Michael Slavin: All the beauty at Ashford Castle

The magnificent Ashford Castle in Cong has the knack of being top flight international while still retaining a deeply Irish flavour.

From the beginning, with the O’Connor kings of Connacht and down through ownerships of the Burke, Brown, Guinness, Huggard, Mulcahy and O’Reilly families, this has been the case.

Now, as a great hotel of the world and a water and limestone encrusted jewel in the international Red Carnation Collection of South Africa’s Beatrice Tollman, that tradition is very consciously continued.

This sense of Ireland is no better typified than by the superb Irish Draught horses and Connemara Ponies at the Ashford Equestrian Centre.

Irish Draughts Bramble and Holly take the bridge across the Cong River infront of Ashford Castle with Mary O’Loughlin and Tom Clesham. \ Elizabeth Toher Photography

Independently owned, it neatly nestles along one of the estate’s tree-lined avenues. In addition to riding, it also provides a vast range of outdoor activities including tree climbing on some of the tallest Monterey Pines in Ireland, zip lining, clay pigeon shooting, carriage tours and archery on its seven acre site.

Olympic discipline

Back in the 1980s, local dairy farmers Tim and Brigid Clesham saw the need for an equestrian centre at the Castle which was then being further developed as a world class hotel by John A. Mulcahy and Tony O’Reilly.

Tim first ran the centre in the old castle farm yard of The Quiet Man fame.

But soon he acquired the present seven acre site and it all grew from there. It now has 12 full-time staff time plus extra summer help.

Some six years ago Tim retired to take up work as a paramedic with HSE and passed the centre on to his daughter Mary and her Olympic cyclist husband David O’Loughlin.

Office manager Mark Bonner notes that Tim and Mary apply Olympic discipline and excellence to the day-to-day running of the centre.

This excellence is evident in the surface of the indoor arena. Influenced by that at the Simmonscourt arena in the RDS, it incorporates Arigna sand with fibres for good footing. The outdoor arena is soon to have the same treatment.

Mary first studied archaeology at Durham University and went on to do an equine course at Kildalton College.

Along with Tim, she puts emphasis on the importance of the Association of Irish Riding Establishments(AIRE), to which Ashford Equestrian Centre is affiliated. “They set high standards not only in riding but in Child Protection as well,” she notes.

Natives

Acting as matron to the cohort of 18 re-mounts at the centre is the lovely Irish Draught mare Caherduff Bramble, who was the 2011 Hunter Champion at Ballinrobe Show.

She combines her riding duties with that of pulling the six-seater carriage on one hour drives around the historic estate.

The Irish Draught mare Bramble taking a break from riding and driving duties at Ashford Castle. \ Michael Slavin

Her niece, Caherduff Holly, who is described as “a nice compact young Draught mare”, also gives good service.

The Caherduff prefix applies to horses and ponies that are locally bred by the Cleshams.

Among the Connemara’s are Caherduff Cowrie, who is sister to Caherduff Barnacle and dam of the young Caherduff Puffin.

There are two Irish cobs on site, Biscuit and Guinness - who is named after Benjamin Lee Guinness who built much of the castle in the mid-19th century.

Adding an international touch is the black Friesian Setanta and a Welsh cob named Rosie.

Hacking at Ashford Castle. \ Elizabeth Toher Photography

The day I visited, a group of American guests from the castle were heading out on a one hour trail ride on many of these mounts.

Meantime, in the indoor school, two young visitors from Newmarket, Annie and Ronan Henry were being prepped for a pony ride by head instructor Helen Nolan.

In addition to clients from the castle, the centre also caters for local youngsters who have group sessions with equestrian artist and instructor Trish Findlater.

This is but a thumbnail sketch of a very active centre that enlivens the visit of many to the magnificent Ashford Castle. And at its heart are some superb Irish Draughts and Connemara Ponies.

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