Anyone involved with horses?

[Teenage Venus]

I've a girlfriend writing a screen play which involves females and horses. In particular in Irish cross country events. To get a feel of the subject she is visiting Western Ireland in hopes of taking part in the sport. She would also like to get some experience in Eastern USA.

A websearch was unhelpful. Anyone know anything about cross country horse racing, or any venues where this takes place in Eastern US or Western Ireland?

Note: She already has screen credits, and it is for a 'U' rated audience. Any help/suggestions of value welcome.

 

[oggbashan]

I think this is the site to start at:

http://www.horsesport.ie/homel.html

What your friend needs to look at is 'eventing' as well as 'cross-country'.

Og ( who used to ride )

 

[matriarch]

Anyone involved with horses?

Not if I can help it.

Mat

 

[Teenage Venus]

What your friend needs to look at is 'eventing' as well as 'cross-country'.

Og.. Thanks for that. The word 'eventing' never occured to either of us - being Yanks. That was most helpful

 

[gauchecritic]

Point to point will give you a lot of hits too (half of them being computer terms apparently) but quite a few about horse racing.

Gauche

 

[seasparks]

Not much about Western Ireland or the East Coast of the US, Sorry,

My limited experience with horses came from living in Arizona and a few trips to County Wicklow on Ireland's East coast
Wish I could help more.

 

[cloudy]

I've ridden and shown most of my life, but in Western, and rodeo events, so probably can't be of much help to you.

Horses, now, I can help with!

 

[oggbashan]

Dare I mention?

Females and horses sometimes get involved in (whisper it quietly) hunting. Foxes, stags and dragged scents.

I had two horse-mad fiancees - both hunted. I couldn't find a horse that was up to my weight and capable of keeping up with the hunt so I followed their hunts on my motorcycle.

That was in the days before it became politically incorrect to hunt.

I never saw their hunts actually kill anything. For some reason the foxes seemed to lead the pack from public house to public house. The hounds always lost the scent near a public house that had good food and good beer. Odd.

One hunt day it was raining hard. I rode my motorcycle straight to the good food. The hunt arrived three hours after me. I had to take a taxi home and collect the motorcycle the next day.

Og

 

[Teenage Venus]

Thanks Gauch.., Cloudy, Seasparks, and Ogg.. for that little insight into the merits of hunting foxes on a motorcycle. I'm not a 'horse' girl but enjoy a ride (seriously, and no pun intended.) I get togged up in leathers too. Gt Granddad bequeathed me his machine. It ain't no Harley, but would leave one standing. (Vincent Black Shadow.)

 

[oggbashan]

Thanks Gauch.., Cloudy, Seasparks, and Ogg.. for that little insight into the merits of hunting foxes on a motorcycle. I'm not a 'horse' girl but enjoy a ride (seriously, and no pun intended.) I get togged up in leathers too. Gt Granddad bequeathed me his machine. It ain't no Harley, but would leave one standing. (Vincent Black Shadow.)

Now I'm jealous. I've ridden a borrowed Black Shadow, but never owned a Vincent.

Once I was pillion on a 'blown' (supercharged) Shadow. In the days before speed limits 125 mph on a public road, two up, was seriously scary.

At the time of the hunts, I was riding a 350cc Ariel Red Hunter. Slow by modern standards but much faster than a horse. Ridden normally I could get 90 miles per imperial gallon. Even ridden flat out it didn't get worse than 70 mpg.

Now I have a 'fun' motorbike - a BSA Bantam D3 of 1957. It does about 45mph with me on it but goes for ever on a gallon of petroil. (OK, about 110 mpg).

My cousin now owns the bike I was riding when I met my wife. That bike is a 1944 BSA M20 - 500cc sidevalve with girder forks and NO rear suspension. One ride on the rubber pad mounted on the back mudguard was enough for her. My cousin has now recorded 250K miles and it is nearly time to fit the unused spare engine I sold him.

Hunting on horses - I tried once but a Shire is not a good hunter. He (stallion) went through the hedges and fences, not over them. That made me unpopular with the Huntmaster.

Og

 

[Teenage Venus]

Now I'm jealous. I've ridden a borrowed Black Shadow, but never owned a Vincent..... At the time of the hunts, I was riding a 350cc Ariel Red Hunter........ a BSA Bantam D3 of 1957.....That bike is a 1944 BSA M20 - 500cc sidevalve

Hmmm somebody that knows a bit about REAL motorcycles.

When you think back 50 years to when that bike was new (and Yanks rode Vespas ) It was the one bike that didn't need some gentle running in. It was guaranteed to do 135MPH ex works. I 've topped 120MPH solo on it going South from Scotch Corner on the A1M Heading to Gt Yaremouth. It wasn't flat out, but a cowby in a jam sandwich thought I should ease off. (No ticket complements of a leather zip pulled well down as I waited him exiting the care ) The 350 hunter was okay, but Gran's 4sqare would see it home.

I cut my teeth on a D3. I set the footrests back and inverted the handlebars, put a smaller sprocket on back and could top 70 with ease. (I musta looked a really wild chick )

I rid the old M20 too. Granpop bought a batch of them back in '47 at sale of ex D Day stuff and other equipment stored on an Army base in Driffield, Yorks. He said they cost him £12 each as a bulk lot, and he sold 'em for £25. Tell ya what, riding on that mudguard brought you of quicker than riding any horse (sorry.)

He had a 350 Matchless, ex police bike, and one of those old Indian 3 gear rockets. OH! and a Douglas twin. That was a smooth, quiet ride. He had a black and white Arial 250 twin about 1966 vintage with paniers and full fairing. Once you got used to the front springing on that it was a beauty to ride. It had a habit of one plug whiskering tho, and you ended with one cylinder, lol. He had a Brough Superior but kept me off that.

I've never ridden any modern stuff, as I can't afford, and for some reason the guys around don't trust me on theirs! ( Some queer folk around )

If you are into cars, he has a Jenson Interceptor - nice car. The old bikes and cars had character. I got a Ford Focus estate. It's okay and reliable, but not a patch on an Alvis or Bristol or early Aston Martin.

I was born too late, lol.