IT’s a great pity that we will no longer see the stylish Steven Clements in action following his sudden retirement last weekend. Due to turn 32 on New Year’s Eve, the man from Scarva will now concentrate on his SC Cozy Cabins business, converting redundant shipping containers into accommodation.

“I was due to ride on Sunday but, when I got home on Friday evening and changed to go for a run, I decided then and there just to stop. Up to recently, I never let the business interfere with my riding but in the last month or so things became more complicated so I’ve decided that, for the sake of the business, I have to give up the riding.”

Clements always struggled with his weight and referred to this in a tweet on Saturday. “The scales has finally got the better of me mentally and physically. Thank you so much to everyone who supported me, especially to the Tizzards and Terry Warner for giving me the best day of my life.”

That day was March 18th 2011 when Clements, then a 7lb-claiming conditional, carried Warner’s colours to victory in the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase on the Colin Tizzard-trained Oiseau De Nuit, a 40/1 shot.

Other major track successes came at the Galway Festival where, having regained his amateur status, Steven landed the Connacht Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap in 2013 and 2014 on the Tony Martin-trained pair Edeymi and Quick Jack.

Another trainer mentioned by Steven was Alan Fleming who provided him with his last two winners, Massey’s Wood in a bumper at Listowel and Internal Transfer, also owned by Barry Connell, won a Kirkistown maiden.

“While I enjoyed riding in point-to-points - and rode 24 winners - I never really loved the points and always wanted to ride on the track. I rode a few nice horses in the points mind you like Blaklion for Colin McKeever and Wilson Dennison and Road To Respect for Eoin Griffin and Gigginstown. I never did manage to ride a point-to-point winner for Jim (the rider’s father).”

Clements wants to maintain his fitness levels by getting back to skiing and he is a very keen surfer. He even managed to catch a few waves while attending the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar.

Steven plans to return to the USA in January as he seeks to introduce SC Cozy Cabins to the market there. While he says he needs to learn how to run a business, he is very much physically involved in transforming shipping containers into comfortable, eco-friendly sustainable accommodation, doing everything apart from the plumbing and electrics, with all materials being sourced within Northern Ireland.

Clements lives with partner Mary Nugent in Summerhill and keeps a couple of horses. We wish him all the best in the future. The home scales have no future having been destroyed!