Dublin show at the Royal Dublin Society in Ballsbridge is the centrepiece and driving force for many in the Irish Equestrian community. It is so dominant in our culture that people just talk about it as ‘the horse show’, despite the fact that there are…

After the dressage my home bred hero Mandiba leads the World Cup 3* event at Rebecca Farms in Montana....congratulations to Karen O'Connor and all her team....while his full brother High Kingdom, with Zara Phillips aboard, is in 12th place after the dressage in the Advanced division at Aston Le Walls in…

So sad to hear that Oki Doki is no longer with us….who needs cheering up? The great thing about age is the ability to enjoy the little equine things that possibly were once hidden by the pursuit of rosettes in earlier days:…

What a strange world it is sometimes. We have one of the most powerful tools for achieving accelerated progress and greater success, that doesn’t require buying more equipment, greater strength, or a magic wand. Yet so many riders run in the opposite direction of this tool. Yes I am talking about simplicity again. A simpler aid system, a simpler progression of exercises, less tack and less complication …. getting…

Should you jump young horses? How young can they be to jump? Here is my home bred High Kingdom jumping a 1.30m oxer as a 3 yo. It is a glorious sight:…

There is no doubt that early intervention is the efficient way to tackle learning difficulties and weaknesses. To nip a problem in the bud leads to both accelerated progress and happier students. This applies to both mental and physical challenges and to both humans and horses. Any behaviour or way of going that is undesirable is much more difficult and time consuming to change if it has become habitual.…

Jack le…

Every exercise comes from a circle, even riding on a straight line. Riding a horse truly straight in a straight line is one of the most difficult but important things we aim to achieve in…

I have a new challenge and a new partner. A six year old gelding who is not very happy. I use the word ‘challenge’ deliberately, not because I am thinking of going into battle but because it focuses my mind on what I need to do in a positive way. ‘Challenge’ is an effective word in the same way that ‘problem’ is not effective. Obviously it is so much more positive and…

My apologies for silence over the past few weeks. My father-in-law died as the result of injuries sustained in an air crash and the energy and inspiration has been drained from our family…..but it will come back. We will remember and feed off his memory and huge strengths. He was a great role-model, particularly in the way he led both his…

A friend of mine died recently….before his time as they say….

but telling you about him is a joyful and hugely positive task:…

Marengo with Napoleon

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Bert de Nemethy

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GO!…

I would always support investing in our coaches because the pay off is so great as they influence so many hundreds of riders over their lifetime. I agree with Sebastian Coe, the Olympic 800m and 1,500m medalist and now head of the 2012 London Olympics, that more money should go to

coaching and coaches rather than to individual performers…