Foyle College Equestrian team win All-Ireland title at Balmoral

Foyle College’s Equestrian team rose above all expectations recently to win the All-Ireland Schools showjumping competition event at Balmoral.

The team consisting of Eenna Hamilton, Millie Spence, Lauren Hermans and Josie Doherty only qualified for this year’s event for the first time back in March, but they proved that they belonged on the biggest stage by performing flawlessly against nine of the strongest teams throughout Ireland. Foyle actually enjoyed a double success with Josie also winning the tack and turnout event, on what was already a memorable day for everyone. 
The Foyle team has been managed every step of the way by Katie Scott, herself a former student at the school, and she was left in awe of her teams’ achievements.
“I did expect that the girls would do well they are a great team and they have had good results up until now both individually and together, but at the end of the day it boils down to having a bit of luck on your side on the day also’ she explained.
“The were around 35 people that made the journey up to support, between grannies, grandpas, mummies, daddies & siblings so there was a great support network for the girls. There were tears of joy shed by most. 
Foyle were one of only two teams to have a perfect 0 score, which was an incredible feat in itself, especially given the quality of some of their opponents.
“The competition was strong,” Katie acknowledged. “Omagh actually won it last year. We didn’t qualify until the third qualifier, we were just pipped at the post or we were just unlucky at the first 2. Even to qualify for Balmoral is a great accomplishment, but everything came together on the day.”
Katie, who left Foyle to pursue a career with horses at her family home and yard Mountcastle Farm has been drawn back into the fold to guide these young girls through the challenges of a very demanding sport. These demands, added to those at school and in their personal lives, ensures that the girls rarely have a spare moment.  
“They all have a lot going on between exams and this not being their only sport,” Katie explained. “Lauren had a GCSE on the Friday morning and then came to the yard, worked with her horse, got her ready and prepared for the the drive up to Balmoral.
“Quite a few of them do hockey, athletics etc so they juggle a lot, but they are good girls with a great work ethic which you have to have to manage all of the above. Two of the girls are in my own yard and they livery with me so I could see what they were doing on a day to day basis, I was training them and I could teach them. The other two girls were still doing shows aswell and training at their own homes but with the team not being in the same yard, everyone had to be really dedicated and put in a lot of work behind the scenes.’ 

Bright futures

Eenna, Millie, Lauren and Josie are still in the early stages of their equestrian careers, but there is no doubt that this memorable experience will boost their confidence for what lies ahead, both individually and as a team.
“It’s a great achievement a huge accolade for the girls to have and a huge confidence boost as well for the next couple of years and it’s something to look forward to,” Katie stated. “They are a relatively young team so they have years ahead of them to do this all over again. It’s great, especially for a team from the Northwest, to go and do so well.
“Now, for next year there’s that extra bit of added pressure. I’m not saying we were underdogs for this year, but Foyle College had never been represented at Balmoral before. Now when they read our name out next year they will be saying we are the reigning champions so it’s just that bit of extra pressure, but it’s a nice place to be.”

"None of this would be possible without the girls themselves but also a huge role played by their family members with the never ending encouragement, commitment and dedication in helping these girls achieve the unimaginable."