YOUR best chance of featuring on the front cover of the Irish Horse World section of The Irish Field during 2023 was by being involved in hunting or show jumping and, if you were on board a grey horse or pony, your odds were even better.

However, if you rode a grey and your name was Austin O’Connor, it didn’t matter if eventing was your sport, as the Co Cork native made the front page twice in 2023 with Colorado Blue. On the first occasion (Saturday, May 13th), it was when the combination finished third in the CCI5*-L at Badminton and, on the second (October 28th), when winning at a similar level in Maryland.