3 In A Row! UCD Win Tetrathlon Intervarsities '09

UCD Equestrian Club recently took part in the National Tetrathlon Intervarsities, hosted this year by DCU and held in Kells, Co. Meath. The competition involves 4 disciplines; running, shooting, swimming and show-jumping. Four teams and 2 individuals took part this year and competed with confidence and enthusiasm showing true stamina and skill, not least our many new members who stepped up to the challenge and did us proud!

The competiton kicked off on Saturday morning at 8.30am. Shoooting was first with Brit Cassiday taking 6th place and Luke McMullan taking 4th. Also Ed Flaherty shot an impressive 860 to take 7th place. Next came the running whick took place on a partially water logged, soggy pitch. However UCD's Philip Conway and Kate Coleman proved this was no bother to them, Phil giving a repeat performance of last year, taking 1st place in the men's running and Kate, 2nd place in the ladies' running.

In the afternoon, the swimming phase commenced and Kate Coleman completed an impressive 11 lengths in 3 minutes, again storming into 1st place in the ladies' swimming and leaving competitors chasing! Thomas Downey and Luke McMullan came joint 7th place in the mens' swimming.

An early Sunday morning wake up call signalled time for the show jumping. Ed Flaherty left all the jumps standing to come 5th in the men's riding, as did Thomas Hayes and Luke McMullan who took joint 7th. Marie Léoutre also jumped clear to land herself in 5th place in the ladies' riding.

Finally came the prize giving, where the UCD first team of Luke McMullan, Kate Coleman, Thomas Downey and new member Sophie Dillon, took 1st place and lifted the cup again, beating Trinity into 2nd place. The team of Philip Conway, Ed Flaherty, Louise O'Brien and Christine Cummins took 4th place. Luke McMullan did well to be placed overall 3rd in the individual men's category, Philip Conway in 6th and Thomas Downey in 8th place. In the ladies' overall individual placings, Kate Coleman was 3rd and Sophie Dillon, 9th.

A big thank you went to trainer Luke McMullan whose hard work and dedication paid off and congratulations to all who competed to see UCD retain the Tetrathlon Intervarsities for 2009