TRIBUTES have flooded in from across the world and Summerhill was thronged with a who’s who of the equestrian and racing worlds to bid farewell to Captain Con Power on Wednesday of this week.

One of the greatest show jumpers of his generation, Con passed away last Sunday following a long illness, at the age of 71.

Originally from Hook Head in Co Wexford, Captain Power was the third generation of the Power family to ride; Con’s father Patsy was the breeder of 1947 Grand National winner Caughoo. Educated at Gormanston College in Co Meath, Con’s first love was racing and he wanted to be a race jockey.

“Terry Biddlecombe was the big jockey at the time and I was convinced I was going to be the next Terry! I did a summer with Padge Berry after the Inter Cert, but that summer I grew from 5’9” to 6’2” and that finished my idea of being a jockey,” he told The Irish Field in a 2019 interview.

He turned his attention to show jumping and his competitive career began with a 13.2hh pony named Granard Boy, bought at Ballsbridge Sales, where it was sold by Eddie Macken’s dad Jimmy.

In 1972, Power joined the Irish Army, graduating from the 47th cadet class, and he arrived at the Army Equitation School at McKee Barracks in 1973. From there, his career took a wonderful path.

His first Aga Khan call-up was in 1976 with Mullacrew (the dam of the great Cruising), and he was a member of the iconic Irish team who earned three-in-a-row Aga Khan wins in 1977, 1978 and 1979, in which he was the only rider to partner three different horses (Coolronan, Castle Park and Rockbarton). His teammates were the late Paul Darragh, James Kernan and Eddie Macken.

Speaking about those famous wins some 40 years later, Con told The Irish Field: “The RDS is magnificent, it’s our Croke Park. If you are a GAA player, you want to play in the Croke Park. Likewise, every man who ever sat on a show jumper wants to ride in the RDS and I was lucky enough to be here on a couple of occasions and I have some great memories.

“The beauty of that team is we were all social friends – we used to chase the same birds and go to the same parties, so the fact that we were all such good friends was special I suppose.

“I remember the first year when Paul (Darragh) jumped a clear round and I gave Coolronan a pat out in the practice arena and I said ‘now we can’t let the team down’, because we were all such good friends, that was the attitude. It was a wonderful, wonderful unique team spirit.”

Margaret, Robert and Con Power after Sizing John won the 2017 Punchestown Gold Cup \ HEALY RACING

Prolific

From 1976 to 1979, Captain Con Power had one of the most prolific periods in the history of Irish show jumping. He was leading rider at Dublin in 1976 and 1979. He took the same award at Ostend and at the three North American shows in Washington, New York and Toronto in 1978. He won five classes at Aachen in 1979, and was again leading rider. “Of all the events in my show jumping career, that week in Aachen 1979 was number one,” he said.

“Rockbarton won the first day out of 82 in the speed class, two days later he won the Puissance, day after that we won the Nations Cup and was fourth in the Grand Prix. Wasn’t that some horse? To win a speed class, Puissance and Nations Cup… in Aachen, one of the greatest shows in the world!”

As well as multiple Nations Cup appearances, Con also jumped at two European Championships and one World Championships.

After marrying Margaret and setting up a busy yard in Derrypatrick in Co Meath, Power retired from the Army in 1979 and went out alone. The decision paid off with much success, including winning the Irish show jumper of the year from 1983 to 1986 and, in 1985, he was The Irish Field Show jumper of the year.

Speaking about the Army, Con said: “I enjoyed every minute of it. What I loved about the Army was there was never a hint of favouritism to any one guy. Whether it was Col. Murphy’s son or Joe Bloggs son … it made no difference, which I absolutely loved, because I hate when someone is a favourite because of who they are.

“I went to the Equitation School and I was lucky. I got some nice horses to ride pretty much straightaway. Col. Ringrose was the boss at the time and the standard of horses I got was just getting better and better. He [Col. Ringrose] was an absolute gentleman to his fingertips, he was thought so highly of around the world.”

In that same 2019 interview, Con was asked how he met his wife, and answered with the quick wit he will be remembered for. “Or do you mean where did she meet me?!” he said flashing a huge smile. “We knew each other when I started off with the Army, I was doing a bit of eventing and I’d meet Mags at events. My dad knew her mum, because her mum used to breed racehorses, we got friendly and started to go out, the rest is history.”

Teaching

Sadly, a freak life-threatening accident in 1988 ended his riding career. Standing on the ground while teaching a student at a local event, Con was cut down by the flying stirrup of a loose galloping horse and rushed to hospital, where he stayed for six weeks.

He then turned his attention to teaching and, among his most proud students is Bertram Allen, who credits Con and Margaret for giving him the best start to his career.

Con and Margaret’s children, Robert and Elizabeth, both went on to make big names for themselves in the sport of racing and eventing.

Robert won the Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard Silver Birch (2007) and Sizing John (2017), while Elizabeth is one of Ireland’s top event riders, who also competes in pure show jumping. Among Con’s biggest highlights was Elizabeth winning a five-star class at the Dublin Horse Show in 2019 with Doonaveeragh O One.

Elizabeth and Con Power with Doonaveeragh O One in 2019\ Susan Finnerty

Con was laid to rest in Summerhill on Wednesday afternoon. He will be lovingly missed by Margaret, Robert, Elizabeth, his granddaughter Emma, daughter-in-law Hannah, sisters and brothers; Ann, Pat, Ted, Mandy, Vonnie, Vivienne, Pierce and Helen, extended family, friends and neighbours.