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COUNTY DONEGAL OFFICER JOINS ARMY EQUITATION SCHOOL

17th April 2024

Second Lieutenant Erin Crawford from Castlefinn, County Donegal has been assigned to the Army Equitation School. Second Lieutenant Crawford (20) was commissioned at the commissioning ceremony of the 99th cadet class at the Defence Forces Training Centre in The Curragh, County Kildare today [Wednesday, April 17, 2024].

The commissioning ceremony was attended by the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lt Gen Seán Clancy.

Erin's equestrian career began at five years of age when she learned to ride ponies. It wasn’t long before Erin realised that show jumping was her passion and that she wanted to make a career of it. Crawford had set her sights on applying for an equestrian cadetship in the Defence Forces long before completing the Leaving Certificate. Horses have been an integral part of her upbringing, having competed nationwide and internationally at show jumping events. One of Erin's most memorable shows was competing at the spectacular Longines Al Shaqab equestrian complex at the 2020 InterNations event in Doha, Qatar. She was also part of the junior squad competing in The Netherlands and has very fond memories of jumping ponies at the RDS on a number of occasions.

The Army Equitation School is based at McKee Barracks in Dublin and was founded in 1926 to promote Ireland and the Irish horse.

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Pix of Second Lieutenant Erin Crawford (with thanks to the Defence Forces Press Office) .

Pix of Erin Crawford with Irish team manager Gary Marshall at the 2020 InterNations event in Al Shaqab, Doha, Qatar.

EUROPEAN MEDALLIST MICHAEL MURPHY IS THE IRISH FIELD DRESSAGE RIDER OF THE YEAR 2023

27th February 2024

European medallist Michael Murphy was presented with 2023 The Irish Field Dressage Rider of the Year award by Mark Costello the editor of The Irish Field at the The Irish Horse World Awards lunch in the Palmer North Golf Club, The K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland today [Tuesday, February 27, 2024]. He is only the second para dressage rider to win the award since the 2012 winner, London Paralympian medallist Helen Kearney.

"I want to thank The Irish Field for this award." said Murphy "Cleverboy has had a good winter. It is a really exciting year for us and we will start our season in two weeks." Michael thanked his mother Sue for her wonderful support and described her as "incredible".

Murphy added to his championship medal collection when winning the individual silver at the FEI Para Dressage European Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany in September 2023. Ireland’s Grade I para dressage rider and double world bronze medallist scored 79.887% with the sixteen-year-old KWPN Vivaldi gelding Cleverboy for a Freestyle podium finish.

Michael started his 2023 international campaign with a hat-trick at the three-star show in Addington, Great Britain in March, scoring 75.375% to win the Grand Prix A class, 78.333% for Grand Prix B honours and 81.087% for first place in the Freestyle. At Kronenberg, The Netherlands in June, Murphy placed second behind world number one rider Rihard Snikus in the Grand Prix B class in on a 73.542% total. The following month he scored 80.020% to win the Freestyle at Hartpury in Great Britain. With the Paralympic Games in Paris on the horizon for Michael, he will be looking to join Joan Salmon and Helen Kearney on the Irish individual equestrian paralympic medal roll of honour.

Olympian Anna Merveldt, who qualified Ireland for an individual dressage place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, was presented with her The Irish Field/Gain Equine Nutrition Star of the Month Award for March 2023.

The other award winners are as follows:-

The Irish Field Senior Show Jumper of the Year 2023 - Daniel Coyle

The Irish Field Senior Event Rider of the Year 2023 - Austin O'Connor

The Irish Field Young Show Jumper of the Year 2023 - Seamus Hughes Kennedy

The Irish Field Young Event Rider of the Year 2023 - Alannah Kelly

The Irish Field/Gain Equine Nutrition Star of the Year Award 2023 - Austin O'Connor

Previous winners of The Irish Field Dressage Rider of the Year Award (first awarded in 1997) are as follows:-

1997 - Yvette Truesdale

1998 - Heike Holstein (1)

1999 - Katy Price

2000 - Anna Merveldt (1)

2001 - Anna Merveldt (2)

2002 - Anna Merveldt (3)

2003 - Heike Holstein (2)

2004 - Anna Merveldt (4)

2005 - Heike Holstein (3)

2006 - Anna Merveldt (5)

2007 - Heike Holstein (4)

2008 - Judy Reynolds (1)

2009 - Anna Merveldt (6)

2010 - Anna Medveldt (7)

2011 - Anna Merveldt (8)

2012 - Helen Kearney

2013 - Roland Tong

2014 - Judy Reynolds (2)

2015 - Judy Reynolds (3)

2016 - Judy Reynolds (4)

2017 - Judy Reynolds (5)

2018 - Judy Reynolds (6)

2019 - Judy Reynolds (7)

2020 - Kate Dwyer

2021 - Heike Holstein (5)

2022 - Abi Lyle

2023 - Michael Murphy

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