ELLA Clancy is a name that has begun to feature in the international show jumping results of late. The 19-year-old is currently competing at the one-star show in Olivia, Spain and she took some time out to speak to The Irish Field earlier this week.

“Horses have always been in my life; my Dad Liam was involved in racehorses when I was smaller. He went racing when he was younger and then began training, we always owned a few.

“Our yard is in Finner, Bundoran (Co Donegal). My Dad did a lot of hunting as well, so I would have always been in the yard and there would have been a few ponies brought in when I was growing up.

“Dad was a Master with the Galway Blazers for many years, he only retired there two or three years ago.

“When I began to show jump that kind of took over the yard, so Dad sent the thoroughbreds down to Gordon Elliott to train.

“Ken McGlinchey, who worked in our yard with Dad, was the one that taught me basically, how to stay on a pony. I joined the Sligo branch of the pony club and learned more there.

“I went hunting with Dad, and also began to do some working hunter classes. Once again it was Ken who taught me and I did working hunters up to 14.2s, we went to all the agricultural shows around the country and also did Dublin.

“When I was 12 or 13 I began show jumping. I didn’t do 128cms or 138cms, I just went straight to 148cms. By the time I was 14 I was able to go in and do a proper round of show jumping.

“We bought a very good pony from Seamus Daly named Fernando. Seamus has been very good to me and has always helped me, and still does.

“Fernando and I had some good results together; we did Balmoral and Dublin and I had my first experiences of proper competitions.

“I had another pony, Kilshanny Snowball, which I rode in working hunters and then brought show jumping as well,” said Ella.

Stepping up

The transition from ponies to horses was made much easier when Ella got an introduction to top coach John Ledingham.

“When I was 15, a guy we knew in Sligo introduced us to John Ledingham. I began to train with him pretty much full-time and he began looking out for horses for me.

“I came out of ponies at the end of 2019 and because of Covid and all the restrictions, it was quite a slow start in horses for me.

“John was brilliant and made the transition from ponies to horses much easier. He gave me a great understanding of the sport and introduced me to the more professional side of things.

“He taught me so much about horsemanship and the importance of learning about every aspect of the horse’s care. He is so organised and precise in everything he does. I couldn’t have asked for a better grounding in the sport.

“John taught me that it starts from the very basics; when you are leading the horses around the yard to the flatwork and then the jumping. It’s all about discipline; establishing a good relationship with the horse, but also letting them know who is in charge.

“I was training with John about once a week, but he didn’t really go to the competitions with me, so Seamus would still be helping me at the shows.

Restrictions paid off

“My first horse Shooting Star (Voss x Indoctro) was bred by John and Clare Whitaker. George Whitaker rode him up through the young horse classes in the UK and he won some seven-year-old championships with him. We bought him at the start of his eight-year-old year. We actually had a problem getting him into Ireland because it was right at the start of lockdown and, although we had vetted and bought him, it was a lot more complicated to get him here than it should have been, so that was difficult.

“Once he was here all the shows were cancelled. In some ways that was good for us because we got to know each other without any pressure of competing.

“For the first two months John couldn’t even get up to teach us, it was so crazy back then, but we just took it easy and it turns out that that was a really good introduction for us.

“In the summer of 2021 we bought a nice seven-year-old gelding from Richard Bourns named Corraghoe Steel (Mermus R x Cruising). We spent a long time looking and we were very lucky to find him.

“I did my Leaving Cert in 2021 and I had planned to defer college for a year to concentrate on riding. That has now turned into a second year.

“I had been working so much at home with John and missed out on a lot because of Covid so my year out didn’t really work out the way I had planned.

“We finished 2021 well winning at the Cavan Winter Festival with Shooting Stars and decided to do a trip away to Olivia, Spain in February 2022. John contacted Barry O’Connor, who he knew was coming out too, so that I wouldn’t be on my own.

“I worked out well, and with Barry’s help, alongside Jenny Rankin and the rest of their team, Naoise Wilson and Ciara Conatty, we were able to produce some good results.

“We went home for the summer and had some more good days; qualifying for Balmoral and Dublin. We placed both days in Dublin in the young riders so that was great.

Working it all out: Jenny Rankin, Barry O'Connor and Ella Clancy walking a course together

Competitive yard

“I’m now based in Malahide with Barry full time and both my horses are jumping competitively at 1.40m. They are both pretty consistent and not very difficult. It’s nice to go into the ring and know that you can be competitive, that they are capable and you can go in and have a go. Having the horses based with Barry means he gets to know them inside out, and the level of care they get from the team there is fantastic.

“It’s nice to have Jenny there; she is so confident. I get to see her ride at home and I can learn so much just from watching her. She also gives me great advice.

“We have three more weeks here in Spain so hopefully the horses will be jumping 1.45m by then. They will then go home and have a break.

“We hope to do a couple more tours away at the start of next year; maybe the Sunshine Tour and then Arezzo. Looking forward, the goal is to hopefully be considered for the European Young Rider team.

“I’m lucky, my horses are still young and are talented and I am constantly learning from the people around me so I’m excited to see what the future holds,” concluded Ella.

Ella Clancy and her father with Shooting Star after winning a class at Cavan Equestrian Centre