NEWS of the sad passing of Helene (Boodie) Cairns, who died on August 29th at the great age of 93 years, was received with sadness by the Irish hunting and Pony Club communities.
She was a lady described as larger than life, honest, forthright but caring, encouraging of all aspects of equestrian disciplines, passionate about hunting, with a particular love of children.
Helene Pauline (White) spent her early life in Hampshire and Norfolk in England where her father’s chemist business, Timothy White, was later sold to Boots. She was one of six children and graduated in History from Cambridge University.
She met her husband, Lt Col Neville Cairns, then serving in the King’s Dragoon Guards, and they soon married. Lt Col Cairns hunted the Haydon Foxhounds in Northumberland and also a pack in Israel before World War II.
He served as commanding officer of the North Irish Horse Regiment in Northern Ireland and got to know many of the hunt followers. Later, their son Jeremy, who was to become master and huntsman of the North Tipperary Foxhounds, was born when he serving in Germany, and then Patrick, when his father was posted in Malaysia.
The family moved to Alderton farm in New Ross, Co Wexford and in 1958 Lord Templemore’s invited Lt Col Cairns to become joint master and huntsman of the Wexford Foxhounds. He served two terms as master in 1958-61 and 1969-71.
Meanwhile, Mrs Cairns immersed herself in supporting her husband and enjoying her hunting. Together with Mrs Joan Price she founded the Wexford Pony Club and followed teams the length and breadth of the country in Pony Club games, interschools show jumping and hunter trials.
KINDNESS
She is fondly remembered for her kindness and boundless energy for the Wexford Pony Club. Her generosity knew no bounds. She regularly travelled to England with her horsebox to her friend Dod Noble, who owned Sandon Saddlery, and loaded it up with second-hand riding hats, jodhpurs, jackets and various items of tack and took them back to Ireland.
She was determined that no child would be short and turned out properly, or indeed if they needed a pony she always knew where to source one either for sale or on loan. Even at hunts if somebody was missing an item of dress or tack she would discreetly call them around to her car and kit them out with no questions asked.
She followed the careers of all of her pupils like Lillian Doyle, who went on to be one of the top point-to-point riders in the country, and whose father, John Jude, was also a tireless worker for the Pony Club.
Others under her watchful eye were Ted Power and Army riders Captain John Roche and Captain Con Power, the international showjumper and lynchpin of the Irish Nations Cup team that won the Aga Khan Trophy three years in a row from 1977 to 1979.
Racehorse trainer Aidan O’Brien, who is recognised as the most successful racehorse trainer of any generation in the world, was also another graduate. Although it was coming up to Irish Champions Weekend, in a touching tribute he remembered Mrs Cairns by saying: “Mrs Cairns was a very special lady, one that you would be fortunate to meet perhaps once in a lifetime.”
Extending his deepest sympathies to her family, he added: “She did so much for the children in the area, always putting them first and she knew every one of them and their families individually.”
Her life changed in 1973 when Lt Col Cairns sadly passed away at a meet after feeling unwell. Mrs Cairns took over the mastership for two seasons with the assistance of her son Jeremy, who later in 1981 moved to take on the North Tipperary Foxhounds as master and huntsman.
His mother soon followed in the 1987/88 season to Nenagh and became a regular car follower on Wednesdays and Saturdays. As in her Pony Club days in Wexford, the boot of her car was always full of refreshments and goodies which she distributed to all those followers who finished the days hunting.
She will be sadly missed by all those children, now adults, who got their early equestrian education and passion for horses and ponies from Mrs Cairns and the Wexford Pony Club and its principles. ‘To Promote and encourage horsemanship, sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty in a safe and fun atmosphere for all its members and volunteers.’
Mrs Cairns was laid to rest after the funeral service in Whitechurch Church in New Ross in Co Wexford on September 2nd. She is survived by her sons Jeremy and Patrick, grandchildren Neville and Jeremy, their mother Terrie, granddaughters Isabel, Sophie and Maria and their mother Monica, grandson Charlie and his mother Ciara. N.M.