THE youngest of six children, Ailish Connolly was born into the horse world at Copperalley Stud, a well-known racing yard in Maynooth, Co Kildare.

Ailish started riding at the age four and quickly progressed up the ranks of the Irish Pony Society. Trained by Maeve McDonald, who had a huge influence on Ailish’s riding style, she enjoyed early results in the UK and Ireland in working hunter and showing classes.

Ailish was a keen member of the Kildare Pony Club and her partnership with Maeve’s wonderful pony, Fern, already set her out as a talented equestrian.

She also started training with Gisela Holstein, focusing on dressage and represented Ireland in U14 Junior Dressage in the UK. At only 12 years of age, Ailish was selected to ride in a dressage demonstration at Dublin Horse Show riding alongside multiple Olympian and Gisela’s daughter, Heike Holstein.

It was when Cian O’Connor moved to Copperalley Stud in 1998 that Ailish turned her attention to show jumping. Under the tutelage of Cian and Gerry Mullins, she had many successes at young rider level with horses, including Aventyno and Aquilo K, and she competed at many prestigious shows including Hickstead, the RDS, and the Spanish Sunshine Tour.

Ailish had built a promising string of horses over the past number of years while competing in Ireland and Europe. The Van Gogh-sired Eletta Molino was one of her favourites. Bought as a novice seven-year-old, Ailish produced the mare up the grades to 1.45m level with many successes along the way.

Ailish was especially excited about Dudley Z, a six-year-old grey stallion by Diamond Z that she bought in 2020. She had also branched out to start breeding last year, taking embryos off Eletta Molino who has a foal due this May.

Grit and heart

Ailish had a great eye for choosing a horse, and never just followed bloodlines, but always looked for one with character, grit and heart. She had a passion for producing young horses and always gave them all the time they needed to reach their full potential.

Her sympathetic riding style and her elegance in the saddle always set her apart from the rest. She was a truly gifted horsewoman.

Ailish had time for everyone at a show and was popular and well liked. She was very grateful for all the help and support from the show jumping community over the past two years while, very privately and with great resilience and determination, she battled with illness.

Her father, the late John Connolly, was a huge supporter of her equestrian career and they spent many days together enjoying the ponies and horses. Fond memories remain of John carting Ailish, her siblings and ponies to pony shows all over the country every weekend. Both John and her mother Margaret were always so proud of Ailish’s riding and talent and she was the heart of Copperalley Stud. Ailish spent a lot of time teaching her nieces and nephews to ride, and loved watching them progress.

High Performance coach and former international show jumper Ian Fearon said this week: “Ailish was a thinker about what she wanted to achieve from her horses, not just at a show, but to have them riding correctly. She was a beautiful rider, she had one of the most classic positions among the lady riders in the sport.

“Her dedication was incredible and she was about to come out on some lovely new horses and move her career even further forward.

“Ailish was a stylist, a perfectionist and a beautiful horsewoman - a brilliant rider and a warm, fantastic girl to be around. She will be greatly missed.”

She is survived by her mother Margaret, siblings Karen, Siobhan, Thomas, Sandra and John and her nine nieces and nephews.

M.F. and L.P.