IMAGINE riding in your first race at the age of 53. That’s what Colm Hayden achieved when he rode in a Sligo bumper two weeks ago. The locally-based accountant finished seventh of 15 on his own horse, Wild Mandate, trained by Mark McNiff.

Colm told the Sligo Champion: “When I was growing up we had “Sports Stadium” on a Saturday afternoon and I watched Noel Reid and all the races from England and my dad used to watch it as well, so it is in my DNA.