RECENTLY-crowned double European junior jumping gold medallist Emily Moloney was only three when she competed in her first lead rein class at a local show not far from Warrington Top Flight Equestrian Centre outside Kilkenny City. “It was at the Dunamaggin Gymkhana and she told her grandmother Ann (Moloney) it was the last time she’d be doing it because there were no jumps,” smiled her proud mother, Miriam.

Ever since then Emily has always wanted to be a show jumper. It’s in her blood – her family are steeped in the sport – and her record to date speaks for itself, with three European medals and a host of national and international wins and top three placings already in the bag at just 17 years old.

Next week, Emily, along with her father Eddie, will line out at the Dublin Horse Show once again in a bid to add to that tally. Between them they take along five horses. Eddie has qualified two six-year-olds - He is Ace and Rathduff Dignified - while Emily is hoping her European mount, Temple Alice, will be very much in the frame in the young rider category.

“Dublin has always been a big part of my career,” commented Eddie, who has only missed one or two years since he first competed there in the 128cms competitions at the age of six. “I remember coming fifth in the 148cms championship on Lakeview Lady. The following year I won it on Garryhinch Lad.”

Emily Moloney with her father Eddie, sister Anna and mother Miriam at Warrington Equestrian Centre \ Siobhan English Photography

Dublin memories

Since then, Eddie, who is a former national show jumping champion (2010), has had some major wins in the Main Arena. It was back in 1999 when he won his first national title there with Future Flight being crowned five-year-old champion. Cavalier Starlight won the same title in 2003, but it would be a long wait to find another superstar in the making with Temple Alice.

Sourced originally as a three-year-old hunting prospect from his breeder Susan MacDonald by Paddy Cotter, the 13-year-old gelding by Foxglen Cruise Control showed his talent as a show jumper early on. Paddy decided to name him ‘Temple Alice’ which was the house in the Molly Keane book, Good Behaviour, about Anglo-Irish society in the early 20th century. Also, Paddy’s first grandchild was born around the same time he bought him, and she was called Alice.

The grey competed at the RDS as a five-year-old with Tholm Keane and was placed third in both qualifiers in Simmonscourt. He then went on to win the six-year-old championship with new rider Eddie in the saddle.

Affectionately known as ‘PC’ after Paddy Cotter, Temple Alice has rarely missed competing at the RDS ever since and this year has once again qualified Emily for the 1.35m/1.40m young riders. “This will be his seventh time going to the RDS with us,” Emily noted, having finished fifth with him in the same young rider final in both 2022 and 2023 and then third in 2024.

The year 2023 was another fantastic year for Emily. It was her final year in ponies and together with the then seven-year-old 148cms mare Lady Crown they claimed team gold and individual fifth at the European Pony Show Jumping Championships in Le Mans, France. A week or so later Emily headed to the RDS where she rode the Ard VDL Douglas mare Capitol Cruis to place second in the 1.25m/1.30m championship on the penultimate day of the show.

There have been many horses and ponies that have given Emily so much success to date, but Temple Alice stands out as one of the most consistent. He has been a magnificent servant for the Moloney family, providing Eddie with numerous Grand Prix wins and now bringing Emily up the ladder to international stardom.

Emily Moloney won individual gold at the Junior European Championships with Temple Alice (ISH) \ Tomas Holcbecher

Having shared the ride before taking over completely, Emily has slowly progressed with this horse, finishing team fourth and individual seventh at the Europeans last year. Her recent double gold medal win is a culmination of her determination and ambition to come home with medals in 2025, and the story is far from over.

In addition to Temple Alice, next week she will also take along Tick A Lu for the seven and eight-year-old internationals. The eight-year-old mare by Luidam was bred by her uncle Richie, who jumped the dam Tikal to 1.30m.

Along with some business partners, Richie has a successful breeding programme running from his birthplace at Warrington. This is overseen by his mother Ann and his sister Marie, who are now the force behind the successful equestrian centre since the passing of Tom snr in 2019.

Emily, who turns 18 in December, will also ride the Diamant De Semilly mare Mfe Class Diamante in the 1.10m/1.15m young riders. Winner of the qualifier at Ard Chuain, the six-year-old is, according to Emily’s father Eddie, a real prospect for young riders going forward.

Household name

Looking back at the early days, it is easy to see how Emily has become totally focused on a sport that has made the entire Moloney family a household name in Ireland, and indeed worldwide.

Making her debut at Dublin in the working hunter starter stakes when she was only eight, Emily first started to cut her teeth in jumping with the likes of the 128cms ponies Castletown Cyril, Magneto Cobra and Expresso. Then there was Castlehill Titan, third in the 148cms championship in 2021.

Three generations: The late Tom Moloney, Emily Moloney, and her father Eddie Moloney discussing Emily's show jumping round on Castletown Cyril in the Under 8 Discovery class at Thomastown Show in 2014 \ Siobhan English Photography

Emily progressed to horses at just 13 years old. The OBOS Quality 004 mare GVS Goodwins Queen was one stable star of note who picked up some super results in 2021, with team second in the Children on Horses Nations Cup in Hagen and team fourth in the COH European Championships.

“GVS Goodwins Queen provided Emily with a big progression from 1.20m to 1.40m,” commented Eddie, who added that they had also placed sixth as a combination in the $10,000 Junior Jumper Classic in Wellington, Florida in 2024.

Emily’s uncle is the US-based Irish international rider Richie Moloney and each year Emily spends a number of weeks at his Florida base during the Winter Equestrian Festival, where she has gained valuable experience under his guidance. Of course, Richie needs little introduction as another member of the Moloney dynasty that has competed at the top level. In 2012 he was a member of the winning Irish team at Hickstead and then the Irish quartet that lifted the Aga Khan Trophy when riding Ahorn Van De Zuuthoeve.

A winner of numerous Nations Cups and Grands Prix across the USA and beyond, he too started out in ponies in Ireland. By 1998 he had progressed to juniors, and he won team bronze in Lisbon riding the home-bred Speedy Flight.

‘Flight’ horses

Anyone that’s involved in show jumping over the years will recognise the suffix ‘Flight’ on horses connected to the Moloneys of Warrington Top Flight Equestrian Centre. For well over 30 years dozens of horses - either home-breds or those bought in - with ‘Flight’ added to their name have flown the flag worldwide.

Another was Top Flight who Tom jnr - the eldest of five in the family rode to European junior show jumping team bronze in Belgium in 1987. Ellie Moloney, the second youngest of the quintet, switched disciplines for a time and won team silver at the European Junior Eventing Championships in 1995 on board Valentine Flight.

The most famous of all the ‘Flight’ horses, however, was the home-bred stallion Carrolls Flight who Eddie Macken rode to multiple wins, including as members of the winning Aga Khan team in Dublin in 1987.

To date, no fewer than seven European and World medals have been won by members of the Moloney family, with another silver being claimed by Eddie at the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in 2001 with the then seven-year-old Master Ballinteskin. It is quite an achievement for a family who started out their careers under the careful eye of their late father, Tom snr.

“My father Tom started Warrington with my mother Ann some 40 years ago,” Eddie recalled. “Slowly they built it up, adding an outdoor and indoor arena and stables. He always bred a few and bought others, so we had something to ride.”

The facility has grown to be one of the most successful equestrian centres in the area, with hundreds of children having learnt to ride there. Among those is Seamus Hughes Kennedy who placed an incredible fifth at his first senior European Jumping Championships two weeks’ ago.

Another up-and-coming rider is Emily’s younger sister Anna (14) who is aiming for the National Pony Championships later this month with the 148cms mare Jessie C and Ballycarrick Lass for the Children on Horses competition.

While Ellie has now moved away and breeds horses with her partner at their base outside Carrick-on-Suir, Tom jnr and his wife Linda have their own yard next door to Warrington. Their daughter Alice has qualified for Dublin with MHS Colorado for the 148cms six and seven-year-olds and also MHS Jolene for the 1.10m/1.15m young riders.

No fewer than seven additional riders who are connected to yard will compete in various show jumping pony and young rider classes over the five days. These also include Ted Donohue who has qualified for the 1.25m/1.30m young riders. “There’s always a sigh of relief when we qualify horses and ponies for Dublin,” commented Miriam, who herself represented the Warrington Riding Club in Simmonscourt over 20 years ago. Under the guidance of Marie Moloney, they have another team flying the flag for Warrington this year, which makes for a very busy week.

As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village’, and Eddie is quick to credit some of the other main people behind the scenes in their ever-expanding show jumping yard. “We have a great team here, including Fraser Duffy who joined us in January and Taylor Cummins who has been working here three years. She competes at Dublin next week in the four-year-old division. We are also grateful to Denis Flannelly who has been coaching Emily, and to some of our sponsors, including Mervue Laboratories, who are great supporters of Emily and the entire yard,” he concluded.