IRISH international rider Clare Abbott has learned that by keeping her team of horses small and selective, she now finds herself with a trio of top-class mounts as well as another three potential superstars hot on their heels.

“It all began really with my mother Catherine. She didn’t grow up in a horsey family but when she was a child, she took a notion and used to cycle to her local riding school in Co Antrim. It wasn’t long before her passion grew and she became completely pony-obsessed. She bought her first horse when she began working and competed mainly with show horses; she has had plenty of successes including at Balmoral and Dublin,” Clare explained.

“My father Ronnie took up riding when he met her and he began hunting with the County Down Staghounds almost 30 years ago and just hung up his boots about 10 years ago so it was no surprise that myself and my sister Stephanie had an interest from a very early age.

“I began hunting in the basket saddle on the lead rein when I was about two years old and grew up with show ponies and hunting, doing working hunter and pony club competitions.

“When I was 14, I took up eventing. I grew up in Richhill, Co Armagh and we used to go to the equestrian centre a mile away from us, and Mum and Dad became good friends with the McNally family that ran it. I had the use of their facilities which was fantastic because we only had a small arena at home. I’m very lucky that we live so close. The late John McNally evented and he actually competed one of my dad’s hunters who was quite smart so he went eventing.

“John said to mum and dad that he had friends who were selling a horse that may suit me to start eventing. He was a 15.2hh thoroughbred-Connemara cross gelding named Genuine Article. He was like the dream junior horse and ended up being selected for junior teams. That is really how I got my start competing.

“When I was very young, Mum often had a few young horses about the place and used to break them in and produce them a bit. When I was about 10, I remember starting to try and help her a bit. I learned a huge amount from my mum and she is still a huge part of the business today. She has always been there with advice, training, and driving to and from events. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without her drive and support.

“I always rode a few ponies for other people alongside my own and that way, through the years, I learned that I could make a living from producing. I never really bought a made pony; more often I had brought it up through the ranks myself. When it came to my first horse, I was very fortunate that mum and dad were able to stretch the budget a bit and buy Genuine Article who was able to take me places as a junior.

“He also gave me the ambition to look for a horse which could take me further. Getting to the top of the sport was always the goal. The more success I had, the more the goal posts kept moving. I got better horses; initially the dream had been to ride at Badminton and once I’d done that, I knew that competing a championship horse was what I wanted.

“We were lucky that my parents would have always kept one competition horse each for myself and my sister and then we would also have had a couple of ‘schoolers’ in; horses that we were bringing on for sale.

“When I was 17, we were looking for a horse to upgrade from my junior horse. We saw one advertised named Mandilious. I went to try him in Northumberland and met Craig Anderson who became a very good friend. The horse worked out and turned out to be fantastic. I competed with him from 2003 to 2008. He took me up to four-star, we were selected for a junior and then a young rider European team.

“In 2008 we met John McKay at Tyrella and he came and said, ‘I think I have a horse that will suit you’. That horse was Euro Prince ... and the rest is history!”

Clare Abbott and Euro Prince (Lougheries Quietman), bred and owned by Dr Cormac McKay and Dr John McKay, in action at Badminton Horse Trials 2017 \ Helen Revington

International success

Clare began riding Euro Prince when he was just five years old. The combination went on to win the Ballindenisk CCI3* on their dressage score in 2014 and finished ninth at the now five-star in Pau. They jumped a clear cross-country round at Badminton in both 2014 and 2015 and were selected for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Their record together is full of top-10 placings.

“When I finished school in 2005, I took a gap year. My parents were keen that I should serve my time if I wanted to succeed in the eventing world so I went to England as a working pupil for international event rider Craig Anderson. When I came home, I went to university to study maths. The degree I did was only about 12 hours a week so I still managed to keep eight or nine horses in work. I finished my studies and then went back to work in England, this time for Tiny Clapham and rode lots of horses for her.

“I then came back and did my teaching qualification and got a position three days a week in Dromore High School and that is where I have been ever since. I have been so lucky to have great owners all along. The McKay family, the Melvin family, and more recently, Sarah Reilly, and the Rosbothams. At the moment I have six horses in work. Jewelent is a 10-year-old gelding by Valent that I’m aiming at Badminton this year. He has a fantastic record to date and was among the top nine-year-olds in the world last year. He won a four-star, was fourth in a four-star and was 14th at the Europeans.

“I began to ride him when he was five. He was bred by his owners, the Rosbothams, and is by their stallion out of a thoroughbred mare, Bellaney Jewel. He is a very laid-back horse and one who doesn’t really show his hand much. I had a really good feeling about him and he’s been with me ever since.

“He’s an amazing horse. It’s like he read the eventing manual. He took to cross-country like a duck to water; he’s only ever had one 20-penalty score to date and that was when he was five and it was my fault for riding at the wrong jump. He is a complete pro and more than exceeds targets for his age group.

“He has a very bright future, hopefully with me, I have so much confidence in him. It’s very exciting. The first step on the ladder this year is Badminton with him and we will make a plan after that. I think that an Olympic Games will be well within his capabilities in two years’ time.”

Great string of young horses

“Jewelent is kind of leading the string if you like and then I have one in every age category below him which is great. We have DHI No Fear (9yo). He is a lovely horse and I have very ambitious plans for him. The goal would be Boekelo for him this year. He has the potential for European level or even Paris too.

Clare Abbott and Sarah Riley's DHI No Fear (By Non Stop) competing at Knockany ODE \ Anne Hughes

“The next is an eight-year-old I co-own with Cormac and John McKay named Mister Mighty. Again I think he is good enough to go all the way to the top. In two years’ time I potentially have three horses that would be capable of going to the Olympics which is amazing.

“I have a six-year-old of Sarah Reilly’s who will make her debut at Tyrella, a five-year-old out of a full-sister to Euro Prince and a super talented four-year-old mare who will hopefully go to Dublin this year,” concluded Clare Abbott.