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

The Kilkenny based club will travel to the French Federation Parc for the four-day tournament, which takes place from 20th to the 22nd July 2025.

The Irish team includes Louise Moran, Maria Jones, Denise Loehmer and Sheena Holt while the non-traveling reserves include Roisin Digby and Stephaine Hoyne.  The Chef d’Equipe will be Fraser Duffy.

The team is planning to compete on two of their horses, and two will hire horses at the tournament.

Gillian Hennessy, Club secretary for Thomastown and District siad,” As Secretary of our club, to be selected to represent the AIRC at the World Club Tournament in France in July has been on our wish list for so long, and now the dream has come through. It is amazing to now add France to our representation of the Association outside of Ireland, along with the UK to our achievements. For an amateur association to be able to offer this opportunity to it’s members speaks of the hard work to all involved. I would like to thank the Board for giving us this opportunity and we will represent the Association with pride.

It will be a club and team effort getting ourselves prepared for this prestigious competition and we are all on board. The team will continue their weekly training to compete at their very best. We are excited to meet our fellow international amateur riders and share this experience with them.

To sum it all up “It’s an opportunity of a life time”

The Association was last represented in 2019 with Border Counties Riding Club finishing in 6th place.

This tournament takes place every summer during the Generali Open of France at the Parc Equestre Federal, 41600 Lamotte Beuvron, France from 20th to 22nd July 2025. Lamotte Beuvron is in the Loire Valley, about 140kms south of Paris.