Educational outing

DRESSAGE rider and eventer Karen McKee from Newry is another owner who enjoyed the day. “I injured my hamstring so am out of action competing,” she explained. “I am very pleased to have my horse Carrickview Calvani (Ramiro B/Heraldik, bred by Armagh vet John Haughey), now competing from the Smith Bros yard.

“This has been a fantastic day, watching Alan Dewhurst working the riders Casey Webb and Yu Xuan Su through their dressage paces and seeing riders have a show jumping lesson with Trevor Smith was educational. To view novice horses and three-star horses working from the same yard - all levels catered from novice to Olympic on site - is what the Smith Bros are all about.”

Karen’s mother Edna (Faloon) was well known in jumping and showing circles from her early days with the Gray stables in Warrenpoint to jumping her own horses from her Newry base.

Ringing endorsement

KILLYLEAGH owners/breeders Diane Harron Eakin and her husband John, who have had many event horses with the Smiths over the years, were guests. In an interview with Raymond Bready, Diane spoke of her top mare Ringfort Ra Ra Ruby who enjoyed many successes with Steven Smith. She said: “The only time Steven didn’t win leading event rider in the Northern Region in 27 years was when he was off with a broken leg. I am delighted to say that Ruby’s four-year-old daughter, named Ringfort Ruby’s Legacy, will come to Steven. The team here is fantastic, I have been a breeder for the last 35 years and as soon as my horses turn four, they come to Smiths.”

Show jumping tip

TREVOR Smith, who competed in the Sydney Olympics on the grey stallion High Scope (by Touchdown), is a renowned trainer. His sense of humour shone through as he tutored the show jumping demo. “Hands down, head up, put your horse on the bridle and ride properly,” he kicked off the session. Good old-fashioned plain talking and getting results.

Both Steven and Trevor come from a show jumping background and both advise eventers to concentrate on this discipline too. Steven stressed: “Everyone should do as much show jumping as possible. You can ride beautifully in dressage and cross-country but you can learn so much by watching others, so go show jumping. It’s important to get experience in this field. For eventing you have to be good and ensure you can succeed in all disciplines.”

Benefit of shows

PORTADOWN show horse and eventing producer, Terry Johnston, has had many successes from the Smith Stables. He likes to have a horse which can do both jobs so they have to be good enough to show and then go cross-country.

“I like to show a horse which teaches it so much,” said Terry. “I like to bring young horses to show classes and that gains them experience for eventing.” A tireless worker in the Ulster Region of Eventing Ireland, Terry sends horses each year to the RDS and Balmoral, both for showing and young event horse, where he has had many wins from the Smith yard.

Time tells all for Steven

STEVEN Smith admits that he doesn’t look for a particular type of horse or whether it has warmblood or much thoroughbred bloodlines. “I never look for a special type of horse, you can’t judge a horse, only time will tell if it will make the grade. If an owner is not going to sell a horse and you have time to see it mature and succeed, then you can decide. Some horses don’t suit every rider, and there are times some don’t suit me.”

Gateway to the

Asian Games

MILLSTREET International Horse Trials in June is a qualifying event for the Asian Games to be staged in Hangzhou. Yu Xuan Su (25), based at the Smiths’ yard, is aiming to make the Hong Kong team. He started riding ponies with the Hong Kong Jockey Club private stables and then moved to a private yard in Clearwater Bay when he was 13. His early career was training as a show jumper with Clive Reed in Adelaide, Australia where he was a working pupil for one year before attending King’s College London graduating in Philosophy and later taking a Masters in Bioethics and Public Health.

He added: “I was lucky to find a backer in Howard Green and now I am here in Ireland, which I love. The events here are excellent and I am looking forward to competing again.”

Olympian Thomas Heffernan (Hong Kong), who competed in Tokyo, was a guest. “Millstreet is our big outing for selectors to see us as potentials for the Asian Games. I also am working towards Paris Olympics with my Irish-bred mare Oldrock Candy Girl (Sligo Candy Boy x Master Imp). I love eventing in Ireland and am delighted that we have Millstreet as a selection.”

Willing attitude wanted

POPULAR dressage rider and trainer Alan Dewhurst, now based in Scotland, regularly commutes to Smiths’. He explained: “I look for the horse that wants to do rather than the one who does which he has to do. Work should be seamless. If a horse is doing what he is asked to do in a calm way and a good outline, then that is good engagement.”