Equitation School

The Equitation School 76 Years Of Success

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McKee Barracks, Dublin has been the home of one of Ireland's greatest sporting ambassadors for the past 76 years.

Representing Ireland in Showjumping and eventing, promoting Irish horses throughout the world and competing at the highest level both nationally and Internationally.

Equitation School maintains its goal to this day

"to promote Ireland and the Irish horse"

The Birth of the Equitation School

The Equitation School has been at the forefront of Irish equestrianism for the last 76 years, both at home and abroad. Since their inception Irish Army riders have been the backbone of Irish Show jumping and Event Teams.

Army riders have represented Ireland at Olympic, World and European Championship level in Show jumping and Three-Day Eventing. With wins in competitions such as the Hickstead Derby (on three occasions), Hickstead Speed Derby (on three occasions), Grand Prix Dublin, Grand Prix Helsinki, Millstreet Derby, Monterey Derby to name but a few, Army riders on Irish bred horses have indeed been a powerful force in advertising and promoting the sale of Irish horses abroad. Its success in achieving this objective can be established by reviewing the impressive record of Irish horses competing for other Nations over the years.

The formation of the army equitation School came about very quickly in 1926 following contact between Judge Wylie of the RDS, Col Hogan (Quartermaster General), and the then head of the new Free State, President William T. Cosgrave. Through a miracle of farsighted initiative, the funding was found to have Ireland field teams for international show jumping competitions. Its purpose - to advertise the new State and to promote the Irish Horse, which in the long run would rebound to the benefit of farmer breeders around the country.

Recruitment began in early 1926.One of the first to be called Ged O'Dwyer of Limerick, later declared, "we were all hunting and racing men and knew nothing about show jumping. " Another recruit, Dan Corry of Galway, noted" when we got to the barracks, the only horses there were pulling carts in the yard."

With what now has to be seen as a super-human effort, the newly formed team of Corry, O'Dwyer and fellow Limerick man, Cyril Harty, prepared themselves and horses selected by Judge Wylie to compete just three months later at the Dublin Horse Show against practised sides from Switzerland, Great Britain, France, Belgium and Holland. On the Friday of the first Aga Khan Trophy, record numbers turned out at the RDS. So much so that the gates had to be locked hours before the competition began to prevent any more people cramming into the Ballsbridge grounds. To their credit, Capt Corry on Finghin, Capt O'Dwyer on Oisin and Capt Harty on Cuchulainn were placed second behind the Swiss, who were all mounted on Irish horses and who bought 75 more before the show was over!

However this auspicious beginning proved to be a false dawn as the riders were to discover on their first trip abroad in 1927, to the tough Nations Cup meeting, at Olympia, London. "Our horses and riders could not cope with the tight confines of the Indoor Arena, " Captain O' Dwyer recalled of their chastening experience, when they placed last of six teams in the Prince of Wales Cup, some 70 faults behind great Britain. Thus, when Col Michael Hogan met Col Paul Rodzianko at Olympia that year, he was a man under pressure to find a way forward for the new team and justify the monetary outlay it involved to civil servants and public alike.

On return to Dublin, Col Hogan made the case for employing Col Rodzianko, who recorded in his memoirs, "I was asked over to Dublin. Col Hogan met me in Kingstown in the grey light of dawn. I spent several days discussing propositions and finally the Minister for Defence nominated me Director (Chief Instructor) of the Equitation School...The Army Equitation School had splendid horses, great courage and a certain amount of experience but no technical knowledge.... What grand material they were. With Irish horses and Irish hearts I knew I ought to win around the World."

But before that miracle could happen, there would be pain. After his arrival at McKee Barracks in the spring of 1928, Col Rodzianko applied the disciplines from Caprilli to the "grand Irish material". Captain Ged O'Dwyer recalled those early punishing days of training under the new coach-"He turned us inside out but it hurt. We were in the saddle for six hours a day and while the new forward seat was easier on the horse it was uncomfortable for us. I can remember many nights dragging myself back to our barracks and just about having enough energy to fall into bed only to wake up sore again the next morning. It was back to the grind, heels down, toes out, hollow back and light hands for six more hours."

The medicine worked because that August, the Irish team of Corry, O'Dwyer and Harry on Finghin, Cuchulainn and An Craobh Rua scored Ireland's first win in the Aga Khan trophy ahead of Great Britain, France and the Belgians, who were soon to be trained by Col Rodzianko's brother Alexander.

Col Rodzianko remained at McKee Barracks for the next four years. However above all else, Col Rodzianko left behind him in Ireland a riding tradition that has remained with us ever since. Not only that, during his time here in the thirties and again when he returned in the fifties, he was released by the Minister for Defence to share his genius with Irish riders far beyond the walls of McKee, as he gave lessons to prospective young riders. The Officers he taught and those that have come after them have continued this tradition of sharing with the wider Irish equestrian scene.

Winners (right) of International Military Perpetual Challenge Trophy, Madison Square Garden 1938, (l-R): Lt James F Neylon, Capt DJ Corry & Lt John Stack.

Having found it in a state of depression, Rodzianko left the Army Equitation School with the capability of taking on the world. This they did between 1931 and 1939 as they scored 20 Nations Cups wins. Individual Grand Prix achievements during that ten-year period included: -

1930: Dublin, Capt Dan Corry and Sliabhnamon. 1932: Dublin, Capt Ged O'Dwyer and Limerick Lace. 1934: Dublin, Capt Ged O'Dwyer and Limerick Lace. 1935: King's Cup, Capped John Lewis and Tremor Bay. 1936: King's Cup, Capt Ged O'Dwyer and Limerick Lace. 1937: Lucerne, Capt Dan Corry and Red Hugh. 1938: Dublin, Capt Fred Ahern and Blarney Castle. Lucerne, Capt John Lewis and Limerick Lace. Rome, Capt John Lewis and Limerick Lace. 1939: Amsterdam, Capt Ged O'Dwyer and Limerick Lace. Dublin, Capt Dan Corry and Red Hugh.

Objectives

Maintaining standards in:

Equitation

Stable Management

Training

Coaching

Participation in Parent Societies

Participation in an advisory capacity in:

Breeding Programmes

Mare Selection

Stallion Selection

Performance Testing

Promotion of Ireland and all things Irish