ONE of the stand out moments at the SemaLease Camphire International Horse Trials last summer was Sian Coleman’s victory in the CCI3*L. As one of only two Irish winners over the weekend, Coleman’s achievement was widely applauded, and was significant for being her first international success sporting the Irish flag. Standing proudly on the podium and hearing the Irish anthem played was a moment Sian recalled as “quite surreal’’ and left her with a special memory that will last forever.

British-born, Coleman’s route to this point and indeed her Irish citizenship has been through an intricate web of chance connections. It began with a meeting with Austin O’Connor, who later introduced her to the eventing and hunting enthusiast Kate Jarvey. This was soon followed by an invitation to hunt in Ireland which led in turn to meeting her future husband Patrick Coleman, and the supportive Coleman family.