Equine tutors selected for training

Four further candidates have been selected to train as tutors in the Equestrian Federation of Ireland’s Coach Development Programme, following applications requested by the EFI Coaching Committee in March 2001.

The successful candidates will attend training with the NCTC (NationalCoaching and Training Centre) over nine days, taking place this summer/autumn.

The four selected by the EFI Coaching Committee are:

• Charles Hanley from Claremorris, Co Mayo – chairman of the SJAI Ponyselection committee and chef and trainer for Irish pony teams during 2000.
• Katie O’Hara, Ballymore, Co Westmeath – coaching for the past 30 years,spent the past five years working with the Hong Kong Jockey Clubestablishing a successful retraining programme for ex-racehorses.
• Vida Tansey, Ballinasloe, Co Galway – has coached riders from pony club tointernational standard, broke and schooled to international levelCustomMade, the eventing individual gold-medallist at the Sydney Olympics. Activecommittee member on the training committees of Dressage Ireland and EventingIreland.
• Patricia Lalor, Clonmel, Co Tipperary – has coached successful candidatesfor all pony club tests, show jumping and horse trials and pony eventingteams.Tutors in training will be required to attend the EFI/NCTC course comprisingone week and two weekend sessions starting in July and concluding midOctober.Tutors play a major role in the development of the coach education schemeand in the education of coaches at Equestrian Federation of Ireland coursesstarting at Introduction level and progressing to Level 1 and 2. Currentlythe EFI are runningcourses at Introduction and Level 1 and expect to berunning Level 2 courses towards the end of 2001 or early in 2002.The first EFI tutors graduated with the NCTC in 1998, and when the newtutors in training have completed the course, this willbring the totalnumber of EFI tutors who have graduated to 25.