NEXT Sunday, the Curragh stages the second leg of Champions Weekend; one of the biggest racedays in the tracks calendar. As head groundsman at the Co Kildare racecourse, it is my job to ensure we have perfect conditions for this prestigious occasion.

I attribute my love of nature to my mother and my love of the land to my father. The former was a nurse, while dad was a farm manager. As the third child in a family of six, I spent a lot of time with my father, working on the ground with both crops and animals.