NEXT year is a world championship year in equestrian sport. It’s one step down from the Olympics as far as team events are concerned, and it’s an equally tough race to secure a spot on that illustrious start list.

One rider who hopes to be in the mix when the time comes round is Aoife Clark. The UK-based Kildare native has a horse capable of the challenge, that being Full Monty De Lacense, and is equally talented herself, with a wealth of experience under her belt.

A member of the silver medal-winning team at the European Championships last August, she has also competed at two Olympic Games, with her team fifth and individual seventh with Master Crusoe in 2012 being one of the highlights of her career to date.

“London was such a huge deal,” she said. “When you are on a team you want to do well. I remember standing outside after the second round. I could hear fences falling and thinking ‘I am in the top 10’. Luckily, I deal with pressure well, but I couldn’t believe that it was happening to us. He was fantastic too in his first championship.”

The son of Master Imp has been well-minded ever since and, at the age of 24, is still the ‘yard favourite’ with the best stable. “He was very naughty when I got him as a five-year-old and he’s still a brat. He’s hacked out every other day now but has his quirks. He won’t be caught in the field or the stable and has dumped the grooms a few times.”

Master Crusoe was a gelding that ended up in her charge by chance. “He was bought for someone else but proved tricky. He came to me via Ann O’Grady from Clare Ryan.”

As well as London, Clark and Master Crusoe enjoyed plenty of other great days, including the first of two Badminton completions in 2011.

The second of those came in 2013 when they placed a creditable eighth. He was retired the following year.

At a time when the Olympics were merely a dream, Clark casts back to her younger days. “I grew up in Naas. My father Hal wasn’t interested in horses, but my mother hunted and did some showing. I did hunt as well and did tetrathlon. I was a good runner, and had a good shot, and could ride, but was terrible at swimming.

“I did some working hunter ponies and pony eventing and rode a super thoroughbred mare called Tell Me More. She came from Ann Hatton. She had one hell of a jump and was very quick. She was all blood. She was a tough ride, but a brilliant ride and taught me a lot.

“We won at Blarney and represented Ireland on two European Championship teams. It was from her I got a love for horses with lots of blood.

“I always dreamed of competing at the Olympics and at Badminton, but I was very much encouraged not to go into horses. I never believed it would work for me, but it didn’t stop me wishing I could.

“I didn’t do juniors or young riders, but I was still riding and competing. I would always have one I was bringing on and then either sold, or maybe a bit limited, but none that were really team material. They always had to take a back seat to education.

“My academics were strong, I didn’t love it, but I got very good grades. I got 1st in Maths, and 1st in UCD. I got a scholarship for a Masters that I used for the Dublin Business School. I kept riding, but it was tricky at home. My parents separated and our home was later sold.”

Aoife continued: “I worked a few jobs after college, but honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. My strengths were all pointing towards financial institutions and a job that would pay for horses as a hobby, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I couldn’t let go of it. I was still doing some competing and had some success. I was second in a three-star at Necarne.”

Aoife Clark on Vaguely North competing at Badminton 2015 \ Nigel Goddard

Influential

Clark counts the late John ‘Skee’ Ford, Jane O’Flynn and the late Ned Cash as being hugely influential in the early days. “‘Skee’ was like a member of the family and cared for me like a daughter. He taught me everything growing up and was always there for me. He sadly passed away in 2023. Ned was a great friend who died last year. Jane was also a great mentor to me before I moved to the UK.

“I wouldn’t say I had much belief that I was any good, but I was desperate to give it a go and, when I was 25, I moved to the UK. It was partly because I had no base at home, and a lot of friends had gone to London to work so I thought ‘why not’. I worked part-time while riding a few on the side. One of them was Master Crusoe.

“I was renting stables in Lambourn, and things went from there. I worked hard, until I built up enough of a string and went full-time. I gave it two years to see if I could make a business, and if not go back to my degree. It worked. I met my now ex-husband Simon which kept me based here.”

While Ginny Elliot was Irish team manager, Clark recalls a training day that changed everything. ‘Paddy’ was seven or eight at the time. “I was invited to go along and was a bit in awe of everyone there. Ginny put up a ‘really tricky’ jump-off and angled course of fences and he jumped round, making it so easy. She was clearly impressed and after that she was totally behind me. She was a huge help in building my career in the UK.”

In 2010, Clark moved near Bicester, Oxfordshire to set up Sycamore Farm where she is now based with her son Paddy (6).

It was through Ginny Elliot that she secured the ride on another of her top horses, the New Zealand-bred thoroughbred Vaguely North.

“She told his owner, Henrietta Duchess of Bedford, that if she had a horse, she would send it to me. That coming from one of my idols growing up was a huge confidence boost for me.” Together they worked their way up to five-star level and placed eighth at Badminton in 2015.

Star power

Other stars over the years include Fenyas Elegance, who completed a rare double of four-star wins at Blenheim and Bramham, and Fernhill Adventure, who provided Clark with a silver medal at the FEI WBFSH World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses in 2013 and also went on to compete at four-star level.

Last year, Clark and the fabulous mare Sportsfield Freelance were selected for the Paris Olympic Games. They came in to show jump on the final day as alternates when a team horse was withdrawn.

Clark admits that she has missed a few other opportunities to get to five-star level, but horse sales are crucial to keep the operation going. “Selling has put me in a better position in terms of the quality of horses we have and flexibility in how the yard is run.”

Also among those who started their careers with Clark was the French-bred gelding Fetiche des Rouges, who is now with Boyd Martin and showing huge promise.

“He was owned by a syndicate who have a few other horses with me too.”

For Clark, the syndicates work extremely well as it allows her to retain some of the horses that have championship potential. “Full Monty is owned by the Ace of Spades Syndicate, as are Standfast and Night Agent.”

Purchased out of Monart as a three-year-old, Standfast (by Island Commander) stepped up to CCI3*-S level at Ballindenisk in September and finished fifth in a strong field.

Previously named Tullibards Benny and Jess when ridden here by Sharon Power, Night Agent (an Oldenberg by Tullibards Bennys Legacy) was acquired by Clark last season. “He is a cool horse and has done two CCI3*-S. I might aim him at Boekelo next season.”

Aoife Clark and Vaguely North at Badminton 2015 \ Nigel Goddard

Irish affinity

Clark loves Irish-breds and several horses currently at her yard carry ISH on their passports. The rising seven-year-old Lislee Honey (Lagans OBOS Quality) is another mare worthy of a mention. “She was bought out of Goresbridge as a three-year-old and was 11th at Le Lion in October. I would love to put some owners into her, but she will have a big price tag on her head and could be bought out.

“Pretty much everything I have here is high blood. Personality-wise, I get on well with them. They are trainable with a big heart. I sell mostly to professional riders and they do not want half-cooked horses.

“I had three young horses at Cornbury this year and all placed very well in their age group classes. They all had more than 70% blood.”

This included Poulaphouca, a rising six-year-old by Pointilliste (dam by Master Imp), bred by the sire’s owner Barbara Hatton and boasting 88% blood.

Clark loves the top level of the sport - she lives for it, but producing young horses is very rewarding. “They get me up every morning. I love to see them progress and see the promise that goes with them.”

Aoife Clark has worked incredibly hard to get to where she is, but it has not come without its disappointments. One of those came in 2018 when she suffered a bad fall in Millstreet and had to sit out the World Championships, for which she had been selected with Fernhill Adventure. “It was a freak fall when the horse I was riding tripped at the third last from home.

“I banged my head and there was a complication from it.” Clark was gutted, but there was a silver lining. “While in hospital I found out I was pregnant with Paddy. Thank God everything was fine.”

A fall at Little Downham in May 2023 saw her out of action for the season with a compound fracture in her arm.

“Thankfully, I have good friends who helped out with Paddy and Laura Collett stepped in to compete the syndicate horses. I also had a lot of young horses at the time, but I have a great team. Natalie Wallace is head girl, while Matteo Corsi breaks our three-year-olds.”

Clark hunts some of her young horses, which she says is hugely beneficial to them. “In fact, Lislee Honey had 10 days hunting last season. It does them the world of good.”

Aoife Clark and Fenya’s Elegance tackle the cross-country course at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2015 \ durringston.co.uk

From time to time, Clark takes on working students and, this past summer, young Irish rider Jasper Kelly spent some time at Sycamore Farm with his good mare Agatha Raisin. “I have had some great working pupils here, but finding the time to do coaching otherwise is difficult.”

Life for Aoife Clark is hectic, and days off are rare. Naturally her son Paddy is her number one priority, and everything revolves around him. After that comes the demands of running a yard with 14 horses in work, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“With Paddy, my priorities have changed, and I juggle my day to suit.

“I try and get horses ridden in the morning while he is at school, so I can have the afternoons free with him.

Aoife Clark and Master Crusoe at Badminton 2013

“I also try to factor in less runs in August, when he is on holiday. The ground is hard anyway. I have great friends too who often help. He is a brilliant little boy and it’s all about him.”

Going forward, Clark is excited about heading into the new season with her top ride, the rising 11-year-old Full Monty De Lacense. They had an unfortunate fall on the cross-country at the European Championships at Blenheim, but Clark believes there are better days to come from him. “He feels like a five-star horse. I only got him last March when Jonelle Price put him up for sale. Jonelle is a good friend of mine and I regard her highly as a rider. He didn’t suit her, but she thought he would suit my strengths.

“I loved the feel of him. He is very genuine and willing. However, he is sensitive, so he suits a smaller yard. I am the only person who rides him and we are building up trust over the winter.

“Before Blenheim, he’d only had five runs at four-star level in total and was fourth at Millstreet. He is qualified for Badminton and has the scope and blood for it, but next year is a championship year so we will see how things go.”

In terms of high-performance training ahead of the 2026 World Championships, Clark concludes: “I am a big believer in positivity. Team spirit is really good, but it hasn’t always been that way, and I think it makes such a difference. It is so important now that riders and owners have a voice on selection for a team manager. We deserve a training programme. Time is of the essence.”