Castle Leslie Equestrian Centre

Surrounded by some of the most beautiful and tranquil scenery in Ireland, Castle Leslie is one of only 30 great Irish castles still operated by the original family. Located in the picturesque village of Glaslough (voted one of Ireland’s top 100 most beautiful villages), the magnificent Castle Leslie offers the ultimate equestrian playground.

The year 2006 is a landmark year for this grand estate, bringing restoration to the castle proper, the opening of the Cookery School and Victorian Kitchens, renovation of The Hunting Lodge, and the complete refurbishment of the Equestrian Centre, with 60 stables, a large indoor arena, and a cross country course on 1,000 acres. Workshops are planned throughout the year and feature such riding greats as Anne-Marie Taylor, Olympic medallist Ian Stark, and Wembley medallist Jeremy Spring. All workshops are day programs suitable for all levels of riders (adults and children, beginners and advanced) where participants get individual attention from equestrian experts. Riders can bring their own horse or hire one of the forty horses and ponies on the Castle Leslie Estate. Participants can enjoy a one to two hour hack, exhilarating cross country rides, private lessons, or even a jaunt with the newest of the horses on the Leslie Estate—the virtual horse—a realistic, computerized life-sized replica that looks, sounds, moves, and feels like the real thing.

Several workshop packages are available, ranging from one day to one week, each designed to suit individual needs. Workshops include formal sessions of dressage. Overnight accommodations are available at The Hunting Lodge and Village Cottages.

Julie Sargent, Operations Manager and Director of the Equestrian Centre, is both passionate and knowledgeable and has created workshops to enhance every rider’s abilities. Among the most popular are Equi-Intro (for beginners), Equi-Trek (for beginners seeking improvement), Equi-Improve (intermediate), Equi-Country (advanced), and the newest, Equi-Chef (for all levels: combine time in the kitchen with time in the saddle). At the Castle Leslie Equestrian Playground, guest can brush up their skills, tackle a cross country ride, or enjoy a leisurely hack through the elegant woodlands of this grand estate.

www.castleleslie.com; email for information: juliesargent@castleleslie.com

Sample Prices for Workshops: By reservation only.

Hunting Lodge Accommodation: prices include meals

Equi-Intro Equi-Trek Equi-Improve

2 day 5 day 7 day

Adult €500 €1250 €1560

Child €350 €890 €1070

Village Cottage Self-Catering Accommodation:

Adult €330 €830 €965

Child €260 €660 €760

Special packages and pricing for groups of 10 or more available.

Address:

Castle Leslie

Glaslough, Co. Monaghan

www.castleleslie.com

T: +353 047 88100, call for booklet and informational DVD

How to get there:

From Dublin, 70 miles, N2 to Monaghan Town, then Glaslough

From Belfast, 90 miles, A3 then R185 to Glaslough

Well signposted

Written by Joy Davis - Summer of Travel 2007