NEWLY appointed Horse Sport Ireland High Performance para dressage manager Simone Hession spoke to The Irish Field earlier this week about her love for dressage, carrying on her late mother’s legacy and how she loves nothing more than being busy.

She explained how she is looking forward to working with the athletes, their support teams and HSI to continue their success, and help develop new combinations and talent for the future ahead of the FEI Para Dressage European Championships in Ermelo later this year.

“I was born in London and began riding at the local riding school when I was about four years old,” Simone explained. “There was an instructor there and her speciality was dressage, she took me under her wing and I think that’s where my love of dressage began.

“My mum, Julia, was Irish and, in 1991, we moved back here to Sligo. There wasn’t a huge amount of dressage in the West of Ireland back then, so I began show jumping.

“Mum was very involved with the RDA (Riding for the Disabled) in London, so I suppose that’s where my interest in the para dressage came from, she did years of volunteering for them.

“I started my BHS exams when I was still in school, because I knew that was what I wanted to do. I then went on to do my HSI level one and two.

“We had the riding school here (Beezies Stud, Co Sligo) up until 2021 and then, for a variety of reasons, insurance, finding replacement ponies and my freelance coaching had really taken off, so we decided to close the riding school.

Traditional Irish horses

“From the beginning, mum was very into her breeding, and wanted to breed traditional Irish horses; Connemaras and Irish Draughts and that is how Beezies Stud was born.

“My mum was originally from Sligo, she passed away a few years ago, so now it’s me and dad (Tony) here. He takes over from me when I’m away working, so there’s someone to feed at least. He’s actually a full-time accountant, and I’m an account technician, but he struggles to get me into the office with all my coaching and competing etc. It looks like I’ll be away a little bit more with my new position, so it’s great to have him.

“I am privileged to be given the opportunity to work as the High Performance para dressage manager. Irish athletes have achieved outstanding results internationally, and the future looks just as promising as we build towards European and World Championships, with the ultimate aim of an Irish team at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028.

“I’m very new to the role, so I’m just getting to know the riders and their teams. After all the positive work that Debora Pijpers did during her time in the role, I want to continue with that positivity and team spirit.

“Helen Kearney has taken over as the new Chair of Para Equestrian Ireland and I see that as a new dawn and development of the sport.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with Helen, to collaboratively support and grow the discipline for the benefit of athletes and the wider para dressage community.

“In my role I am team manager, so the riders will continue to work with their own coaches and teams with whom they already have an established relationship.

“I’m very much coming from the planning stage, getting to know riders and their horses. There will be various training camps, where I will get to know them better and, of course, from the competition results. I’ll be there to support and help the riders, but ultimately selection will be based on results.

“I want to make sure that we are all working towards the same goal and keeping the positive mindset that has been built up by the teams already.

“I know that the para riders are committed to working hard and pulling together. I know as a rider and an athlete you want to bring the best from your horses and I understand that from being a competitive rider myself. You want to be the best you can be.

“A lot of the riders have plenty of experience. When you look at Paris, they came out with good results. We just need to keep building on that. They know what’s required and what it takes to compete at a high performance [level].”

Busy time

“I have seven horses of my own in work. I hope to be able to fit in competing them. I have one Irish Draught home-bred mare Beezies Double Diamond competing towards Grand Prix level, and a lovely seven-year-old Beezies Dawn Cruise, who is elementary, as well as a five and six-year-old.

Simone Hession and Beezies Double Diamond \ Louise O'Brien Photography

“There will be a lot of juggling, so it will be busy. Luckily, I work best under pressure. It was a consideration for me when taking on the role. I don’t want to give up competing, but I’ve made a couple of changes. I won’t be taking in liveries or running shows.

“I’m on the board of the Irish Draught Association as well and I want to continue with that. Brian Murphy, the new head, asked me ‘are you going to run a mile now you’ve got your new position?’ I said ‘No, I owe a lot to the Irish Draughts’, because it was them that made my dressage career, so it’s really nice to be involved.

“At this time of the year, with qualifiers and various shows I’m very busy coaching as well as riding, but I have to say I love it. I get to coach a variety of riders from pony club and riding club to the top riders who want to go international. And it’s across all different disciplines, because here in Sligo we have a lot of show jumpers, but they are starting more and more to understand the importance of flatwork.

“It’s an interesting job and the addition of my new role just adds to the excitement for me.”