I DON’T have a traditional background in the racing and breeding industry. As a child, I loved my ponies and would help out at the local riding school in Ballymore every chance I got. I grew very close with the family who ran the riding school and we would head off up and down the country every other weekend in the horsebox.

They allowed me to compete on some lovely ponies for them. We also had ponies at home with our cousins so that kept us busy right up through our teenage years. The racing was always on television at home.