ALONGSIDE a busy career in marketing, Kildare’s Alyssa O’Neill has managed to produce and compete several successful event horses.

“I’ve been riding since I was about three years old,” Alyssa told The Irish Field. “I have two older sisters, Aimee and Abby, that from an early age were pony mad. Ponies were always a part of my life. My mum, Helen, and dad, Richard, are both from Dublin. Mum learned to ride in a riding school and competed in riding club.

“She was given an ex-racehorse by her sister Anne, who is married to Des Sharkey. He kept breaking down on the track and mum wanted to give him a second chance, so she rehabilitated him and turned him into a riding horse. She had him for all our lives growing up.

“My first competition was a lead rein class at the Eadestown Show with our pony Einstein. I remember, it was the first time I won a trophy; it’s always one of mum’s fondest memories. I stood up in my stirrups, held the trophy aloft and called to my sisters… ‘look what I won’.

“I’ve done it all. Showing, show jumping, working hunter, eventing, dressage… everything. I did Pony Club (Newcastle Lyons) until my late teens and, in the mix of that, I did showing and interschools. I only really took to eventing properly when I was a young rider.

“When I was about four years old, we moved down from Straffan to Milltown in 1998 and this is where we’ve been ever since. We have a small yard, five stables and about seven acres, which is absolutely perfect for what I need here by myself with my horses.”

Professional career

As well as talent in the saddle, Alyssa has brains to burn and she has worked in the equestrian industry since graduating from college almost eight years ago.

“When I left school, I went to the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) to study product design. Both my parents went to DIT and studied Architecture, which is where they met, so I had it in my mind that I would like to go there.

“I was looking for an all-round course and decided that this was the one for me. It covered all kinds of subjects within the course and I ended up going down the road of marketing. I was able to commute from Kildare, so I was able to keep up the horses while I studied.

“In my final year in college, I was head hunted by Horseware. I went for an interview with them and went straight to work in the research and development (R&D) department. That was my first job coming out of college.

“I moved up to Dundalk and brought my horse with me. But after a year, I decided it was just too much; dragging the horse up and down to Kildare, trying to go to shows, see my family and boyfriend at weekends, so I began to look for a change.

“Fortunately, a job came up in the marketing department of Horse Sport Ireland. I interviewed and got the job. I joined them and stayed for five years. Then, over two years ago I was, once again, head hunted by my current job Equilume performance lighting, they were looking for a marketing manager. I went for the interview and joined them, and I’m still with them.

“At Equilume, our two products are stable lights and light masks. We maximise performance, well-being and fertility in horses. We use blue light technology to regulate circadian rhythm and this helps horses to get everything out of their nutrition, their training, everything they need to maximise their full potential.”

Alyssa O'Neill and David McMahon with Danos Lola - Le Lion 2023

Horses in work

Alyssa is featured elsewhere in the paper this week, following her victory in the six-year-old DAFM eventing development series last weekend. Juggling work with competing at a high level in eventing takes dedication.

“I currently have three horses in work. Three is the sweet number for me to juggle with work. Last year, I took on four and that would be my absolute max,” she explains.

“I do try to get up early in the morning and get as many as I can done before I have to start my work day. I work two days from home which helps, so that if there’s anything I can do at lunchtime, then hopefully it can free up my evenings somewhat.

“All three horses are around the same age, which allows me to take them all to the same places for training and competition, which is good.

“The oldest one I have at the minute is Dasher (DS Candescent), who I own with a long-time supporter of mine, Deborah McCann. I rode ponies for Deborah when I was a child, she runs Hollywood Connemara Pony Stud in Co Wicklow.

“He is six years old and is currently show jumping 1.30m. I recently finished off my eventing year with him completing the two-star long in Ballindenisk, where he went double clear and finished in 12th place.

“I bought him directly from the breeder, Liam Lynskey in Mayo. He has been so good to us. Every year, he just gets better and better. As a four-year-old, he placed in the Young Event Horse class in Dublin.

“He went back as a five-year-old and was reserve champion. This year, he was third in the six and seven-year-old show jumping championship in Balmoral and was the highest placed six-year-old there.

“The latest thing is he did the Autumn development series. He won six-year-old show jumping in JAG and last weekend he won the six-year-old eventing class at Milchem.

“My other two are five-year-olds. I have DS Are You Tom. He’s owned and was bred by Liam Lynskey. He was so impressed with the job I did with Dasher that he asked me would I take on Tom, so I did.

“Tom arrived as a newly broken, very tall, very green four-year-old, so we just took things really slowly with him. He surprised us all when he qualified for Dublin and was third last year. As a five year-old, he went back and was just inside the placings, so we are delighted with him.

Alyssa O’Neill and DS Are You Tom competing in the five-year-old young event horse class at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show \ Lorraine O’Sullivan

“My third horse is a 15hh chesnut mare I own myself, along with a few family members who have a leg in her, named Reilly. She has taken a while to develop, she’s currently jumping 1.20m and is a very good jumper.

“She was second and third last year in the development series as a four-year-old and this year, the winner of the Balmoral young event horse championships back in May.

“She was bred by Susan Moloney, who bred my four-star horse Colacentric that I sold to the UK in 2019. Her owner, Brian Cleary, contacted me and said I think you are the right rider for her, so we went to Clare and collected her as an unbroken three-year-old.”

Jack of all trades

“I like my horses to be a jack of all trades; both show jumping and eventing. To have that well-rounded experience when they are young, so they are able for whatever path they take later in life.

“Colacentric was the horse on which I competed at the highest level so far, but I did have another one, Danos Lola, a 2016 mare by Carrera VDL out of Abigail Cruise (Cruising), bred by Julie Dennehy. I bought her from the Go For Gold sale and she took me to places I never thought I’d go.

“In 2023, we travelled to Le Lion d’Angers for the world breeding championships as part of the seven-year-old team representing the Irish studbook.

“I sold her at the start of this year and it broke my heart. I wish that I was able to keep her on. She definitely will be a four-star horse with her new rider, Jasmine Underwood. I’d love to keep all my horses, but it’s just not possible.”

The future looks bright across all spheres for this talented rider.