Hunt folk take to GAA pitch for Cheltenham charity

They normally meet on the chase circuits at events such as the RDS Hunt Chase during the Dublin Horse Show, but this weekend will see two local hunts take each other on in a different arena. The Inter Hunt Charity Football Cup 2010 at Walterstown on Sunday evening next will see Ward Union Staghounds take on the Meath Hunt Foxhounds in a football game with throw in at 4pm. The event is in aid of Skyrne nurse Caitrin O'Rourke's participation in the the Ladies Charity Race at the Cheltenham Festival next month. Each side will be made up of a panel of 20 made up of four hunt staff, two hunt masters, a committee member, three farmers, two ladies, two u21s,two over 40s, one ex-jockey, one father of three, one ex-county footballer and one mystery celebrity guest The match will be followed by a race night with a difference, with the first race at 7.30pm in Walterstown GAA centre. "Following on from myself and Kerzak's surprise success at Punchestown in the Charity Race last May, I am now riding in the Ladies Charity Race at the Cheltenham Festival on March 18th," Caitrin explains. "The charity to benefit from this race will be Cancer Research UK, which is the world's largest cancer research charity. In order to compete, each rider must raise £5,000." Both hunts were keen to get involved to raise money for cancer research as both hunts lost distinguished members to the dreadful disease in the recent past, she added. "People can donate at www.justgiving.com/cheltenhamcharityrace or contact me on (086) 376 1406." Caitrin won the charity race at last year's Punchestwon Festival, on Oliver Brady's Kerzak in the Diageo Ireland Sweepstake Race, a fundraiser for the Punchestown Kidney Research Fund.