The Board of Directors of the Association of Irish Riding Clubs (AIRC) has confirmed that Kilrainy Riding Club will represent Ireland in the World Club Tournament at the Generali Open de France in July.

The Kildare based club will travel to the French Federation Parc for the four-day tournament which takes place from 25th to the 27th July 2018.

The Irish team includes Peter Dargan, Aisling Dargan, May Gilsenan and Claire Leahy while the non-travelling reserves include Patricia Farrell and Gordon Bye. The Chef d’Equipe will be confirmed at a later date.

The team is planning to compete on their own horses rather than riding hired horses as previous clubs have done at the tournament.

The Association was only previously represented at the tournament for the past two years with Donegal Gaeltacht Riding Club narrowly missing out on a podium finish in 2016 while last years representatives, Ross House Riding Club, finished in eighth place.

A.I.R.C. chairman Tony Ennis said,

The team from Kilrainy Riding Club will make magnificent ambassadors for our country at this friendly tournament in France in July.  I wish them the very best as they begin their preparations for what I hope will be an unforgettable experience for them.

This tournament takes place every summer during the Generali Open of France at the Parc Equestre Federal, 41600 Lamotte Beuvron, France from 25th to 27th July 2018. Lamotte Beuvron is in the Loire Valley, about 140kms south of Paris.

(Image: Ross House Riding Club during the parade of Nations last year)