Anna Lehane-Davny and Suzanne Hehle represent Ireland at an American Quarter Horse Association event in Mongolia next weekend.
The large fair is considered to be one of the People Republic of China’s largest local festivals and will feature many cultural aspects of nomadic Chinese indigenous to this area. Traditionally, one of the main events is horse racing.
Horses will be featured in a new and different light during the AQHA special event and show case other forms of racing and competition. The show will include barrel racing, pole bending, ranch work and western riding classes for both amateur and open riders.
American Quarter Horses will be provided by local Chinese owners and matched with exhibitors by a random draw.
Anna Lehane-Davny, of Blenheim Heights, Waterford, stared her equestrian career at a young age on the backs of her father’s thoroughbred race horses and an assortment of Hunters, Cobs, Connemara and other breeds. Anna’s Father, the late Frank Lehane, was a well known Waterford business man and horse breeder/trainer during the mid 1980’s to early 90’s. Frank trained all his horses from the home yard out at Blenheim, producing some fine National Hunt horses such as Master Aristocrat VI and Olan Lad who won the Thyestes Chase in 1989. In later life, Anna married and moved to Israel where she was introduced to the American Quarter Horse and the discipline of Western Riding, under the tuition of European Champion Reiner Ilan Rosenberg.
On returning to Ireland, Anna started to compete in Western Riding in 2014. She won the National Novice Rider award after just one season of competition.
She has since taken on the family farm and is dedicated to bringing the sport of Western Riding to the South of Ireland. She will be hosting Waterford’s first ever Western Show on August 15th at the Ballinamona Equestrian Centre with classes in Showmanship, Trail Riding, Reining, Western Riding, Barrel Racing and much more.
