WITH the closing date for the Tattersalls’ George Mernagh Memorial bursary looming next Friday, one of last year’s recipients, Emma Cahill, found winning the €5,000 bursary really boosted her riding career.

“When I received the call from Tattersalls, I was getting ready for a hospital stay in France and trying to get my head around how I was going to pay for the transport for myself and Kay Nolan’s horse Capitol Coin to our first CPEDI in Britain.

“I’m very happy I changed my flights to attend the welcome reception with Nolan Eventing and to meet Roger Casey MD and Leo Varadkar...and William Fox-Pitt! It was very emotional to hear my story read out and to see it in print in The Irish Field the following week. Up until the bursary, I’d kept things very quiet and it was a catalyst for an exciting year to come.

“A few days later, I got a call to say I had also made it to the final round of the Nissan Generation Next Programme and would need to rally votes to become an ambassador for the year. I got my second mention in The Irish Field and the equestrian community got behind me and I was awarded the use of a Nissan vehicle for a year.

“Para Equestrian Ireland made the fantastic decision to allow us to make our début at three-star level in Hartpury instead of Bishop Burton two-star. Hartpury went well for us all with everyone qualifying for freestyles and I even managed a fourth and sixth which was really unexpected.

“With horses, there are always unexpected expenses and the bursary allowed me focus on what I needed to do, rather than where I was going to find the money. I used the bursary to get some extra training and to pay for all the expenses associated with taking a horse abroad.

“We were invited to the European Championships in Millstreet and again, the bursary was key in making it possible for me to make the most of this opportunity. After the round-trip to Millstreet towing a box, my Dad’s van was about giving up the ghost so the delivery of my Nissan X-Trail came just in time!

“For me to continue to compete at international level in 2015, I had to find a younger horse as Capitol Coin was rising 19 and wouldn’t be able for a plane ride to Rio should we get that far in 2016. Annestown Emperor was generously offered to Para Equestrian Ireland by Donegan Ryan Eventing. It all looked very good but unfortunately, an old injury came back to haunt him and it wasn’t to be.

“Over the winter, I trained on Christina Keane’s great schoolmaster Don Quixote, who is for sale while I hunted for another horse I could take on loan. In January, I was offered the possibility of a “maternity loan” on a horse in Belgium.

“We got our international qualifying score at out first show together in Belgium and only two non-consecutive weeks training and we also entered the CPEDI*** Deauville.

“The George Mernagh Memorial Bursary has played such a huge part in getting me this far. It’s been such a comfort to have it there for the unexpected and is a big part of my feeling that “Impossible is Temporary.”

Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 George Mernagh Memorial Fund Limited which offers three €5,000 bursaries.

The closing date is Friday, May 15th, forms and details are available from www.tattshorsetrials.ie. It’s open to anyone involved in dressage, show jumping or cross-country, from riders to course builders. The winners will be announced at the Welcome Reception at Tattersalls on Wednesday, May 27th.