TIPPERARY Foxhounds whipper-in Seamus Kelly was pictured by Radka Preislerova taking a last quick puff on his inhaler as he trotted down to the opening meet on Monday.

Now embarking on his 27th season following hounds, Kelly has overcome more challenges than most to achieve this feat, as the Ballingarry man has to deal with the daily challenges that having cystic fibrosis brings.

The 38-year-old was diagnosed with the inherited chronic disease at the age of six.

His condition primarily affects the lungs and digestive system.

A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections and obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.

Two Kelly’s three siblings, Adrian (32) and Aileen (22), also have cystic fibrosis (CF), while his brother Liam (36) does not.

Kelly has never allowed his condition to dictate over his passion in life, hunting. As well as hunting with the Tipps at least three days per week, he also hunts his own foot pack, the Jessfield Harriers, every Sunday.

“If you have a good positive mental attitude,” he says. “If you let yourself get down and out, it can be like a state of depression if you get that low.”

The vigorous activities that go hand in hand with horses, hounds and hunting pose their own challenge to Kelly, who can get caught for breath and whose occasional coughing fits are a familiar sound to anyone who has hunted with him.

He uses a nebuliser at home after each meal in the morning, afternoon and evening and every year receives two weeks of intensive treatment from the team at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, which involves antibiotics by intravenous drip.

During the hunting season, his tactics change.

“I use a portable nebuliser on my way to the meet and on the way home,” he explains. “I had a bad chest infection last year and we had a few miles of a hack from one draw to the next so I got one of the lads to pick me up in the jeep and plugged myself into the nebuliser while someone led my horse to the covert.

“It’s like recharging a battery on your phone, a few minutes is all it takes to get me going again.

“On Monday, the warm air on the way to the opening meet just caught me out so I had a few sneaky puffs on the inhaler to open my airways – I didn’t know I would be caught on camera by Radka!”

Kelly was pictured riding Miller, a full Irish Draught by Rockrimmon Silver Diamond out of a mare by Ross Cross Pride. The gelding was owned by the late Paul O’Brien, Kelly’s friend and huntsman of the Kilmogannys.

For more information about cystic fibrosis, find out about how to fundraise and donate, go towww.cfireland.ie