CONGRATULATIONS to British show jumper Holly Gillott, who made good use of the leap year by presenting fiancé Graham Smith with an invitation to his own wedding on February 29th.

The Nations Cup rider and her partner are well known for their fondness for Irish horses and in particular for producing Dougie Douglas, the Irish Sport Horse recently sold to US show jumper Katie Dinan.

Gillott and Graham have been together for eight years and engaged for “four or five years” according to the rider.

On Monday evening, she produced a wedding invitation for farrier and business partner Smith.

Announcing the development on social media, she wrote: “Well, I’ve made full use of it being a leap year, I’ve been walking round with this engagement ring on for too many years, so today we gave Graham Smith an invite to his own wedding. Party on!! Hats at the ready!!”

Speaking to The Irish Field this week, Gillott revealed that she wasted no time in planning the wedding, which is booked for July 1st.

“I didn’t hang about – I booked the registry office and venue today and we will have a party at home. We will go away for a few days but there will be lots of hay to be done at that time of year!” she laughed when asked about her plans.

Gillott and Graham hit the headlines back in November with their Nations Cup performer Dougie Douglas (Ard VDL Douglas x High Roller) at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumpers.

RECORD

Knocked down for a record-breaking €1.4million, Dougie Douglas was bought by Irish agent Barry O’Connor for the American Nations Cup team rider Katie Dinan.

“I am very pleased to see him going well for Katie – she keeps in touch and sends me videos and pictures,” revealed Gillott. “We are hoping to visit him in April.”

However the British team member has high hopes that some of the other Irish-bred horses in her string will follow in his successful footsteps.

“I’ve got one called Lammy Beach, an eight-year-old by Beach Ball out of a Coevers Diamond Boy mare. He came to me from Vere Phillips out of Ireland,” she said. “And I’ve got one called PLS Halo Diamond. He’s another eight-year-old that Mike Elvin bought from the Monart Event Horse sale as a four-year-old.”