Sporting Stars Aileen Reid & Aoife Clark Jointly Win Sportswoman Of The Month Award for October

Aileen Reid (Triathlete) and Aoife Clark (Eventing) have today been jointly named The Irish Times / Irish Sports Council 'Sportswoman of the Month' for October 2013. Aileen recently took silver at the World Triathlon Champions Grand Final in Hyde Park in London while Aoife Clark also took silver at the World Breeding Championships for Young Eventing Horses in France.

Derry native Aileen finished second ahead of Australia's Emma Moffatt in third, while Britain's Non Stanford secured first place at the World Triathlon Championships. Reid was thrilled with her performance with a time of 2:01.57 "I'm totally delighted with second place... it's amazing. At the medal ceremony I loved watching the Irish flag flying but I dream someday I'll hear the Irish anthem instead".

Kildare native Aoife made history with Fernhill Adventure at the World Breeding Championships at Le Lion d'Angers with Ireland's best ever result at the competition. Clark, also made history last month by winning the three-star class at Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials on PJ Hegarty's Fenya's Elegance, beating 84 of the world's top riders.

The accolade of winning The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council 'Sportswoman of the Month' means that both Aileen and Aoife will now be in the running for the prestigious title of 'Sportswoman of the Year' at an awards ceremony in December 2013.

Established in 2004, the aim of The Sportswoman of the Year awards is to recognize the abilities and achievements of women in Irish sports. The awards run over a 12 month period, with the judges selecting a winner each month for her ability to excel at sport. From the 12 monthly winners, the overall Sportswoman of the Year is selected and announced in December. The winner is decided by a judging panel, which is represented by individuals from The Irish Times, RTة, and the Evening Herald.