WHILE the Irish senior eventing team were on their way to winning the silver medal at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon on Monday, Harry Swan, a member of the team who claimed silver at the European pony championships in England last month, rode his first winner on the racecourse.

Harry is a son of former multiple champion Irish jumps jockey Charlie Swan (forever associated with the great Istabraq) and his wife Carol (nee Hyde) who evented up to three-star level internationally, rode 10 winners on the track and three in point-to-points. The 16-year-old took out his amateur jockeys’ licence during the summer and, up to Monday, had ridden in six bumpers in Ireland with his best result being a second-place finish at Down Royal on August 31st on Stacey Sue.