I GREW up near Riverstick in Co Cork and have one brother, Roger, who has worked and raced in the US for almost 30 years. My mum, Jean, is Robert Splaine’s sister, so needless to say, I rode ponies throughout my childhood and hunted with the South Unions, every Saturday and any Tuesday I could dodge school!

I progressed quickly to show jumping Grade A 14.2 ponies and frequently jumped four or five ponies in each competition, which you could do back then.