Name: Niamh McEvoy

Age: 16

Parents: Maeve and Richard

McEvoy

From: Omagh, Co. Tyrone

Top ponies: Fireman, Caliber DE, IFlex and Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey

Trainer: My mum is my main trainer and helps me on a day-to-day basis but I have been very lucky to work with some great trainers such as Lucy Allen and Denis Flannelly, who taught me so much including the importance of flatwork.

At the moment I am spending a couple of days each week with Clem McMahon who is a brilliant help to me and I’m getting a great insight into how a top professional yard is run.

Who has been your greatest

influence so far?

My parents and grandparents have been a huge influence in my pony career and support me at all the shows. My parents competed and both grandparents have bred and produced many top showjumpers and eventers so I’ve been brought up with horses all my life and was riding before I could walk!

TRI Equestrian have been a great sponsor for a number of years and I have had great support from The Meadows and Portmore Equestrian Centres.

Who is the rider you most look up to and why?

I really love how America’s Laura Kraut rides and I think she can adapt to any horse. I watched her master class in Dublin and thought she was a fantastic teacher as well.

Major achievements to date: 2018 was a brilliant year for me as I won three classes in Dublin on Fireman and Charlton Chloe including the Children on Horses Championship. I was reserve National Champion and runner-up in the 148cm Coolmore Premier League in 2018, winning both the Premier Final on Fireman and the Starfinder on Sparkling Boomerangs Clover.

In 2019, I was on three Nations Cup teams with Ardfry Skye and was on the gold medal-winning European Team and finished ninth individually which was a dream come true. I was also 148 Irish National Champion in 2019 with Fireman.

What were the key things you learned from the 2019 season? I learned a lot about international shows, travelling ponies, their management and care and the importance of hard work.

What will you miss most from the season this year?

I really miss competing, I had a great string of ponies for this year and it’s my last year in ponies and I was planning to try for the Europeans again this time with Vinnie Duffy’s Calibre DE.

I also missed my friends but glad to be back now!

Would you like to have a career in horses?

I would love to go into horses but my mum is a typical teacher and wants me to study! Hopefully we can meet in the middle.

Niamh McEvoy was in conversation with Emer Bermingham