. Riders then passed by the peaceful Ballydugan Lake to join the gorgeous grassy fields of Ballydugan and the ancient Windmill Hill, which are the hidden gems of the County Down countryside and are often unseen...

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https://farmweek.com/record-entries-for-2019-st-patricks-coast-endurance-ride/