I GREW up beside Portlaoise Equestrian Centre and started riding there when I was five. I was hooked right from the beginning and my interest grew when my parents bought my first horse, Du Noble, who took me to the Junior and Young Rider European Championships.

It was this horse that started everything for me, from jumping my first Grand Prix and going to international shows. My passion for the sport grew from a hobby to focusing on a career. I studied civil engineering at NUIG but as soon as I graduated, I pursued show jumping full time.