MICKAH Wallace was bred by the Kavanaghs of Kildaragh Stud near Monasterevin. A famous nursery for elite thoroughbreds, they also bred Mickah Wallace’s dam, Chic Fabric, who hails from a long line of winners from the family of Ballymacoll’s great Islington.

When Chic Fabric visited Anjaal at Rathasker, the thought process was along the lines of “young precocious stallion who raced for Sheikh Hamdan, good-looking first foals, nicely priced, local”. Eighteen months later, the resulting colt foal made €3,000 at Fairyhouse and the Cahill family tried to turn him into a racehorse.

Mark Cahill, in Grangemockler, remembers him well. He immediately impressed as a looker and a mover and the journey began with a degree of hope: “He was made in the shape of a sprinter, but he was not a fast one!” Five starts on the track brought a rating of 50 and enough evidence for Mark to realise that he was not going to attract the attention of Sheikh Hamdan, or anyone else, at the races. Except perhaps for Mark’s partner Selena Kearns: “She wouldn’t have it any other way, she wanted to look after Mickah,” said Mark. A phonecall to Treo Eile led to a visit to Cahill’s by Stephanie McGlynn. Mickah Wallace was going places.

Ears pricked

Stephanie takes up the story: “I took the trip down to Tipperary one rainy afternoon on the 5th of December 2021 to Mark Cahill and Selena Kearns. Mickah had been out on holidays for a couple of months, so I was really looking at him in the raw. Mark assured me he would be fine to get up on and so I did, we trotted up the local lane way and then went for a hack on their gallop.

“I knew straight away he was the horse I wanted to take home. He had his ears pricked forward the whole time I was on him, like he was so happy to be out doing something. He had beautiful paces and was extremely comfortable. Especially for a three-year-old that hadn’t been in tack for close to three months, his attitude and behaviour were impressive.

“I hadn’t seen him over a jump, so I was very trusting of Mark’s judgement that he was more than capable. I drove back down on the 8th of December with the box and took him home. Mark and Selena were more than welcoming and helpful, they are a hardworking couple with a small operation down in Tipperary and deserve all the success they get. Selena has been eagerly following his endeavours in the past year or so, and is thrilled that he found a great, loving home.

New muscle

“As with most thoroughbreds out of training, he was quite fit, so needed plenty of time to let down. Standing at 16.3, and for a three-year-old, it was understandable that he needed time to fill out and develop into his body.

“In a few months I began a few training shows in dressage, show jumping and a couple of hunter trials. We were doing some jumping lessons and training at home to see how he would take to the poles and develop new muscle. It honestly amazed me how relaxed and accepting he was to his change of career; I understand a lot of horses wouldn’t be as easy as Mickah was, his attitude is amazing.

“In May 2022 we had an unfortunate setback, during a jumping lesson Mickah tripped and fell after a fence and landed on me, in turn putting me in hospital on a spinal board for several hours and out of action for a couple of weeks, luckily nothing was broken but some wounded pride. It took me a good while to get going again but we managed and went out to Tullylish in Northern Ireland for the Four-Year-Olds Young Event Horse qualifier. In hindsight that track was massive and if I had have known better, it wasn’t the best plan to have our first show back at such an event! However, he jumped beautifully, and it really got my confidence back.

“I never really planned to go down the showing route with him in 2022. I thought he was too light condition wise, so I didn’t enter any of the ROR classes. That is until the last show of the season at Tullow in August where he won the Novice class and then went on and won Champion Racehorse to Riding Horse. I was so thrilled and couldn’t believe it!

“In April 2023 we went to the Botanica International Show of the East where he won the ROR class, and the ROR championship, he was eligible to go for the riding horse championship, so I rode in that and he won Riding Horse Champion too!

I was overwhelmed because there were top class professional show horses in it. As a riding club member, we were eligible to compete in the Riding Club Championship and we also won that. The judge urged me to show him for the year, and I’m glad I took his advice on that now.

Confidence building

“I get regular show jumping lessons off Feadh Moore in Loughway Stud, Donadeain, Kildare. She is absolutely brilliant for young horses, techniques and confidence building. She has been a huge help for both of us and has been patient with me when I’m having a bad stride day, which happens quite often!

“She understands the difference between the thoroughbred jumping style opposed to a natural show jumping horse, they are built to jump low and flat in comparison to a horse with more blood who jumps up and over, so we’re working on that technique as it takes time and effort.

“The Dublin Horse Show was an incredible experience. It seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye. The whole week leading up to the class I had a pain in my chest with nerves.

“The buzz you get from riding around that arena is a feeling like no other. I find it so hard to describe. I was concentrating so hard on making sure he stayed calm, there was people wishing me luck from all sides and I still couldn’t tell you who they are to this day. The support we received was absolutely unbelievable.”

Top tips

What advice do you have for others who want to emulate your achievements?

Choose carefully, be patient and remember that the horse needs to adapt to so much change, new challenges, new sights, noises and sensations.

Who helped to make it happen?

I have mentioned Mark and Selena Cahill, Sarah Sands in Treo Eile, and Feadh Moore, but my mum, Patricia McGlynn is the real rock, it would not have happened without her help. Julie Morris in Racehorse to Riding Horse Ireland deserves our thanks too.

Any changes you suggest for the programme?

I think small thoroughbreds are at a disadvantage and maybe we could tailor classes by height so there are winning opportunities for the many small thorougbreds too.