CROSSMOLINA-based husband and wife Johnathon McDonnell and Sonja Ochadlik were so delighted to see Harry Allen ride their former horse Over Lux to individual bronze medal glory at the recent FEI European Championships for Young Riders.

The pair produced and owned the Lux Z gelding, who was bred by Padraig Egan, from a three to six-year-old. Sonja told Pony Tales: “My husband [Johnathon] found him unhandled and untouched in a field, educated him on everything from halter breaking to saddling, riding and jumping where I eventually took over and campaigned him as a young horse.

“This culminated in qualifying him for the RDS and the horse coming top 10 in the six-year-old Cruising National Championship Final in 2018 where he was purchased as a well-produced, well-campaigned young horse by the Duffys. I have a great relationship with the Duffys and they have always kept me up to date with ‘Lucky’ and his accomplishments.”

He sure was ‘lucky’ for the couple, even featuring in their wedding photos. “Many people along the road even told us he wasn’t worth the time we were putting into him but we believed and persevered.”

Sold to Duffy Sport Horses in 2018, he was then campaigned by Jake Hunter, Katharina Wildling, Brendan Murphy and Johanna Sixt before being campaigned internationally by Denise Wilson (USA) and Eoin Gallagher.