ONE of Ireland’s most prolific Paralympic dressage riders, Helen Kearney, has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 35.

“I am writing this to officially say I am giving up my life and career with horses and para. It has been wonderful and I have amazing memories that I am so grateful for,” she announced on her social media this week.

Kearney was first diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 11 and eventually diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) in 2002, when she was 13. FA is a rare inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system.

However, her love for horses remained strong and riding helped slow down the effects of the condition. She began competing in para dressage and did her first championship at the 2009 Europeans aboard a horse called Boris Zieg. By 2010, she was classed Grade I and, at the 2011 European Championships, she won Ireland’s first ever European medal (bronze) in para dressage, riding the Irish Sport Horse Mister Cool.

She represented Ireland at the 2012 London Paralympics and won individual silver, and team and individual freestyle bronze. With the gelding Rock And Roll, she also made it to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, where she finished 12th.

Kearney then spent six years out of the competition arena, during which time she underwent five operations. She eventually made a comeback in 2022 with her new ride, Zensation, and she turned her focus towards making the Irish team for the Paris Paralympic Games.

Calling it a day

“After my competition results in 2023, I decided that 2024 would be my last competitive year. I worked hard for the final few months of 2023 and could see improvements in Benny, so I decided to give international competition one more go, with a view to potentially getting to Paris Paralympics,” said Kearney.

“In April 2024, I did a competition in Belgium and it went well, but my scores were not where they needed to be, so I decided that was probably the end of competition for Benny and I. However, I do love riding and I decided to keep going riding when I returned.”

Sadly, it has become increasingly difficult and she went on to say: “After reflection, I decided that logistically it was becoming too difficult for me to maintain the horse. I have received lots of help and, in particular, my parents are absolutely wonderful, but I am able to do less than I want to care for and ride the horses, and I’ve decided the time is now for me to close this chapter.

“Obviously, no disability is nice and I think it is clear that FA is definitely not nice, but I can say I’ve had [an] amazing time doing what I love. In terms of FA progression, I have managed quite well and I have to attribute that to the horses. The physical activity has been great for me, but more than that, the whole experience gave me a great reason to get up every morning and keep fighting. I will forever be grateful for the wonderful experiences that have helped shape me into the person I am.”