Great turnout for the TREC Ireland 2015 National Championships.

Over 40 competitors with their horses arrived on the Peninsula from Cork, Clare, Leinster and further afield, as well as representatives of the local Kerry Trec group which hosted the competition held west of Dingle over the weekend.  Despite Friday's torrential downpours the rivers subsided enough for the orienteering phase to go ahead in glorious sunshine on Saturday, with riders following routes which found them navigating areas from the cliffs at Ballydavid to the foothills of Mount Brandon. Again on Sunday our luck held as the worst of the rain waited until all riders had completed the control of paces and obstacle phases.

This year's National Championship Individual Level 3 (advanced) class was won by Bambi Carroll and Marty from Clare, whilst the Level 3 pairs was won by Niamh OhUid and Celia Taylor of Leinster Trec. The Level 2 Individual class was won by our Kerry TREC's Mairead Nimhuimhneachain, with the Level 2 pairs going to Erin Begley and Finn Carroll from Clare. The Level 1 Pairs was won by Sheila Winters and Claire Bunn from Cork.

TREC Ireland and Kerry TREC would like to thank An Bothar pub for the use of their facilities as a focal point for the orienteering phase, Long's Trekking Centre which provided the venue for Sunday's competition and Kelliher's Mills of Clash, Tralee who generously sponsored many of the prizes for the championship.  We would also very much like to thank the many landowners who gave access through their land allowing riders to follow routes which were both challenging and beautiful, and support of locals in making our visiting competitors feel most welcome, not least by showing patience when coming across confused orienteers on the west Kerry roads.

Results of the Kellihers Mills Trec Ireland National Championships:

Level 3 Individual

1st Bambi Carroll

2nd Mary Elliott Burns

Level 3 Pairs

1st Niamh OhUid and Celia Taylor

Level 2 Individual

1st Mairead Nimhuimhneachain

2nd Jane Carpener

3rd Rosemarie Bryson

4th Trish Young

5th Siobhan Wolf

Level 2 Pairs

1st Erin Begley and Finn Carroll

2nd Vicky McKellen and Liz Burbage

3rd Louise Parkhill and Sophie Sauveroche

4th Roo Nightingale and Joanna Connor

5th Megan Lynch and Jenni Norton

6th Paula Donohoe and Marie Gallagher

Level 1 Pairs

1st Sheila Winters and Claire Bunn

2nd Suzanne O Rourke and Natasha O Rourke

3rd Adèle Connor and Bridget Sheeran

4th Karen McCrann and Adrian Corcoran