ON Wednesday, 40 members and past members of the Duhallow Branch of the Irish Pony Club had the sad duty of forming an unmounted guard of honour at the funeral of former member Michael O’Sullivan, the National Hunt jockey, who died last Sunday as the result of a fall at Thurles on February 6th.

On the approach to St John the Baptist Church in Glantane village, the Pony Club contingent stood side-by-side with members of the Duhallow Hunt, the local pack Michael used to hunt with on a regular basis before going into racing full-time.

During his Pony Club days, Michael represented the Duhallow Branch in hunter trials, eventing and show jumping and, with Michael Healy as his partner, won the Junior pairs competition at the national hunter trials championships.

Last July, as a fully-fledged jockey with two Cheltenham Festival wins to his name, he took time out to attend the final day of the Duhallows’ camp at Kilguilkey House, where he presented the awards. Among the winners was his cousin Lucy O’Sullivan, winner of the Under 10s’ combined training competition.

Michael also competed under Eventing Ireland rules, winning an EI110 (P) at Kilguilkey House in October 2013 with Murphy Browne, on whom he had his last start in similar company at Millstreet in September 2014, finishing fourth of 13 on his mother Bernie’s chesnut gelding.

See pages 8-10 for our full tribute to Michael.