DICK McElligott is known to have an incredible eye for a horse. Over the past four decades, horses selected by Dick and his team have recorded great successes in showing rings all over the country.

He has enjoyed many of his wins at the Dublin Horse Show, but has resigned himself to the fact that it may not happen this year due to Covid-19. “Money couldn’t buy the kick I get out of the Dublin Horse Show. I’ve been very fortunate to have had many great days there over the years,” he said.

Dick is modest in his success and quick to make sure that he credits everyone involved. “Sure it’s easy to be the guy writing the cheque,” he said, but what Dick brings to the party is far more than that.

A lifetime spent riding, observing and selecting horses that are brave, correctly built and athletic, and then partnering them with a rider that will bring out the best in them, means when his name appears on a startlist the other competitors know that it will be a good competition.

“The first time I ever sat on a horse was in 1934, I was three years old and I was put up on our family pony. Horses were still a mode of transport back then so there were always horses around the place,” he told The Irish Field.

“I began hunting with the South County Dublin Harriers in 1962, and from 1973 to 1977 I was joint master along with Michael Murphy.

“I also spent many days with both the Kildare and Meath hunts, while also enjoying visits to England to hunt with the West Shropshires.

“I think my favourite horse of all time was Hannibal. I hunted him for many seasons while also successfully campaigning as an amateur show jumper through the late 70s and early 80s. The biggest compliment I can pay that fantastic horse is that the late Paul Darragh and Eddie Macken both tried to buy him from me more than once!”

Dick McElligott on his hunter Schubert in 1988

Dublin champions

“In the 1980s I began what turned out to be a long and frequent trip to the RDS as an exhibitor in the Show Hunter classes.

“It started in 1983 with a horse called Scipio who came home with a ribbon and quickly we began building towards a war-chest of quality horses including Verdi, who won his showing and side-saddle class before going on to claim sixth place in the inaugural performance class in 1986.

“During the late 80s we enjoyed much success with Frances Cash producing the horses. Rigoletto claimed reserve heavyweight championship in ’87 and Emerald Square was heavyweight champion in 1988.

“Frances was one of the all-time greats; we had some fantastic days together. In 1989, Frances and Rigoletto won the heavyweight division at the Balmoral and Cork shows but, to our surprise, failed the vet when presented for Dublin.

“At the time, a lot of people asked me why I didn’t appeal the decision but I said ‘no you must respect and accept the verdict of the vet and the decision has been made.’ The horse did go on to have plenty more successes; and never had an issue with soundness.

“The 1990s delivered the golden era of lightweights for us. In 1993, we made the move to Diana Gilna’s yard. I’d know Diana since she was in pigtails. She wasn’t the easiest person to get along with sometimes, but she was nothing short of a genius with a horse.

“She produced Bogart as a four-year-old in 1993 followed by Curacao as Lightweight champion and reserve supreme in 1994. She also was responsible for Coincracker who, in 1997, was lightweight and reserve supreme champion.

“We had great times with horses together so when Diana took her own life the bottom fell out of my world. It was a long time before I had the interest again. In fact it wasn’t until 2007 that I gave a horse to Diana’s daughter, Claire, to produce.

“I remember the day I was watching them win a sportsman class and all the emotion of Diana’s death came back, It was hard time for all of us.

“From 2010 onwards the new production team of Kieran and Mairead Ryan from Oldtown, Co Dublin, kicked into action. They produced more top-class horses. Chorus won the four-year-old working hunter in 2012 and in 2013 they produced a horse I found called The Gadfly. Ridden by PJ Casey, he was champion lightweight, four-year-old and reserve supreme.

“In 2014, our gelding Huntsman, by OBOS Quality, was crowned champion middleweight, champion four-year-old and reserve supreme and the following year, Monbeg Bounty was reserve lightweight champion. More recently, in 2017, Pushkin was named reserve champion middleweight,” he said, recalling many successes through the years.

Trust

“I’ve been so blessed to have so many great people in my life that I can trust; people with integrity. I’ve made friends for life in the horse business and I have had a lifetime of enjoyment from the sport.

People like Kieran Ryan, young Ned Cash and John Roche, I can safely say, I trust completely.

“I have, in the past, bought a horse over the phone (for a lot of money!)... one that I’ve never even laid eyes on, by just going on the word of these people, that’s how strong the trust is. Most of the time when looking for a new horse, Kieran, Ned and I will go and just have a ‘poke’ around to see what’s out there.

Badminton

“My daughter Zoe [Kavanagh] is an event rider and we have her horses with Jane O’Flynn. A few years ago I had my eye out for a new horse for her. I knew we needed a particular type and after a while I was sure I had found it in Kieran’s yard.

“It was a very expensive youngster which Kieran had already sold to the UK, but thankfully that didn’t work out and he ended up hunting it himself for a couple of seasons, I knew that this was the one for Zoe and it was fantastic when we eventually bought it.”

Zoe and that horse, the Harlequin Du Carel-sired Reminisce One, qualified for the Mitsubishi Motors Cup Grassroots event at the Badminton Horse Trials in 2017, a day her father will never forget.

“I will never forget until my dying day arriving in Badminton the morning Zoe was going to compete with Reminisce One there. I remember walking the cross-country track and standing back from the fences and just saying ‘Jesus’!

Zoe Kavanagh and her father Dick's Reminisce One

“It’s an incredible event. Over 6,000 try to get there every year and just 95 qualify to compete. On that day, 88 took part in the class and Zoe finished fifth which was phenomenal. I’ll never forget that day,” the proud dad said.

“I still have a full-brother to Huntsman with Kieran, as well as a couple of youngsters with Jane (O’Flynn) so I’m looking forward to spending many more days with the horses, and the fabulous people involved with them, which have always given me such joy.

“I, like everyone else, am looking forward to getting through the current crisis and getting back to normal. But in the meantime I’m keen to find an alternate way to raise money for a cause which is close to my heart.

“Every year I’m involved in the Tattersalls July Show which raises vital funds for St Francis Hospice and I’d love to find another way to raise that money this year.”