MY dad always had an odd point-to-pointer around the place. He also had a few horses in training with John Joe Walsh below in Doneraile and Ciaran Murphy in Charlestown.

A first cousin of mine, Rhona Healy, who is married to Andrew McNamara, brought me into Charlestown. I was only 12 or 13 at the time, but myself and Ciaran got along. I had ridden ponies when I was a bit younger, so I started going in to ride out.