Connolly wins on her seasonal debut

AINE Connolly, who represented Ireland at two European Junior eventing championships on Castlequarter Rambo, rode her first point-to-point winner last Sunday when making her seasonal debut at the Golden Vale Foxhounds’ meeting at Turtulla.

Having her fifth ride between the flags, to go with two in bumpers, the 19-year-old landed the Gain Equine Nutrition mares’ maiden by four lengths on Lucy Wang, a five-year-old Mastercraftsman bay trained for well-known veterinary surgeon John Halley by his son Josh.

“I started riding out for Josh when I was still eventing as I wanted to get fit,” revealed Fethard native Connolly who was a member of the Tipperary Hunt Branch of the IPC.

“I did my Leaving Certificate last year and since then have worked full-time with horses. I work for Josh five days a week and spend a day with Pat Doyle.”

Aine, who qualified for the Connemara performance hunter championship at Dublin in 2019, hasn’t evented since the 2023 Europeans at Montelibretti, Italy. “Rambo was retired after that and I decided to get into racing full-time,” concluded Connolly.