TO be able to produce a horse or pony to a professional level in one discipline; show jumping, dressage, eventing or showing is impressive, but to be able to produce them across the board is rare.

This is what young Cork girl Jennifer Rea has managed to achieve over the past several years.

Jennifer attributes much of her success to her grandmother, Mary Rea, who has been a constant support and inspiration to her.

“I began riding when I was about five years old. My grandmother bought me a pony and I began taking lessons. From there, I began to compete in some showing classes.

“When I was about eight or nine years old, I got a lot of opportunities with the show ponies. I was lucky enough to be placed first in the First Ridden 122cm at the Dublin Horse Show with Goldengrove Romance, and then went on to win two National Showing titles.

“I moved on to 133cm with Chase Cross Zebedee, who won the Championship, and, in the 143cm division, I won the Reserve National Champion title with Comerford Lord of the Dance.

“I also began to compete in jumpers and got on really well in the 128cm with ponies like Little Pal, who Nan bought from Brian Taggart.

“I moved into 138cm, but it was never really a good fit for me, so Nan bought a horse, Miss Contradiction, for me when I was 11 years old and I never looked back; it was horses from then on.

“She (Miss Contradiction) was 10 years old when I got her and had been jumping up to 1.20m with Kelly Taggart, so she was ready to go on. I also had the very experienced Belgian-bred gelding Brecht Van De Romstee (Orlando x Brownboy).

“I was training with Barry O’Connor and Micheal Blake at that time and I used to travel to them as often as I could.”

International success

At this stage, 13-year-old Jennifer, was having some success on the international scene, being placed in the COH Grand Prix in Deauville, France.

She jumped on the COH Nations Cup team in Hagen, Germany, where Ireland came fifth. Jennifer was also on the Irish COH European team in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, which finished fourth against 28 countries. The Irish team missed the bronze medal by 0.01 and the silver by 0.08 of a second.

At the Young Rider National Championships in Ennis that year, she won the Table A One Round Speed Class and also finished second in the 1.10m Development Class. She also won a bursary to the Army Equitation School, at that time she was the first COH rider and the youngest ever to receive a bursary.

Jennifer Rea and her ISH gelding Fermoyle Charles won the seven and eight-year-old championship as well as an Advanced Medium class at CoilÓg recently \ Louise O'Brien Photography

Dressage

“Unfortunately, my Junior horse at the time suffered an injury, so I was never able to take up the bursary and was on the lookout for another horse.

“Fermoyle Charles (S Creevagh Ferro Ex Siebe x Captain Clover) turned out to be it. My Nan bought him as a foal at the Cavan Elite Sales, where Stuart Clarke was a great help to us. When he was ready, I brought him down to Anne Marie Dunphy, who worked on my flatwork with me.

“I had always been fascinated by dressage and Anne Marie said that he moved really nicely. I asked her if she thought he could be good enough to do dressage and she said yes.

“That was when my focus really changed and I decided to concentrate on dressage. I was guided by him a bit. Dressage was his strength, so we went with it. Anne Marie has been fantastic, she has been with me every step of the way.

“I’m currently studying Business Information Systems in MTU Cork and working with Charlie (Fermoyle Charles) alongside that.

“I have a four-year-old, Oreo. He’s by Yeats out of a Loughnatousa mare that has just been broken. So I’m starting to do a bit with him, just so he gains some strength.

“We finished up this year in November winning the Advanced Medium with Fermoyle Charles. Our last competition was the HSI seven and eight-year-old class in CoilÓg, which we also won. We are training to move up to Advanced and Prix St George.”

Last June, Jennifer and Charlie scored the double, winning both the Botanica Advanced Medium category two championship, as well as the Botanica Medium category two championship.

“I travel up to Anne Marie in Kilkenny as often as I can. I didn’t compete with Charlie until he was five, so he had more confidence and strength, so I plan to do the same with Oreo.

“I have two broodmares, and had my first dressage foal this year. I hopefully will have two more foals for next year if all goes well.

“A friend found a lovely big bay mare for me in Italy by Concordia, she is actually a jumper, but has three nice paces. I bought her with the hope of getting her in foal. She is the mother of this year’s colt foal by Christ (Competent x Picard).

“My Nan also bought Fantasia (De Niro x Sandro Hit) for me. She is in foal to the Dutch sire Feel Good, so hopefully that will be for next year.

“Until I finish my degree, I have plenty to keep me busy, but I think with the foals, and Oreo coming, the future looks bright.

“At the moment with Charlie, we are working on canter pirouettes and the trot quality, helping him gain more confidence in the sequence changes. I got the opportunity to go on the High Performance development squad for Under 25s, so we will keep working hard and see where we can get to.

“He is a young horse, and a lot of this stuff I’m learning for the first time, so we are learning together. He is very patient and willing to learn and gives 110% every time.

“With the HSI classes, I think a lot more people are looking at the Irish-breds for dressage. It’s slow progress, but it’s getting there.”