Tailteann Games

1. Tailteann Games Equestrian Procession & Drill August 1, 2009

2. Procession Line Up • Horses line up single file outside of Arena on West side. Riders have lances with flags in hand if appropriate for rider/horse pair. • Riders pairs 1, 2, & 3 should have swords in belt. • The paired name on the left leads the paired name on the right (e.g. the single file line goes Rossilin, Wystl, Nest, Anne… • If there is an odd number of riders, that is fine, the last rider (Moyra?) will ride solo – hanging with the column to the right (on the audience side) when the split happens. • Horse Pairs to tentatively be as follows (based on the tentative RSVPs to the event): A Column B Column • A. Rossilin & B. Wystal • A. Nest & B. Anne • A. Ceceila & B. Garin • A. Morgan & B. Cecily • A. Deirdre & B. Taylor (?) • A. Moyra & B. Lorcan

3. Procession – Ride into the Arena – At the Walk • A single file line rides into the arena when the music starts. This first part is ALL AT THE WALK. • The lead rider will veer left as entering and head straight up the center line. • At the end of the Arena [C], lead horse (Column A) turns left, second horse (Column B) turns right, third horse turns left, fourth horse turns right, and so on. • The horses then proceed down the rail on the long side, and the first three horses on each side turn in just past the end of the Tilt, with the lead horses riding directly toward the head of their pair. • When the lead horses meet nearly head to head, they will turn on their haunches and line up facing the other end of the arena (looking toward X/C). The four horses behind them fall into line in succession (with the final order from south (hillside) to north being: Garin, Anne, Wystal, Rossilin, Nesta, Ceceila. • The 4th pair of riders (Morgan & Cecily) start a second line behind the first line. So Morgan and Cecily will instead of directly following Garin and Ceceila will continue to follow the rail, and when they meet head to head, they will turn in toward the center of the arena, and form the second line with the remaining horses behind them falling in as well.

4. Procession The Hill Gate Spear Target Column B Turns Right– toward hill 3B 6B 2B 5B 1B 4B Single File Line 1A 4A 2A 5A Column A Turns Left – away from hill 3A 6A Tilt

5. Cadre Drill Begins Thread the Needle – At Trot • Pairs #1, #2 & #3 will hand over their lances to the ground crew person, and take their swords out of their belts. You can ride two-handed in the next section. • When the music switches tempo, the #1 Pair leads off at the trot, with #2 pair following behind immediately, and #3 pair follows behind again immediately angling to the center line. • The remaining horses in the second line will continue to hold their lances and stay in line at the end of the arena. • Pairs should remain cognizant of both their spacing to the horses in front of them. The desired spacing will be about 2 -3 horse lengths. Keep shoulder to shoulder with the horse next to you – no more than one horse width between unless horses are trying to “spar” in which case you should move away slightly. • The pairs will trot to the end of the arena at a forward moving trot (you’ll understand the tempo when you hear the music). • Pairs split at the end, the same direction as they did in the walk procession – Column A to the left, Column B to the right. Staying at the trot. • Column A will now turn BEFORE the Tilt and begin their angle across the diagonal. • Column B will go into the corner and begin an angle across the arena BEFORE they get to the spear target (staying on the inside of the spear target). • Column A riders will pass IN FRONT OF, Column B riders. Column B riders – AIM FOR THE TAIL of the horse in front of you (your partner horse). Do not slow down – just aim for the tail. You will use your angle instead of slowing your speed in order to pass behind the horse. • Continue to the opposite corners. Come around the short end of the arena (staying in front of the horses standing at the end). Column A will be tracking right, and will stay to the INSIDE. Column B will be tracking left and will go to the OUTSIDE – so that riders pass left shoulder to left shoulder (i.e. stay on YOUR right). Be sure to keep your horses at a steady trot as you go past the horses continuing their “vigil” at this end of the arena. • Begin the maneuver again in the opposite direction. Again – Column A will go in front of their partner horse from Column B. • At the End of the arena – you will again pass left shoulder to left shoulder (i.e. stay to YOUR right) – which means that now Column B is on the INSIDE and Column A is on the OUTSIDE.

6. Thread the Needle The Hill Gate B A Spear Target 3B 6B A – Riders pass FIRST 2B 5B Column B Turns Right Two Column Line (pairs riding together) At TROT 1B 4B 1-3 Hand lance to Ground Crew 1A 4A Column A Turns Left B– Riders pass Behind the A horse 2A 5A 3A 6A B A Tilt

7. Thread the Needle – PASS 2 The Hill B Gate A Spear Target 6B A – Riders pass FIRST A 5B A B 4B B A 4A B– Riders pass Behind the A horse 5A B 6A B A Tilt

8. Cantabrian Gallop - Canter • Column A begins a left cirlce so that they pass just to the left of the pylon markers, and go around the spear target, going all the way to the tilt on that end of their circle (as round as possible!). • Column B continues at the trot also beginning their circle by turning into the middle of the arena at a curve so that they pass just to the right of the pylons. • 1A should meet 1B at the center of the arena (likewise with the following pairs). This is your chance to get even with your pair! The first pass – don’t cross swords – instead pick up a left lead canter – Column B will have just turned right into the center – so pick up your canter as you begin your curve away from your partner. • We will make two complete circles – cross swords with your partner as you pass in the middle. You will cross swords two times for the two circles. • After the second circle, Column B will be on the Tilt side – and will immediately line up facing the hill – fall into line 1, 2, 3 so that Garin is on the West end, then Anne, then Wystl. This means that Wystl will pull into line, then Anne will go behind Wystl and line up on the right side of her, and then Garin will go behind Wystl and Anne, and line up on the end. • Column A will have to continue around to nearly complete a final circle – but will instead line up next to the already formed line – falling in 1, 2, 3 so that Rossilin will be next to Wystl, then Nest, then Ceceila on the far (East) end.

9. Cantabrian Gallop The Hill B Gate Spear Target B Circle – To the Left A Circle – to the Left A Pick up canter immediately after you pass your partner the first time – as you begin first full circle. Then make two complete Circles – crossing swords at each of those two circle middles.

10. Cantabrian Gallop – Concluding Line UP The Hill Gate Spear Target COLUMN A = After Last pass – Column A continues around in circle, and lines up next to line already forming. A B COLUMNB After Last pass – Column B Lines up. 3A 2A 1A 1B 2B 3B Line up Tails to the Tilt.

11. Spear Throw Finale • Ground Crew takes swords and hands spear to each rider. Ground crew should be standing with horses at end of arena until its time to do the spear throw. • As soon as all riders have spear in hand, Rider 3B rides out of line, angles to curve around to head straight at target. Riders can pick up a gallop along straight away toward target. • Rider 2B will follow Rider 1B to throw the spear – coming out of line at about the point where the other rider is lining up straight for the target (after they have come around the short end.) • Throw spear straight at target and immediately angle to left. • Riders will canter around the Tilt then break to a trot as they turn past the gate and come up the long side. • Riders will reline up in front of the other horses still at end by gate. Going back to the original position, which will be in order – 3B, 2B, 1B, 1A, 2A, 3A

12. XYEMA - Spear Throw Finale The Hill Throw spear straight at target as you peel off/Angle to left. Gate Spear Target 3B 6B 2B 5B 1B 4B 1A 4A Riders receive spears from ground crew. Then Rider 3B peels off, picks up canter, and gallops to target. Rider 2B leaves as Rider 3B rounds corner on gate end. 2A 5A 3A 6A 3A 2A 1A 1B 2B 3B Tilt Drop to trot

13. Final Procession • Wait in line until music drops back to slow tempo. If music has already dropped back to slow tempo, then after last horse falls into line, start procession. • Horses in Pair #1 will move forward together at the walk to form two column up the arena. • Horses in Pair #2 will fall in behind horses in Pair #1, and horses in pair # 3 will angle in and fall in behind #2s. • Horses in Pair #4 will walk straight forward to follow horses in pair 3, horses in Pair #5 will angle in and fall in behind Pair #4, horses in pair #6 will angle in and fall in behind Pair 5. • At the end of the arena, Horse 1B will turn to right to the rail, and Horse 1A will fall in behind, making a SINGLE FILE line. • Likewise Horse 2B will turn in front of 2A at the end of the arena, and on down through the pairs, each time the B horse moving in front of the A horse. • Be sure to give at least one horse length between you and the horse in front of you. • The Ground Crew will open the West Gate. • The single column line will pass in front of the Hill and exit through the West Gate. • After the last horse exits, the music is slowly turned down and stopped. • Then we set up the arena!

14. Final Procession The Hill Gate Form Single line as both columns turn right. Column B horse goes IN FRONT of Column A horse. 3B 6B B 2B 5B 1B 4B B A A 1A 4A 2A 5A 3A 6A Tilt