“I love what I do, I always try to give 150% and after that you can only do your best,” is the very positive approach Melanie Ashe displays both in her riding and life in general. “I think everything is possible and we need to reach for the stars and dream big.”
In eventing, dreams can only come true if you have the right horse, put in the work and luck stays on your side. For Ashe, who is based in a new yard near Ashford, this year’s big dream is selection for the World Equestrian Games with Rathmolyon Flight, who she purchased as a five-year-old with her late father, Tim Philips.
“You need to have the right focus, commitment and perseverance,” says Ashe, who has spent a lot of time training in Germany over the years. “Combined with hard work, determination and the ability to cope with failure, it’s unbelievable what people can achieve when they really want something. As a small operator, attention to detail is essential to how I run my show and running a business brings a lot of challenges.”
In a recent rebranding, Melanie Ashe Eventing has become Ardeo Sport Horses. “Meaning and significance are very important to me. I grew up in a Christian family and have a strong faith in God. Ardeo is a Latin word meaning to burn, blaze, to be on fire, to sparkle, flash, to rage, to be in turmoil/love, to glow.
“The aim of Ardeo Sport Horses is to source, produce and sell a small number of carefully-selected, highly-talented event horses each year. The customer is very much in mind, so rideability is a big key to sales.
“I really enjoy finding the right horse for the right customer. I recently sold Ardeo Cooley Dance, a five-year-old French Buffet gelding, to Piggy French, while Jodie Ronan, who is back out on the scene again, has purchased the 15.2hh Ramiro B gelding Ardeo Fun Size.
“While business is business, nothing deviates me from my personal ambition to compete at the top of the eventing game. I’m always on the look-out for the right owners who want to have fun and be part of the team. This is an extremely expensive sport and requires so much investment to do it well; a limiting factor to the sport is owner investment.
“Over the last few years I’ve also realised that we need to give more time to preparing the rider. In Ireland the view of competition preparation needs to change among owners and riders. There is so much emphasis on the horse that little time is spent developing the rider – both mentally and physically.”
Ashe was recently asked to join the National Athlete Development Academy in Blanchardstown. This is a body conditioning and strengthening programme for athletes across all sports that are under the radar.
She explains: “Riding, like most other sports, is so much about symmetry, so training my asymmetrical weaknesses especially after the last major knee surgery from a fall in February 2012 where I could have become quite one-sided, has had a massive impact on my performance. Martina McCarthy, high performance manager of DCU Sport, deserves a lot of credit for this thanks to her strength and conditioning coaching.
“The last four years have been tough for me since my Dad died following a battle with cancer. I’ve learned a lot about perspective and what’s really important. This has changed my game completely – I feel more solid in my views and instincts, finding the right trainers and trusting them, surrounding myself with the right people, positive people who want to see success and be part of it. Mental and physical fitness has a crucial impact on performance.”
Ashe is a Level 2 Horse Sport Ireland coach and trains people on a weekly basis, as well as taking on students on longer programmes.
“My right-hand support is Leila Barker, who has been a working pupil with me for over 18 months,” she continues. “In March, Harriet Dickin, daughter of English racehorse trainer Robin Dickin, is joining us for the season. India Ryan, a 14-year-old with enormous talent, has been working with me for the past couple of years and I have a fantastic show groom in 17-year-old Saskia Dooley.
“I absolutely love coaching and counselling people, seeing people reach their goals and developing their confidence both on the horse and with life’s issues.
“To ride well, I’ve found that one has to be emotionally grounded when mounted or else you miss that sensitivity to details of what the horse is doing under you. I’m fascinated by how we can block ourselves from being able to ride due to our own mentalities and personal issues. This directly impacts our chances of then understanding what’s going on with the horse underneath us.
“As humans, we are so often limited by personal fears, sadness and putdowns that our ability to ride can be paralysed. I’m especially aware that some people can be so numb from life issues that their sense of feel for their horse is just not present at all. I’m very interested in unlocking these issues with people and working on the barriers that block improved performance.”
Ashe qualified as a social worker from Trinity College Dublin after being “profoundly affected by the depth of poverty” she witnessed in Brazil when she was 18.
“From Ireland’s male high security prison, Mountjoy in Dublin, to Bray Community Addiction Team, I spent my early working days as an addiction counsellor, supporting people out of heroin use and homelessness.
“I’m currently on the board of directors for Tiglin, which is a rehabilitation programme based in Wicklow for both men and women with alcohol and drug addictions and am hoping to work with some of these guys at the yard.”
Of her love of horses and trying to understand how their minds work, she adds: “I’m passionate about the sport and what it requires to prepare a horse for this discipline. I have learned how it has to be a partnership approach or it can’t work.
“The horses have to believe in themselves and feel good in what they do through training and they have to believe in the rider. The key is to get them to try for us. It is not a sport where you can ‘make them’. Within that context I can be slow in producing my horses but, when they are ready, they are really ready!”
THE HORSES
ANNAGHAMORE ARDEO
7yo ch g
(Beach Ball - unregistered thoroughbred)
Owner: Melanie Ashe
Breeder: Sinead Healion
Previously known as Annaghmore Beach Boy, Crumbs was bought through my brother-in-law, Richard Sheane, just over a year ago.
He was very green when I got him and for the first few months he would jump over everything, including poles on the ground, as if it was 1.50m. Most people complain about getting their horses into the air, but I was starting to worry about how I was going to get him down!
I don’t like to rush my horses which meant that I spent enormous amounts of time tricking around over poles on the ground and jumping 60cms at training shows despite my anxiety of knowing he was six and that he really needed to move on faster. Finally, my methods paid off as he won his last three events in a row, from the front, including Monart where he won his first one-star.
Crumbs is phenomenal with podium potential. He has it all – brain, heart, scope, step, blood and trainability. I really enjoy this little guy – he’s just 16hh – despite his rather opinionated and often emotional views on almost everything. Now that he is stronger, he feels good in himself and knuckles down to work quickly.
For me, he is as close as you get to the perfect four-star horse and I would absolutely love to keep him. At the end of this month, he will join Biscuit (Rathmolyon Flight) and travel for training with Chris Bartle, the German eventing team trainer. He will be prepared for the Tattersalls CCI* and then upgrade in preparation for the world young horse championships at Le Lion d’Angers in October.
ARDEO SONADOR
6yo ch g
(Ramiro B - Eroine Du Chateau (by Henaud))
Owners: Danny and Eileen Durkan, and Melanie Ashe
Breeder: Michael Beattie
James, as he’s known, has it all – looks, unbelievable movement and serious scope along with a super temperament. He is a very gentle horse who loves attention. He has a big heart and does his best to please.
He was bought last year directly from Michael Beattie. I have always wanted a Ramiro B as they are so trainable and easy in the mind. Eroine Du Chateau jumped for France on Nations Cup teams and over her career won €250,000 competing at the top level.
James was the winner of the Millstreet five-year-old Discovery in July on his first ever appearance. I didn’t campaign him much last year, giving him the time he needed to mature and grow. The future is bright for this horse with the aim being to compete at Lion d’Angers.
Danny and Eileen Durkan are new to the eventing game, but are steeped in horses with Danny and his family being very successful in racing. They have been a wonderful support to me and I have really enjoyed getting to know them over the year.
CLOONEY BZ
5yo gr g
(Corland - Arizona (by Lord Calando))
Owner: Janet O’Byrne
Breeder: Brandheyde BVBA
This Belgian-bred was bought from Daisy Duggan last year by one of my great owners and supporters, Janet O’Byrne, following his wins in the first two legs of the Wexford Equestrian Stepping Stones four-year-old league.
The reason Janet decided to buy Clooney was that his expressive movement in the dressage was very pleasing to the eye but, at the same time, this big horse (he’s 16.3hh) went like a Connemara pony in both the show jumping and cross-country phases. He has endless scope, a big heart and is always willing to please.
We had been looking for a long time for a horse with world-class potential who I could produce while, at the same time, finding something that would be grounded enough for Janet to ride out and compete locally.
The future is very exciting for this prospect, but it’s disappointing that most of the aged classes are restricted to Irish-bred horses, making it difficult to campaign him against his peers and show off his true talent here in Ireland.
For this reason we campaigned him lightly last year, doing one pre-novice event at Ravensdale where he was second, Millstreet’s four-year-old eventing Discovery where he was fourth while, at the Irish Breeders’ Classic at Barnadown in September, he won the four-year-old class and was overall champion. The following month, Janet rode him to win a number of rosettes in the young horse class in the riding club dressage league at Brennanstown.
After a welcome two-month break, Janet and I drove Clooney over to Germany for a few months’ training under Grand Prix dressage rider Leonie Bramall, who is based in Hannover. Janet is an amazing owner and supporter and understands how the next couple of years are crucial to creating a big future for the horse. I will fly in and out as often as I can for training with him.
At this stage in the game my focus is on Clooney’s understanding and development so that next year he is ready for Le Lion d’Angers.
LADY GUINEVERE ELM
4yo gr m
(Lancelot - Lady Alley (by Aldatus Z))
Owner: Madeline McMahon
Breeder: Joanne Murphy Hanley
Madeline McMahon, who is an equestrian coach in the south Dublin area, bought this serious mare as a project and has high hopes for her future. She sent Lotty to me in December to break and produce as she believes the mare is particularly special.
There are a lot of options open to Lotty, who is a very blood mare and pretty. This year she will most likely be aimed at the four-year-old ShowjumpingIreland classes alongside a couple of Future Event Horse League classes with the hope of getting a good result in Dublin.
RATHMOLYON FLIGHT
15yo b g
(Errigal Flight - Black Chanelle)
Owners: Melanie Ashe and Susan Philips
Breeder: Kieran Scott
Rathmolyon Flight, who is an Irish Sport Horse with pure Irish lines, was bought from Paul and Val Larkin in December 2004.
On the day I tried him, I was in a rush to get back to a meeting. Paul had no jumps in his arena so, in an attempt to persuade me to cancel the meeting and drive five minutes up the road to an arena with fences, he rode Biscuit into their tennis court, cantered a lap and then jumped over the net!
Biscuit is a horse with a lion’s heart; he is courageous, brave and careful. However, he’s not an easy ride and I spend much time training and preparing him so that he is ready to take on the atmosphere and pressure of a big show.
In search for solutions to manage Biscuit’s stress levels and his anxiety, Dad and I brought him to Germany where we found the major key through show jumper Konrad Kugler, a highly skilled horseman and coach who I regard has my main trainer. Konny really found the key to Biscuit’s brain and heart; one week I arrived at his yard in Celle near Hannover to find him riding and jumping Biscuit with an umbrella!
In 2009 and 2010, Biscuit competed at three-star level in Portugal, Germany, Holland and England before taking on the CCI**** at Luhmühlen where he roared around and ate up the track! However, his career has been a litany of ridiculous/unusual injuries including knocking his splint bone (throwing him out of WEG), a fibrillating heart and last year having to have his penis amputated due to a sudden tumour that would have killed him.
At this stage I describe him as my hobby horse! I have been seen crying at local 1m jump training classes just because it is such a privilege to be on his back. I really thank God that he gave him to me. The horse is a genius and such a schoolmaster for good riding. Ironically, since I took this view, the pressure has come off Biscuit and he is going better than ever.
Last September Biscuit had a personal best dressage at the CIC*** in Ballindenisk, taking 15 marks off his average international dressage test, and we finished third. Good tests had been building up in him all year as I started to accept and love Biscuit for each event he attended rather than putting endless amounts of pressure on him to achieve.
A huge part of this comeback is due to my dressage trainer Sonya McCormack, who recognised Biscuit’s brilliance and understood how he likes to cope. She has played a significant part in helping me find the key to his relaxation.
Hopefully, Biscuit and I will put ourselves back in position for selection for this year’s World Equestrian Games. At the end of this month, he is off to train with Chris Bartle in preparation for his run-up to Luhmühlen CCI**** in June.
Biscuit is one of a handful of serious four-star horses in this country who can be relied on to do the job both cross-country and show jumping. With his improved dressage, he is finally in a very strong position.