ASK a young Mary Rothwell what her dream was and the response would have been “Gallop down the long side of the main arena in the RDS”. Ticked.

Now her wishlist reflects the times we’re in. “If we can all stay patient and get through this, hopefully 2022 will look more normal. If we have to sacrifice shows this year, so be it. Everyone’s health is paramount.”

Twelve months ago, Ireland’s first Covid-19 case was confirmed after a secondary school student caught the virus on a school trip to Italy and the school’s 400 pupils were sent home. Twelve months later and online classrooms are now the new norm as Mary, a secondary schoolteacher at Coláiste Bhríde in Carnew, knows first-hand.

One constant in several recent articles is the benefit and good fortune of living in the countryside during lockdown and for the Rothwell ‘Irish twin’ sisters – Sharon and Mary – this is second nature since they were both “hands-on farmers since knee high!

“Photographs show us, as tots, being pushed around in a wheelbarrow filled with cattle meal, ‘helping’ feed the cattle. The majority of childhood pictures are of us sporting wellies and doing something on the farm, from riding ponies to feeding pet lambs or leading calves around their shed.

“Granny had hens and ducks, geese also at one stage, so we were well entertained with all the animals as kids.

“When we were small, Granny would bring us most days with her to my uncle’s dairy farm to wash down the parlour for milking and feeding the calves. What child wouldn’t be in their element splashing water everywhere!

“Grandparents definitely play a part in shaping who we become. I was lucky to grow up in such close proximity to my grandparents [Derek and Maria]. It proved very handy when I wanted to run away from home, I literally crossed the lawn and arrived on their doorstep!”

The Irish Shows Association is a second ‘family’ for the Rothwells. “The ISA was of great importance in grandad’s life, he was a great supporter of shows throughout the country,” said Mary who has witnessed how those “great friendships were forged with fellow equestrians and many of these family friendships have lived on through the generations,” and often through a constant stream of callers to their Tinahely home.

“Granny was a very gentle, caring person. No matter who arrived, they had to be brought in for tea. The Fr. Ted character Mrs. Doyle was probably based on her! The only time I can remember her ever being in any way cross with us was when Sharon and I both wanted to help her refilling a sugar bowl. We both took an end each of the sugar bag and pulled. The result is self-explanatory! She wasn’t even that mad with us but it sticks out because she was never in bad humour.”

Mary, Derry and Emily Rothwell with the great Greenhall Cailin Deas and her Cruising filly, Greenhall Dot, the 2007 All Ireland filly foal champion, together with judges Miceál Higgins and David McCann and ISA president Dorothea Lazenby \ Susan Finnerty

Dublin taxi

There is no sugar-coating the fact that exhibitors are looking at slim pickings from this year’s show calendar. “I’d say shows are very unlikely, particularly larger shows that rely heavily on the gate and entrance money to help fund the running costs,” predicted Mary. “Perhaps there will be some smaller shows with just equestrian classes, rather than large agricultural shows. Time will tell.”

It makes every showring family’s store of memories and anecdotes even more valuable. “Over the years shows have provided many cherished memories, even back to when I was a child and mum and dad were primarily showing cattle. As children, we would eagerly await competing in the young handler calf classes on the day, as all competitors received a box of chocolates. Needless to say, the box only contained the wrappers by the time we got home. The good old days!”

Parents Derry and Emily then bought their daughters a “typical beginners pony with one gear and requiring ‘grass reins’ to get from A to B!” named Flossy.

A keen member of the Shillelagh Pony Club, Mary even missed out on Sharon’s Confirmation service to compete in the Broomfield Equestrian Centre winter league finals. “I made the afters though!”

For every pony-mad youngster, Dublin is the dream. Monica Flanagan had her own charming story about taking the train to Dublin from Sligo with her pony and suitcase.

For Mary and her 13-hand pony Ruby, a transport glitch arose as their class clashed with the broodmare classes. With a full contingent of Rothwell entries for Dublin, there was no room on the lorry for Ruby. As luck would have it, the local oil man Christy Perry arrived in the yard while Mary mulled over the problem.

“He was a great horseman and had lots of success with young horses over the years. I thought ‘he might have a space for a little pony’. So without consulting anyone, I innocently approached Christy mid-diesel oil fill and asked would he bring Ruby and I to Dublin? Christy duly obliged.”

Ruby hitched a lift with the family’s Weavers Web mare Mangan Junior and Simmental cow Wilma to Tullamore when Mary qualified for the 1997 Show Pony Person of the Year final hosted there.

“Dad bred pedigree Simmental cattle and showed them with great success. When I was young, we mainly showed cattle. Showing cattle you arrive early to power-hose the cattle, before saddle-soaping and combing their hair up. Showing horses is actually a lot less labour intensive!”

Until the lorry ramp came down. “Wilma was unloaded first and walked over to the cattle section and next out was Ruby, completely covered in fresh cow dung! It was a quick rush for a bucket of water and wash her down. She was bay so it wasn’t too bad, white would have been worse! Washed again, we headed to the ring for judging. I reappeared at the lorry with a colour portable television, a glass bowl and the Show Pony Person title.

“Magic potion for getting rid of green stains? Elbow grease! I don’t really have a miracle potion but warm water and Fairy liquid is as good as any to get dirt shifted.”

Greenhall Emerald Isle, Wishing Well's Island Commander colt foal with Mary and Derry Rothwell at Clarecastle Show in 2019 \ Susan Finner

Victory gallop

Her first Dublin win – “I was probably nine or 10 years old” – was courtesy of Norma Cooke’s donkey, Freckles. “He was actually a very mannerly donkey. It was a ridden donkey class and I was the only entrant to get a canter in their individual showpiece! If I remember correctly there was straw bales, I think it might have been like an obstacle course. Thankfully, Freckles was a donkey that had steering! We drove him at Punchestown Racing Festival and in other shows.”

On the donkey theme, there is that photo of two All Ireland champions at Ballinasloe, linking the Lehane, Foley and Rothwell families. “I remember the day well. We were delighted to have won the All Ireland colt foal final with our Mermus R and then my attention was quickly drawn to the donkey’s lap of honour… I couldn’t get over the speed of Timmy [Foley] and Seamus [Lehane] with Betsy the donkey! I knew Seamus could run fast with the horses but this was a whole new gear!”

All Ireland and Dublin wins galore fill the years between Mary’s Dublin debut – “I don’t think I even knew what an outline was or how to ride a proper showpiece then but we bombed around and had a ball” – and that main arena victory gallop with Greenhall Wishing Well in 2016.

The home-bred, by Crosstown Dancer out of the Cailin Deas daughter Greenhall Miss Cruise, was that year’s ridden hunter mare champion and reserve supreme champion. “I can still hear her number being called forward, a magical moment.”

The year 2011 was another special one when the family had five horses in the Parade of champions. “It was a good year in the showring but a tough one emotionally, as we lost my grandfather, Derek, later that year.”

Two on parade at Dublin 10 years ago rank as Mary’s favourite horses.

“It’s hard to pick one! Patrick, or Clonegal Rainbow, was definitely the main man. He was a super little horse and our highlight together was winning the ridden coloured championship in the RDS that year. Millennium Cruise is probably my favourite mare, I can read her like a book and her me. I love showing her, she’s quirky but she knows exactly when to shine.

“We won the 2011 Breeders Championship with Millennium Cruise and her foal [Carsonstown Calypso, by Mermus R]. When they announced our number I actually couldn’t catch my breath!

“Still on a high, I was very relaxed as I entered the ring for the ridden coloured class that afternoon with Patrick, as in my eyes things couldn’t get any better – but they did! A day you dream of; I still can’t believe it.”

Mary can be seen lip-syncing ‘The Auld Triangle’ to the mare during the individual show around the Breeders Championship triangle layout. “Fiona Doggett bought me a mug during RDS week with the quote ‘A fun thing to do in the morning is not talk to me’ – so apparently it must take a while before I warm up for singing!”

Another Dublin highlight was the home-bred Greenhall Will I Am winning the four-year-old heavyweight class in 2018 with PJ Casey in the saddle. By Castle Crest, the pure-bred Irish Draught is one of the Huntingfield Proud Tim mare Walnut Chase’s 10 foals.

Mary Rothwell and her father Derry, speaking with steward David Lalor, wait for Millenium Cruise’s turn in the Breeders Championship \ Susan Finnerty

Equine census

“I bought Walnut Chase, a number of years ago from Willem Savelkouls and had great fun and success showing her and her progeny. My first show with her was Balmoral and the friendliness of the other competitors towards a new face in the ‘Draught world’ really struck me.”

Donkeys, Draughts and thoroughbreds too. “I like thoroughbreds. Grandad always had a few point-to-pointers and we would go to a lot of point-to-points and races as kids. He gave Sharon and I a foal from a mare he raced and we ran her on the track. She wasn’t quite fast enough!

“Dad and I have a thoroughbred broodmare in partnership now and Sharon has a few thoroughbred mares. She asked me to have a joint venture on one with her last year. I was concreting my yard at the time so all investment was in that, so I declined but she bought her anyway! I might live to regret the decision as her sibling has won its last three or four races.”

If not showing, the trio are in demand as judges. “A lot of judging principles and basics are the same. Conformation and movement but they only walk the cattle! Sharon and I have judged some horse shows together. Dad and I also. We usually agree but I always tell him if we disagree, I’ll be calling for a referee judge!

“One great memory was at a riding club show,” Sharon recalled. “Best ridden cob. All variations arrived in. Mary’s on ride, I’m on conformation. I get a dig in the ribs of her cane when they are asked to canter “Turn your back around quick, the only nice one is going to need a few laps by the looks of it!”

How many broodmare down on the farm? “A, I’m afraid to count. B, mum will be reading this! Dad’s usual answer is ‘Ah, around 20’, so I’ll stick with that,” answered Mary. “There’s about the same currently in foal.”

Apart from keeping tabs on numbers, Mary’s mum, Emily, was a frequent competitor at Dublin in the riding club team show jumping finals. “There’s a great picture at home of her in the main arena on her home-bred Garryowen Flight.”

And then there was that trip to Holland during Mary’s Erasmus placement during her second college year. “When Mum came to visit, we went to Rotterdam and toured the tulip fields and gardens, beautiful. And I gave her a spin on my bicycle to relive her youth!

“Mum is very involved and works tirelessly on the farm. This can pose as a challenge, however, when trying to smuggle in a new horse! It wasn’t quite so bad when she only had Derry’s shopping habits to watch but she reckons now Dad and I are a dangerous combination to leave unaccompanied at a sale,” Mary confessed.

“All the horses winter in, making winter a very busy time. It’s like being stuck on a carousel; the continuous rotation of feeding, mucking out and bedding. We sell them any time from foals upwards and the majority of sales happen at home. I created a Greenhall Sport Horses Facebook page and this has facilitated contact with previous and potential clients.”

“During the first lockdown, I was receiving a lot of enquiries about young horses. I think people recognised that it might take a while to lift and had more time on their hands, so put that time into sourcing and producing horses.”

Lessons in abundance

“I think Covid has affected everyone, and the effects will be seen for many years. Even down to running competitions.

“Businesses have been so heavily affected they are unlikely to be in the position to sponsor classes like they would have before. Brexit hasn’t helped either and hopefully sales and transport will become smoother for everyone.

“Now I have to prioritise my full-time job, teaching, as it pays the mortgage but any time away from schoolwork, I’m at home helping on the farm. There’s always something that needs to be done.”

Working remotely and living on the farm have kept the ever-smiling teacher busy. “That’s probably good, I haven’t had any time to get bored or fed up. Remote learning is difficult for all sides, students and teachers.

“Inter-schools show jumping is a great outlet for students and they miss this. The 5km limit hasn’t affected me too much. Anytime I’ve to exceed it, its for essential travel and it’s been seldom. I’m usually at home!”

Ingrained Irish customs, whether dropping in for tea and a chat or attending funerals came to an abrupt halt over the past 12 months and there is one particularly poignant afternote to the story of Mary’s “knight in shining armour”, who drove her and Ruby to Dublin.

“Some things during lockdown have been very different and challenging. Christy Perry passed away during the first lockdown and it was a very unusual experience to just stand on the road as the hearse passed by and not be able to personally share our sympathies with the family. It’s tough on families experiencing difficult times.”

Walnut Chase foaled Will I Am’s full-brother last year and the aptly named Will I Ever sums up many peoples thoughts on life returning to normal.

“I would certainly prefer to be in the classroom than teaching virtually, but you accept the way it is for the safety of everybody,” she said pragmatically.

No doubt there’s more Greenhall memories in the making in future years. For now, it’s virtual classrooms and another crop of foals on the horizon. “I’d like to thank my parents for their endless support, direction and the never ending list of chores! I have learned an abundance from my parents and grandparents.”

They taught well.