Security concerns after horse bitten by dog at horse show
An Ulster riding club is concerned about security at its summer shows after a horse was attacked by a dog at an affiliated show jumping event on 19 April.
Derry Equestrian Club secretary Caroline Quigley told H&H the club has held Show Jumping Ireland shows in the Derry City Council owned Ballyarnett Country Park for around 14 years.
She said: “There is a large housing estate close to the park and six young men came down to the show on Sunday with a dog.
“They set it on the horse and just stood back laughing.”
H&H was not able to contact the owner of the horse, rider Kelda Morgan, but Miss Quigley said the mare, Tessa, had sustained bites to her neck and quarters but was not badly injured.
She said the girl who had been holding the horse suffered rope burns to her hands.
Derry City Council has provided the riding club with one all-weather and three permanently fenced grass arenas at Ballyarnett. A spokesman said the council is not worried about security at the venue.
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“It’s an isolated incident, which so far has not been formally reported to us,” she told H&H and said they would investigate if asked to do so.
The incident was not reported to the police.
Miss Quigley said although they are starting to be worried about security at the club they cannot move away from the park.
“Recently we have started having problems with people messing with our jumps and other property, she said, “but this latest incident is more scary as many people bring their young children to the shows and they could get hurt.
“But we have not got anywhere else we can hold the shows.”
Show Jumping Ireland’s Ulster regional secretary Janet Currie said she had not been made aware of the incident but took it very seriously.
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A self-confessed newshound, farmer’s daughter and journalist of many years' experience, Charlotte worked on regional papers before joining H&H in 2007. A regular rider, she visited Ireland in 2010 to investigate the fate of Irish horses through the recession, to much acclaim, and reported from the FEI General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. She left Horse & Hound in March 2013.