Celebrations on ice for Navan pair
SKIJOR
The Meath Skijor team lost out in their bid to defend their title at a Canadian tournament this weekend in Calgary, but did win in another event.
Skijor is an equestrian ski winter sport, where a skier is towed by a person on horseback.
Childhood friends Barry O'Brien Lynch and Susan Oakes from Navan had hoped to place in the 2.5 furlong sprint race, after they won at the last tournament in 2020.
However, O'Brien-Lynch crashed out before the finish line in what he called a "strongly ridden race".
They competed in five different events at the Skijordue festival in Calgary.
The Navan man said it was a day of "mixed emotions" but their defeat in the sprint was followed by success later in the day.
Oakes placed second in the long jump event with another skier, Phil Hudec.
"I'm so thrilled and proud to have won at this year's Skiijor tournament. We returned to Calgary as reigning champions, not the underdog like in 2020, so the other competitors really brought their best game.
"All the training and hard work has paid off and I'm glad to share the magic of skijor and other equestrian and winter sports to everyone back home," said the Navan woman.
But the final race saw a win for the Meath daredevils - who came first in the "alpine lounge" event- which they won narrowly.
The "lounge" consists of a sofa, coffee table and lamp built on skis or snow boards.
O'Brien-Lynch said that the 'lounge' is pulled by two horses, while he and Oakes sit on the sofa in a race against two other teams.
"It was always going to be different this time around, we wiped a few eyes when we took the blue riband sprint race in 2020, thanks to a superb horse and rider combination of Susan and Bowie," said O'Brien Lynch.
"We were in a different location with different challenges, the same for everyone, but having the heats in lanes and having the relay changeover in reverse gave us confidence," he added.
He described those at the event as "supportive" and delighted to see them return to Calgary.
"There's a massive following for this sport over here and it's a great spectacle with the high risk, high speed nature of the events and it looks like this sport will continue to grow exponentially.
"We were very lucky to have sourced Sassy as our steed who gave us everything she had in this unorthodox sport.
"Herself and Susan got onto the same page quickly and seemed to have an understanding for each other. It has been another wild experience over here with great people and great horses," O'Brien Lynch said.