FROM Clohass, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, my first pony was a gift from our neighbour and family friend, the well-known horse trainer Paul Nolan.

Snowy was a bit of a challenge and wasn’t exactly built for speed, so it was a career in Pony Club games for him. I was then loaned a lovely pony named Pebbles from John Carney, our local hunt master, which sparked my original interest in pursuing a career in horses.