IRISH show jumping legend Tommy Wade has passed away at the age of 80. Wade suffered a stroke last week and passed away in the early hours of Monday morning at the Bons Secours Hospital in Cork.
Most sports fan in Ireland will recall the Tipperary show jumper winning Nations Cup and Grands Prix all over the world with the formidable Dundrum in the early 1960s.
A feat that may never be matched was Wade’s fantastic showing at the 1963 Dublin Horse Show when he won all five international classes and was part of the winning Aga Khan team. Other accomplishments as a rider include winning at almost every major international show, including the King George V Cup at the White City, the Vaux Trophy at Newcastle, the Boylan Trophy at Ballsbridge, the Grand Prix at Brussels and top prize at the Horse of the Year Show.
The mixed Army and civilian Irish team of 1963 consisted of, l to r, Tommy Wade (Dundrum) Diana Conolly Carew, Seamus Hayes and Capt. Billy Ringrose (Image: RDS Archives/Irish Times)
After finishing his riding career, Wade took over as the Irish show jumping chef d’equipe and led the team to over 30 Nations Cup victories at shows likes Aachen, Dublin, Rotterdam, Hickstead, Calgary and La Baule.
He was the chef d’equipe when Ireland claimed a gold medal at the European Championships in 2001 and at the World Equestrian Games in 2002 when Dermott Lennon won individual gold.
Wade is the only equestrian sports person in the Irish Sports Hall of Fame, to which he was induced in 2013.
Just last August, at the Dublin Horse Show, Wade was presented with a Horse Sport Ireland Hall of Fame Award and received a specially commissioned medal from current Irish chef d’equipe, three-time Brazilian Olympic medallist Rodrigo Pessoa.
Tommy is survived by his wife Felicity, daughter Maria and sons Robert, Alan and Ronan.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:
Funeral arriving in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Boherlahan this Tuesday evening at 7.30pm. Requiem mass on Wednesday at 11.30am followed by burial in Ardmayle Cemetery.