Riders enjoy splashing time in annual Beach Relay event at Carnlough

Before the event itself, Best Turned Out judges Muriel and Neil Colvin had a hard task as the teams were all beautifully presented but finally decided they couldn’t fault the Four Fine Fillies team of Charlene Ellison, Donna Dawson, Katy Irvine and Gemma Houston and presented them with their rosettes and a prize of £100.

The teams paraded through the town and down into the sea to get their horses used to the water before the competition.

First in the draw was the very professional Plan B team of Jamie Sloan, Fiona Magill, Orlaith McLaughlin and Brendan O’Kane.

The Funny Duckers’ hearts must have sunk to see they were up against the big guns and they had a difficult start with a horse and rider parting company but they carried on bravely and finished the course.

Next came the small but feisty Belgium Belles, so named as they were shortly off to Belgium for the mounted games and they won through against the Four Fine Fillies who had an involuntary dismount on the course.

There was hot competition between the Hillbillies and Bev’s Babes and indeed the teams were to meet again later in the competition, with Bev’s Babes winning through but the Hillbillies coming through to the next round as the fastest losers.

In the semi finals Plan B were faultless and Bev’s Babes put up a great fight with young Bob Hamilton going like a rocket on Stan the Man, and but they couldn’t defeat the eventual victors. Fighting for the other place in the finals, the dauntless Belgium Belles won through against the Hillbillies in spite of Jamie-Lee Mark putting her all into it, and young William Hamilton as brave as a lion.

At last came the final and there was no beating Plan B, the winners of many a competition but the Belgium Belles team of Courtney Hamilton, Erin Dunseath, Brigid Delargy and Orla O’Kane certainly showed their mettle and will have had a good warm up for Belgium.

The victors, Plan B were presented with their prize of £400 and very generously donated a large proportion of it to support the Belgium team, adding to their runner-up prize of £200.

Thanks to all who made the day such a success starting with John and Rosetta Reid and family for letting everyone use the yard for parking,