CONFIDENCE is a huge factor in any walk of life and the victory of Pound A Stroke at Thurles last month certainly boosted mine. Before that, I hadn’t sent out a winner under rules, although I had tasted plenty of success in point-to-points. Now that I have managed to get that monkey off my back, I can approach the rest of the season with renewed optimism.

My grandfather, who lived across the road from us, owned a sports mare and she ignited my interest in horses. Later, at the age of seven, I got my first pony, who I rode around my uncle’s farm. From there I moved on to pony racing, competing on the southern circuit for a couple of years.