IRISH show jumpers are making their presence known all over the world, and nowhere more so than at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida where, during a recent visit to the Wellington showgrounds, I was most impressed to see the influence of the Irish.

The sheer scale of WEF is hard to describe. With nine show rings and hundreds of breathtaking barns surrounding the grounds, Wellington is a playground for the rich and famous.

I was lucky enough to visit the show during week 11, the Rolex five-star week, and was very fortunate to visit a handful of barns where Irish riders, grooms and barn managers are making a name for themselves. Among the highlights of the trip was getting the chance to sit down with our new chef d’equipe, Rodrigo Pessoa.

As detailed in my interview with him in the March 25th edition of the paper, Pessoa seems 100% focused on Team Ireland. I got the impression that the lack of respect he received from the Brazilian team in the run-up to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games has spurred him on to prove a point on the world stage. The point being that he is a team leader.

He is determined to put Ireland back on the map – in terms of winning medals at championship level, nursing our young riders, and crucially, securing horsepower for our riders. He has promised transparency and is very open about his goals for the two-year term.

Some sceptics are saying that success in the saddle doesn’t always translate to leadership, but in this case, that shouldn’t be a problem. He is fiercely competitive and has huge admiration for Ireland and Irish horses. Other are saying we have enough talent within our country to find an Irish manager, but Horse Sport Ireland have decided to make a big change, choosing a foreign chef d’equipe for the first time, and time will ultimately tell.

My first visit was to the barn of my good friend Stephen Moore, who is a trainer and rider for a private yard – Vlock Show Stables. Stephen is located on Quarter Horse Trail, just a short walk from the international arena, and has high profile neighbours in Georgina Bloomberg, Eve Jobs and Jennifer Gates.

He later showed me around the entire showgrounds and surrounding farms on a golf cart, which I was amused to learn is the main mode of transport in WEF – everyone has one.

Next it was on to Andrew Bourns’ beautiful, newly-built barn located inside the gated village of Palm Beach Point. I spent the morning getting an insight into the daily operations in a big trading stable with Andrew and his father Richard, as they hosted clients, trialled horses and managed the daily jobs.

Andrew purchased the 10 acre plot of land in 2014 and designed the purpose built stables himself. There I got to meet the lovely Irish-bred CHS Inception, who is Andrew’s current top horse, as well as some Irish faces. Jonathan Smyth from Co Tyrone is based with Bourns on a training bursary, while Lisa O’Sullivan from Cork manages Andrew’s horses.

OPPORTUNITIES

It is clear to see that the Irish guys stick together out there, always side by side at the ring, offering each other advice, partnering up and taking on young riders for the circuit.

That was the case for Daniel Coyle at the beginning of 2016 when he joined Conor Swail in Lothlorian Farm. I was delighted to visit Daniel at one of Sue and Ariel Grange’s Wellington barns, a two-minute walk from the main arena.

It was during a casual conversation with Daniel that I realised the Derryman is still only 22 – just out of the young rider division. He is riding on the crest of a wave at the moment, and while we walked through the stable and he introduced me to his top string, it struck me how grateful he is to be in that position – he knows he has landed on his feet and that is humbling.

I also stopped by Pine Hollow Farm, the base of Co Clare’s David Blake. I was there to visit a friend who trains with Cork show jumper Conor O’Regan.

The young rider bursary organised by Showjumping Ireland in conjunction with Connolly’s Red Mills is doing a fantastic job in gifting young riders with the opportunity of experiencing the sport in Florida, and it has resulted in many youngsters staying on much longer. Cormac Hanley, Oliver McCarthy, Matt Garrigan, Tim McDonagh, Patrick McCarthy and Jonathan Smyth are just a few of the faces I came across during my trip.

CHARITY EVENT

I was lucky to be there for one of the most anticipated events of the circuit – Nic Roldan’s Annual Polo and White Party. In association with the animal charity Brooke USA, the party was hosted by Jessica Springsteen’s polo-playing boyfriend, and Springsteen herself made an appearance on the polo field.

Her rockstar father, Bruce, was also in attendance, casually hanging out at one of the private tables. I guess you know you are at a cool party when nobody bothers Bruce Springsteen. The event raised $280,000 for the world’s largest equine welfare charity.

Saturday brought the biggest class of the entire circuit, the five-star $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix. The media had the chance to walk the track with the Rio Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge as he explained why he built the way he did. He hoped for around six clear – he got five.

There was almost a home winner. McLain Ward and the 16-year-old rockstar that is Rothchild were last to go in the jump-off but finished just behind Spain’s Sergio Alvarez Moya. The atmosphere was electric - night time classes always are. It is a pity we can’t facilitate outdoor night classes in Ireland.

To round off an amazing trip, I made my way to Ocala on Sunday for the HITS Million Dollar Grand Prix. Ocala is a very different setting to Wellington; the showgrounds are much more secluded but equally as big, if not bigger, and very impressive.

It was wonderful to see four Irish riders compete in the prestigious class – three completing on four faults, before Conor Swail went on to finish ninth with a clear and four.

A quick visit to Miami Beach on the way home rounded off a fantastic first trip to Wellington. I know they say the grass is always greener on the other side, but it is easy to see why so many Irish opt to spend their winters in the Florida sunshine.