Sixty-Four People Go Steeple Chasing In The Centre Of Dublin Hunt Chase 10 & 11 August 2002 7-11 August 2002

Sixteen teams from registered hunt clubs around Ireland will compete in the Hunt Chase on the afternoons of Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 August during the 2002 Kerrygold Horse Show.

The Hunt Chase is the fastest, most exciting and crowd pleasing event on the Main Arena at the Show. Divots fly, hooves thunder, and adrenaline pumps in this high-speed relay knock-out event.

All the riders are amateur riders and no current competition riders are able to take part. Each team consists of four members of the registered hunt club. Rules require one rider to be a female and another to be a male of fourteen stone or heavier.

Two identical courses are built on the Main Arena, one course mirroring the other. Fences are built solid like obstacles the rider and horse would encounter in the country i.e. logs, brush fences, gorse hedges and bank and water. At the signal, two teams jump head-to-head, each rider passing a riding crop to the next rider in the team before they can start the course. The winning team is the last rider who crosses the finish line first. The winners progress to the next round. No jumping penalties are incurred, however the rider must successfully negotiate each obstacle.

Before the chase begins the teams will parade around the Main Arena, led by the hounds of the North Down Harriers. The first round and quarter-final of the Hunt Chase takes place from 4:20pm on Saturday 10 August and the semi-final and final will take place at 5:05pm Sunday 11 August.

2002 Hunt Chase Teams and first round line-up:

Ward Union Staghounds (Meath) versus Tynan and Armagh Harriers (Down)
North Down Harriers versus Kilworth and Araglen Harriers (Cork)
Killinick Harriers (Wexford) versus Wicklow Hunt
South County Dublin Harriers versus North Tipperary Foxhounds
Westmeath Foxhounds versus Scarteens 'Black & Tan' Foxhounds (Limerick)
Route Hunt (Derry) versus Galtee Harriers
Wexford Foxhounds versus East Clare Harriers
Carlow Farmers Foxhounds versus East Galway Foxhounds

To compete in the Hunt Chase clubs must register their interest early in the year. Fourteen of the teams are 'drawn out of a hat' on a regional basis while the previous years champions (Ward Union Staghounds) are invited back. A British Club is also invited to compete but replaced by an Irish Hunt if they decline.

There is an additional prize for the best turned-out team and the highest placed woman riding side saddle.

RDS website www.rds.ie/kerrygold.

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