Name: Aoife McCabe

Age: 23

Address: Stradbally East, Kilcolgan, Galway

Parents: Lorna Daly and Paul McCabe

Where based now and top horses: Based at home, trying to produce my own young horses to a high level.

My top four horses are: Paciro, Lexus Quality, Scarlet Quality and Mona Lisa Quality

Trainers: I get showjumping lessons from Galway Equestrian Centre’s Thomas O’Brien and dressage lessons from Shauna Finneran.

Mentor in Academy: Richard Bourns.

Major achievements so far:

2012: Won the RDS 1.20m Young Rider final at the Dublin Horse Show.

2013: Fifth in the RDS young rider final at the Dublin Horse Show; won the Billy Twomey Hitchmough Bursary class (1.20m) in Millstreet.

2014: Won the RDS 1.15m Young Rider final at the Dublin Horse Show; won the 1.15m Hygeia League.

2015: Won the 1.20m Midland Classic final and 2nd in the Derravaragh 1.10m final at Mullingar International; qualified for RDS (4yo class); fourth in Barnadown qualifier.

2016: Achieved HSI Coaching Level Two Coaching Certificate

2017: Won the RDS qualifier (6yo) at Mullingar Equestrian; produced young horses with an aim to sell; member of the national Young Rider Academy; one of the squad of the national young rider bursary; currently studying the Horsemanship Level 6 course at GCC

Goals: To sell a few nice horses; jump my nice horses in a few bigger classes next year; pursue my coaching career as far as I can; build a website for myself and try and advertise my horses on social media.

Key things learned from the SJI Academy: If you don’t ask for help and put your neck out; you’ll never get any further.

It’s important to mind the riders as much as you mind the horses!

Positivity is half the battle when it comes to showjumping.

Based: Ireland

What would help the industry in Ireland: I think the SJI would benefit from a mixed age class where both ISH and WSI-approved horses can jump against each other.

I also think that Academy’s young rider pilot scheme is a super idea for the future.

Compiled by Emer Bermingham