THE worlds of show jumping, racing and hunting were saddened by the loss of one of their best loved horsewomen, Phyllis McDowell, at the great age of 98 years. Always with a sense of humour, Phyllis remarked to me a couple of years ago that she now looked forward to the days and not the years. Phyllis had such a large appetite for life that it was necessary to roll back the natural span of life to fit it all in.

A very entertaining and elegant lady, she was born in Howth and did not have to travel far to meet her husband, Herbert, who was from nearby Sutton. She was a life member of the Royal Dublin Society, first attending Dublin Horse Show as a four-year-old before going on to become a top-level showjumper, race rider, a master of the Fingal Harriers Hunt, and she had a keen eye in judging horses, either in the rough or performing. Ted Wright was one of her mentors when she started riding ponies.