Hello, well its now July 25th and we got home from the World Championships on Monday night. It was a huge learning curve and to be honest I am feeling a little deflated and disappointed with our overall performance. This is how our week went. We ie Paul Kilbride and Niall Quirk and I left Ireland on Monday 16th and made it to Hartpury around 4.30pm, the horses arrived about a half an hour later and we settled them in and went and had dinner. The rest of the team flew to Bristol and arrived in Hartpury earlier the same day.

Tuesday we got to ride in the new Hartpury Arena and practiced our music. I was so engrossed with riding my horse I went up the centre line at the end the wrong way and didn't even realise what I had done, we had a good laugh over that, but thank god it happened on a practice day!!!!

Wednesday, we had to be on our horses by 8am and trained in indoor 1, a horse got loose and got into the arena where we were working and Youri started playing up and spinning around the place, I broke one of my straps and was lucky to stay on. Later on that evening Paul noticed Youris leg swollen and he was lame, he had a lump at the back of his right leg and all Paul could do was cold hose it and bandage it. We had the opening ceremony and it was great fun and we met lots of lovely people and our sponsors and I got to carry the Irish flag which I was very proud of.

Thursday, we were back in the Hartpury indoor at 7am. Youri was fine and sound thankfully. Thursday afternoon we had the trot up and we were all very nervous but they all passed with no problems.

Friday, our warm up team test was on, I was on at 11.42 and ended up with a score of 67.524 and was placed ninth and got into the prize ceremony which was great fun. I was thrilled there was 32 competitors in my grade ie grade 2 and it was a great feeling.

Saturday, our individual test was on the the old indoor and we had a good warm up and then we went into the competition arena and Youri lost his life with all the people and the judges at the side of the arena and kept spooking and wouldn't go up to the top of the arena. Paul was allowed into the arena to walk us up to the top and then we went for it. We trotted up the centre line and halted and he reined back and wouldn't go up the centre line. I had to turn before C and ended up loosing out on my first 4 movements. We got better and better and the last two minutes of my test was really good. I ended up with 61.818 and in 20th place. I had a good cry afterwards, but lots of people stopped me and complimented me on how well I rode through it all.

Sunday was my freestyle and Youri felt really dead on me. I couldn't get his back and and just kept pushing him on and it was awful. I ended up with 62.774 and am not sure if I ended up in 12th or 13th place. And that was it, it was all over and Paul and I headed straight for the bar. We attended the closing ceremony and prize giving and Princess Hyia was there to present. Jill arrived with the lorry about 9pm and we we loaded the horse box. We then all retired to the bar and had good fun till about 4am!!

Monday we were up at 7am and loaded the horses and headed for home.

Hello, its now Sunday 15th, the horse box is loaded and we are all set. We ie Niall and Paul and I are loading the horses at 5.30am and then heading to Roslare for a nine o clock ferry to Fishguard. From there we will make our way to Hartpury College for the 1st ever FEI World Para Dressage Championships. I am a nervous wreck and hoping things will settle down once I get there and we get our bearings. I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me financially and emotionally and I hope I can make you all proud of me. Thanks again. Lots of Love Eilish

Hi all you lovely people, well time is moving on and we are working as hard as poss. Two great things happened, last night my trainer called to say I had been asked by Dressage Ireland to do a demo at the RDS in Dublin, in August ie do a demo at the Dublin Horse Show. Of course I had to think about it for all of two seconds. It will be a great opportunity to show off!! and to raise awareness of Para Equestrian.

Today, my god you will not believe what happened me today!! I had a lesson at 12 and afterwards Paul who looks after me and Youri, took Youri to the stable and arrived back with an envelope in his hand and handed it to me. My address was on the front and a note on the back of the envelope read "Good Luck at the World Championships 2007, hope this helps a little". I opened the envelope and it was full of 50 euro notes to the tune of 2000 euro!!!!!!!!!!!!! I nearly fell off my scooter in shock and then came the tears! There was no note to say who it was from and I just couldn't take it in. Then Jan who was at the yard said a man in a business suit looking pretty dapper asked for me and Jan told him I was having a lesson and he asked for Youris stable and left the envelope in the stable and left the yard without saying anything. To my dapper man a million THANK YOUS.

I rang home and friends in tears telling them what happened. I am thrilled to bits and tomorrow Goodwins the saddlers are coming to hopfully fit me with a new saddle as the one I have is not comfortable on Youri and thats what the money will go on.