I AM the home flat rider for Kevin Babington while I am here in Wellington, so I spend a lot of time in the barn and I keep everything ticking over. Each day, I am riding Kevin’s horses that aren’t at the show and riding the client’s horses, so I don’t actually get into the show every day.

It’s quite busy here now, we have 39 horses in the yard and 12 staff, so I am riding about eight horses a day. Depending on the day, Kevin could be here in the morning for a while and will start riding early and then go to the show.

The farm is based about a 15 minute drive from Wellington in Loxahatchee. It’s a really beautiful place on six acres with fantastic facilities. Kevin bought it two years ago. We have some stalls at the show but we like to keep all the horses out here – it’s nice and relaxing for them away from the buzz and the madness of Wellington, and they can be turned out everyday.

The farm has an 11-horse barn and a 26-horse barn, we have just finished extending the second one. There are nine turnout paddocks and he is in the process of putting in a six-horse walker. The sand arena is one of the best surfaces I have ever ridden on – it’s Wordley Martin – and the horses just spring off it.

The show is going really well here for Team Babington. Kevin had a win on week one with Super Chilled (ISH) and he was fifth in the big Grand Prix last Saturday with Mark Q (ISH), he jumped unbelievable. We have a really great string of horses at the moment – four at Grand Prix level and a couple of really nice young horses.

This week Kevin will be showing Super Chilled and Shorapur in the four-star classes. ‘Chilly’, who was bred by Cheryl Broderick, jumps in today’s 1.50m Suncast Classic and Shorapur will go in the Grand Prix tomorrow on the big Derby field.

We also have eight or nine really great clients here so it’s very busy. Kevin’s daughters, Gwyneth (13) and Marielle (11) have just arrived down from Pennsylvania for the rest of the circuit. They will go to school here and compete in the ring, and Kevin’s wife Dianna will also compete her two horses.

I got in the ring a little bit last week which was really nice. The horse, Carrento Ztar, has jumped some bigger classes and would make a really nice children’s horse so we are aiming to get him sold.

Oliver McCarthy is here too and he is riding most of the sales horses and they are all going very well for him. It’s great to have Oliver here, he is great fun and it’s lovely to have more Irish in the yard - it’s like home from home.

There is such a great Irish community here – only for the weather you would swear you were at a show in Ireland! To unwind from the madness, it’s nice to get away from here and go to the beach. I am hoping to get up to Miami and Orlando at some stage.

There are lots of Irish coming and going here in all professions – riders, grooms, farriers and vets. Poppy Blandford from Horseware is over at the moment and there will be lots more arriving around Nations Cup week, they are never too far away!

Kevin is a fantastic rider and I am very lucky to get to work with him in this beautiful place.