IRELAND has always punched above its weight when it comes to successes in the saddle and now it seems we have the same reputation when it comes to international stewarding.

In January Mrs Nicky Kelly from West Cork was named Chief Steward for eventing for the 2022 World Equestrian Games in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy next August.

This week Nicky spoke about her life in her adopted hometown and how she ended up being appointed to one of the most prestigious stewarding jobs available.

“I initially got involved in stewarding in the early 2000s. When I was in England, I evented up to three-star, and I used to do some showing.

“In the 1990s, myself and my late husband John, who was a horticultural journalist, author and TV presenter for the BBC, decided it was time for a change and we began to consider a move to Ireland.

“There was a four-line advert in the back of Horse and Hound about a house for sale in West Cork and that was the house we ended up buying.

“I had never been to Ireland in my life; I just saw this house, loved it, and said, ‘This will do for me’; and it has for the past 30 years.

“Once in Ireland, I produced a number of horses and competed at the Dublin Horse Show several times. I was named Ladies Reserve Champion and was lightweight champion with a wonderful mare named Cruise Quarters, by Cruise Missile. She was fantastic and hard to beat.

“I had gained reputation as being good with difficult horses and before I left the UK had been given a thoroughbred that was quite challenging. It took me three years to produce her, but she ended up being a very good horse. After some success, she was forced to retire for medical reasons and I brought her with me to Ireland.

“She was one of the first mares to go to Templebready Fear Bui and she produced a pony named ToTo Matata which turned out to be one of the best working hunter ponies Ireland has ever seen; she was Supreme Champion in Dublin.

Catherine Moore pictured on Nicky Kelly's home-bred ToTo Matata \ Jim Prime

“John died very suddenly in 1996, I was still riding and producing horses at that time and I wanted to move on from that, but not disappear altogether so I began doing jobs like call-ups etc and I helped out at my local event in Blarney Castle, and that’s how it all started; it’s as simple as that.

“At that time I also set up a business ‘Fillers and Fences’ building jumps. That went well and they even ended up being used for the Scarteen Future Event Horse Classes. As well as that, Tommy Brennan got me to build some fences for the Speed Derby in Dublin.

“The reason I could build jumps came from two years spent working for a world famous yachtsman in my early 20s; that’s how I could do the wooden building thing.

“What started out as just helping out in Blarney then began to grow. I liked being with the riders and horses and I had done the odd bit of judging dressage. I was still teaching and was on the Pony Club training committee and things like that.”

Getting started

Nicky recalled how she got started in stewarding. “It was John Swanton’s idea actually; he suggested stewarding to me and that’s how it all began. I started slowly at the bottom with Eventing Ireland and finished up on the technical delegates’ committee.

“Tattersalls was getting big back then and its event director, Jean Mitchell, was very good to me. I did Necarne and many others; you learn by doing the job really, you begin as a steward and work your way up.

“I was lucky enough to meet Liz Inman, who was the event director at Burghley, about 16 years ago and I cheekily asked her if she needed an FEI steward and she said ‘yes’, so I’ve done Burghley since then.

“Working with the top riders is such a joy. I love it, and their horses are just jaw-dropping.”

What does the job entail? “My duties as a chief steward are initially to make sure all the horses are stabled correctly and that it is all secure.

“On a non-competition day, say the Wednesday of an event, when people want to exercise their horses you must make sure they are working them in the correct places, in the correct way and not doing anything they shouldn’t.

“Before the event starts, you must allocate all the stewards to all the different areas, and make sure you have enough people to cover.

“At an event, for example Millstreet, I would have about nine stewards allocated. We do not have enough FEI stewards in Ireland, so I’m lucky that over the years I have met many people from all over the world, who I can call up and ask to come and work at an event here.

“That is the pool of people that I will be turning to for the World Championships and hopefully they will want to come. When you find people you trust to do the job and enjoy working with, they are who you turn to again and again.

“One thing I’m a real stickler about is that there must be fair competition for everybody; not just the highest professional or the one-horse wonder. They have all paid the same amount and deserve the same quality of treatment.

“All the horses are watched. Their tack is checked to make sure that what they have is allowed, and that if it’s not, they have time to change it.

“I think people don’t realise that you can work-in wearing any tack you like just as long as you change it before dressage. That is a rule that is commonly misunderstood.

“As I see it, I’m the conductor, I’m the juggler making sure that things happen for people to make the event as enjoyable as possible.

Horse welfare

“My job is really about horse welfare. I’m all about the horse, making sure that they are being treated properly. You are not interfering, but quietly watching to make sure everything is okay.

“It can often mean there is a lot of ground to cover, which is why I’m thankful for my electric bike! It wouldn’t be unheard of for me to cover 50kms in one day at an event.

“Essentially I see my job as making sure all the horses and competitors have a fair and enjoyable experience. I’m not there to catch people out, that’s not why I’m there. I find that riders can be very bad at reading the rules, and I’m there to explain and help them understand.

“When I was offered the Worlds job last January, I was shocked to tell you the truth. I was very pleasantly surprised that they think I’m able to do it.

“I’ve done a number of events in Italy which is helpful. I’m also very good at delegating. I’m a real worker so I’m out there doing as well. That’s what I’m there for. I’m not great sitting around, in life as well as at an event.

“We have a test event in May and that will give me a pretty good idea of what’s ahead of me. Suffice to say I’m really looking forward to it.”

Growing band

Nicky is not alone at the top of her chosen profession. This year alone a further three of Ireland’s top FEI Jumping Stewards have been appointed to oversee three of the most prestigious FEI Championships.

Charles Maudlin was named Chief Steward for the FEI European Jumping Championships which took place in Germany last summer. He then went on to be named Chief Steward for the Longines FEI Jumping Final in Barcelona, Spain in October.

Orla Griffin was named Chief Steward for the FEI European Pony Jumping Championships in Strzegom, Poland last August, while Kate Horgan was Chief Steward at the FEI European Young Rider, Junior and Children On Horses Jumping championships in Vilamoura, Portugal in July.