AMID his busy schedule as chef d’equipe of the Irish show jumping team heading off to the FEI Jumping European Championships in Milan early next week, Michael Blake was delighted to be at Millstreet International Horse Show last weekend when his “horse of a lifetime” Titanic was officially retired.

Titanic, who is just 15hh, started his career as a trotter and when it was decided that he was not fast enough to be a trotter, he took to the hunting field. It was here that Michael first saw and sat on what was to become his favourite horse.