It is with a heavy heart that I write this week’s column. The loss of two riders and a horse over one weekend of sport has sent shockwaves through the eventing community.

My deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the families and friends of Benjamin Winter, Jordan McDonald, and Tom Crisp who lost his horse Liberal.

When such tragedy hits a sport, the inevitable question of horse and rider safety is brought to the fore. The eventing community works hard in optimising competitor welfare; from the event organisers themselves and their design of individual fences and courses; to equipment manufacturers and their product innovations; to sport horse producers and trainers as they match suitable horse and rider combinations. Cooperation and collegiality is vitally important in our sport, no more so than at this sad time.

A huge congratulations to my eventing colleague and friend, Aoife Clark on winning Bramham’s CCI*** on Fenyas Elegance. This is a much deserved win, and a great boost for all involved in Irish eventing.

Our little island corner of Europe boasts a proud equine tradition. Some might say that horses are in our blood (sometimes our sweat and tears also). With our horses and riders trailblazing across the globe, all of you breeders and producers can be immensely proud of the great work you do.

Another win worthy of a mention is Aidan O’Brien’s triumph in the Epsom Derby. Aidan provided great help and advice with Sugar Brown Babe’s fitness, in particular in the run up to Malmo’s gruelling cross-country phase.

As a competitor, I remain eternally grateful for all the help and advice I receive. There are many who help along the way.

Now to the babies of my yard. Last week’s successful trip to Scarteen’s FEHL proved to me just how quickly they have matured and progressed. Nobody (not even me) could be disappointed with two wins and three qualifications for the RDS.

The Ryan family’s association with hunting and all things equine is the stuff of legend. A visit to their wonderful homestead in the heart of the Golden Vale is always a pleasure.

A backdrop of the Galtee mountains makes for some inspirational dressage moves in the warm-up arena. This, coupled with blazing Munster sunshine throughout the day quickly erased the painful memory of our pre-dawn wake-up call.

As with all success, nothing comes without much practice and preparation. The young horses weren’t the only dizzy ones having trotted countless triangles in the week proceeding. Repetition, correction and praise are the cornerstones of training.

While patience; horse and human; can be tested and fuses sometimes burned short, I recognise this as part of the process.

Keeping the ultimate goal in mind certainly helps during the more difficult moments; be that trotting perfectly straight up a centre-line; pounding up to an inviting log on a cross country course, or jumping clear in front of a home crowd.

Following a meeting with Tom McGuinness of Horseware Ireland, Team Stellor is excited to have Horseware Ireland’s backing for the remainder of the eventing season. Passport control in Aachen will be meeting the renamed Horseware Stellor Rebound en route to our team participation in the upcoming Nations Cup.

Aachen [World Equestrian Festival] promises to bring together the cream of equestrian talent from all corners of the globe, and across the three disciplines of eventing, dressage and showjumping.

Ireland is sending a strong eventing contingent, with a team consisting of Joseph Murphy, Camilla Speirs, Ciaran Glynn and myself. With months of hard work and team training behind us, we depart in July with high hopes.

The few weeks in the run-up to an international event can be nerve-racking. Is the horse fit enough? Will the course be a fair test of horse and rider?

Might we get lost on some interminable European motorway, with nothing in view except signposts for Eastern Europe.

I try and put these anxieties to the back of my mind, and instead keep focussed on mine and my horse’s training (and of course pack my trusty sat nav).

Saturday last saw the truck once again leave the yard, this time for a more local event at Killossery Lodge. While not quite yet ready for their Nations’ Cup debut, all four horses put in a ‘stellor’ performance. The close proximity of this event afforded a lie-in by eventing standards. This was a rare occasion of the sun rising before I did.

One thing horses and eventing always bring to my life is variety.

The same day as typing this column, I welcomed a group of keen amateurs from Castle Hill Riding Club.

This enthusiastic and talented bunch spent a busy few hours with me honing their cross-country riding skills at the adjacent Quarrylands schooling facility. I always enjoy teaching other riders, and hope that every horse and rider combination takes something away from such a session.