EDDIE Macken’s name is still sacrosanct throughout the length and breadth of the country amid moves by the next generation to have his achievements marked with a statue in his honour in his native Co Longford.

Local schoolchildren and their teacher Irene Brady of the Aughnagarron National School, Granard, came up with the idea of having a statue to the famous rider in his home county.

Honour

Speaking from Canada to The Irish Field, Eddie Macken said: “I would be highly honoured if there was a statue of me at home.

‘‘I’m happy that I’m still alive in Granard. Somebody sent me the cutting from The Longford Leader about the schoolchildren’s project. I was thinking of going down to the school and thanking them for the idea when I’m home for the RDS but the kids will still be on their holidays.”

The project features stories, poems and illustrations explaining horses, show jumping and a detailed story of Macken’s show jumping achievements that spanned four decades. His grandniece Aoibhinn is among the pupils.

Macken was part of the RDS “dream team” along with the late Paul Darragh, Capt Con Power and James Kernan that won the Aga Khan Cup three years in a row (1977-1979).

He captured four consecutive Hickstead Derby wins (1976 - 1979), two individual silver medals at the Show Jumping World Championships, 1974 with Pele and 1978 on the world famous Boomerang, and an individual silver medal at the 1977 European Championships with Pele.