I HAVE always loved showing and was intrigued by the Racehorse to Riding-horse class when it was introduced at the RDS a number of years ago. I toyed with the idea of sourcing a horse to take part but didn’t really know where to start.

I had often seen Prince Erik during his racing career and, knowing his connection to Mr Weld’s yard, I mentioned to Kevin O’Ryan, half-jokingly, that I thought Erik would be perfect for the Racehorse to Riding-horse classes.

I have a soft spot for greys and he is a gorgeous-looking horse, beautifully put together and most importantly he appeared to have a quiet temperament. Prince Erik was retired from racing in 2012 from a very successful career spanning over seven years. He was fifth in an Irish Derby and ran in two Irish Grand Nationals, winning six races along the way.

For the first few weeks we concentrated on getting him settled into his new surroundings, building him up slowly on the walker. I then got the leg-up and away we went. Having had some time off he felt very narrow, his head-carriage was high - partly due to the fact he was looking at everything - but he was quiet. I was happy I had something good to work with.

From there the process began, all the time remembering he was an ex-racehorse with a previous routine and background. Now in a new environment, with new routine and new expectations, everything was different for him, especially doing everything on his own.

Having spent most of his life riding out as part of a large group, simple things would spook him; like when riding in company if another horse rode towards him he would lose his life. I would consider him a scaredy-cat but we have built a good partnership and I like to think he trusts me.

My biggest challenge was getting condition on him. Naturally he has a light frame but when in work he develops good muscle tone. The more I rode him the better he would look. I had to be very patient when riding simple things like transitions, figures of eights, all the basics. It was like riding a young horse.

I am lucky that he is naturally a very balanced horse and is a comfortable ride. I have him almost 18 months now, taking in a few show jumping events to keep things different. I have seen significant improvement in his flat work; I feel it has taken this long for his muscles to readjust to his new job but I am glad not to have rushed him.

Altogether it has been a brilliant experience. It’s safe to say Erik is now a huge part of my life, I have an ‘Erik’ WhatsApp group so I can keep Team Erik updated on our day-to-day progress and I even received a Christmas card addressed to both of us.

Everyone is invested in our story and I can’t thank all those who have helped us along the way enough. There have been good days and not so good days but he has created a chapter in my life that I will be eternally grateful for.

We qualified for the RDS at Cork Show this summer so it’s all systems go for August.