Quakerstown Point-to-Point and Easter Country Festival, under the auspices of the Co Clare Hunt will take place in Quakerstown, Boston, Co Clare on Easter Sunday, the 1st April 2018. The track at Quakerstown is set against the backdrop of the majestic Burren, and promises to be one of the highlights of the season.
This year the Quakerstown Point to Point will be held in conjunction with Connolly’s RED MILLS and this exciting announcement was made last night, Tuesday 20th March, at the event launch at The Inn at Dromoland in Co Clare.
The launch was well attended by Co Clare Hunt Members, event sponsors and well known faces from Co Clare and the Point to Point fraternity alike. There were a number of excellent guest speakers including Pat Breen TD for Clare and Minister of State for Trade, Employment and Business, Jane Davis, Equine Brand Manager for Connolly’s RED MILLS , Frankie Ward and Derek O’Connor.
As part of the new sponsorship deal the track will feature the addition of the Connolly’s RED MILLS Pavilion which will allow patrons to enjoy all the thrills of Point to Point racing with added comfort, refreshments, live racing from Fairyhouse and live music after racing from the Fake McCoys.
Gareth Connolly, Sales and Marketing Director, Connolly’s RED MILLS; “We’re really looking forward to supporting Quakerstown Point to Point on Easter Sunday. Our business is rooted in rural Ireland and we recognise the invaluable role that Point to Points play in contributing to the rural community as well as the thoroughbred industry. We are delighted to support the Co. Clare Hunt and Point to Point committee in their ambition to develop this day as an event and we look forward to a great day of entertainment and racing action.”
Quakerstown has proved to be an excellent source of young talent in recent years with Cheltenham Festival Grade 1 winner, Champagne Fever starting his career with a win at this meeting in 2011. Another exciting young talent to come from this meeting was Bacardys who went on to win the Grade 2 bumper at Aintree and the Grade 1 Deloitte Novice Hurdle in Leopardstown in 2017.
The 2016 meeting also saw the exciting Next Destination land the four year old maiden and he is now a multiple Graded winner over hurdles including a Grade 1 at Naas.
The day promises to be a wonderful day of racing and entertainment for everyone. There will be free admission for children, along with wonderful free attractions such as pony rides, face painting, a Primary Schools Art Competition, GAA skills zone and bouncy castles.
There is also a free bus being laid on to bring patrons to and from the track from local towns Newmarket on Fergus, Quin and Crusheen.
As this meeting is a very important part of the local community, extra effort has been made by the committee to enhance the enjoyment of the occasion for all the family and nowhere is this more evident than in the style stakes with amazing prizes to be won by all the family.
One of the main features of the day is the Most Appropriately Dressed Lady competition which has a prize fund of over €1,300 to the lucky winner. This amazing competition features prizes for the lucky winner from RED MILLS Store, County Boutique, Annette’s Boutique, Paul Martyn Hair Studios, Chez Lee Beauty, Seoidin Jewellery, Flax in Bloom, Gretals Petals Florist and Beautique Urban Retreat.
Ailish Durkin, RED MILLS Store; “Styling your outfit for Point to Pointing is all about being warm and comfortable and embracing a Country Chic look. We have a number of fabulous brands available at the RED MILLS Store in Cillín Hill, Kilkenny including Welligogs, Dubarry, Ariat, Horse Pilot and Ronner and Le Chameau, all of which would be perfect for Easter Sunday.”
Don’t worry the dashing men of the point to point scene have not been forgotten and there is a most appropriately dressed man prize worth over €900 which features prizes from RED MILLS Store, Patrick Bourke Menswear, Louis Copeland, Manix Menswear, The Ennis Cash Company, Matt The Thresher & Club Dangan.
There is also a competition for the Best Accessory which features a prize fund of €400 which includes a bespoke hat from Margaret O’Connor Milliner as well as prizes from Burren Jewellery and Carraig Donn.
Judges on the day for these events will be top model Mary Lee of Chez Lee Beauty, Mandy Maher of Catwalk Modelling Agency and top milliner Margaret O’Connor.
For younger members of the family there is a Bonny Baby competition judged by Leonora Carey and with an overall prize of a phot shoot with Impressions Photography and a Murphys pharmacy hamper.
There are also a prize for the toddler category of a wonderful Hippomottie Learn to Dress Toy and a prize for the baby category of a Mo Leanbh Nursery Store voucher.
A Puc Fada competition will take place during the day, where the skills of the local hurling fraternity will be on display for charity. Hurling for Cancer, was set up by top trainer Jim Bolger and champion jockey Davy Russell and has raised over half a million euros for cancer charities through its events.
This is a cause that is very close to everyone in the racing fraternity’s hearts and one that Quakerstown Point to Point, Connolly’s RED MILLS and the Clare Hunt are delighted to support. This year’s Hurling for Cancer all-star hurling match will take place in St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare, on Tuesday 14th August 2018.
Following the success of the Craft & Artisan Food Fair at the Easter Country festival last year, the committee hope to build on its success and this year it will again feature local crafts people and food producers selling a wide range of hand produced goods.
There will be over fifteen stalls displaying the finest of local and Irish produced goods such as woodcraft, candles, jewellery, food and cakes.
The fun however doesn’t end there with the Connolly’s RED MILLS Dog Show on the day. The Dog Show will have seven classes, including agility and fancy dress, with an entry fee of €3 per dog per class and there will be rosettes and prizes for the winners.
The last race on the card for the day is an added bonus of a junior Co Clare Hunt members Pony Race. The younger members of the hunt are eagerly awaiting a chance to show off their skills at the track and hopefully a future champion jockey will be discovered in the process.
