Born near Dungarvan, into a non-horsey family, my parents still to this day don’t understand where the infatuation with horses came from!

When I first started horse riding and competing at my first show, Dungarvan Agricultural Show, little did I ever imagine that I would become a horse judge after completing the ISA course in 2015. When I was younger the local show was always the highlight of my summer, from getting the pony ready, travelling to the show and hopefully going well enough to bring home a rosette. The local agricultural show was, and still is, the place that you met neighbours, people from the previous year or made new friends.

The agricultural show, in my opinion, is an essential part of the equine industry. It’s a wonderful way to showcase your horses be it a foal, a broodmare or ridden horse. Personally, I find taking young horses to shows is a useful educational tool in their steps towards their future career, whatever that may be.

For the last nine years I have been blessed with having great employers in Kieran Connors and Michelle Nelson. It is a busy family yard where they mainly event but also hunt and compete in pony club, showing, show jumping, dressage and side saddle.

A privelege

It has been a privilege to watch the kids grow up and compete at top level such as the European eventing championships, where Shannon and Zara have won three medals between them with Millridge Buachaill Bui, known at home as ‘Bambi’. Everyone puts in such hard work and it’s great to see that pay off.

They’ve been very good to me in allowing me to pursue my other interests such as showing, side-saddle, Irish Draughts and hunting. This year I took on more judging dates whilst trying to help run a busy event yard.

During the past year I used my days off work to go judging and tried to only judge at one show each weekend, so as not to leave the family in the lurch during peak season. Retrospectively this has been my busiest, yet most fulfilling, summer so far.

During my years working for Kieran and Michelle, I have had access to great trainers, vets and physios which has helped me develop my feel for a horse and understand how much conformation faults can affect a horse throughout its life.

The family also very kindly allow me to borrow horses to compete or hunt, such as OLS Flying Vision. We’ve had great fun and impressive results especially in side-saddle, winning the Fania Mahony Memorial Cup in Tattersalls and going to the Horse of the Year Show.

During this year’s show season, it’s been wonderful to see so many nice horses gracing the show ring. As a ride judge it’s such a wonderful feeling sitting on a horse that, in your opinion on the day, fits the criteria of the class and then rides so well and comfortably that it makes your job much easier when deciding who gets that coveted red rosette. Each judge has their own idea of what they are looking for in a horse, so if you get a rosette one week that doesn’t necessarily mean you will win at another show. If people are going to be upset that the judge didn’t pick their horse on that day, then maybe showing isn’t for them?

My advice

Judges are only human, and they can only judge what is in front of them on that day. As a judge I try to remain impartial (still like to say hello to everyone!) to whoever is riding the horse. I look for movement and a horse that looks like it would carry you on a day’s hunting.

With some horses I felt maybe people should take more time doing basic schooling, instead of rushing the process and sticking a pelham bridle on a horse to get that ‘show look’. The ride section is a key factor when judging and it’s not a nice feeling when the horse doesn’t know what to do with the bit in its mouth.

If you can’t steer or hold a horse in the ring, then how are you going to hunt the horse without having your arms pulled out of their sockets all day?

I’ve always had a great interest in the Irish Draught and traditionally-bred horses, so earlier this summer I jumped at the chance to join the newly formed Kildare branch of the IDHBA.The interest in the Irish Draught has been steadily climbing over the last few years which is wonderful to see. Our branch is steadily increasing in numbers and though we may be a small club, we have already held our first one-day-event which was greatly supported and we’re already looking forward to next year’s event.

I might be a bit biased when saying the Irish Draught is an amazing animal which can literally turn its hoof to anything. I discovered that versatility this year when schooling a draught mare, Kilpipe Julie, owned by Peter McLoughlin, for side-saddle. We competed at her first ever show before taking her on to the one-day-event we ran at Marguerite Lodge and now she can be seen out hunting with Peter.

Sarah Conway was in conversation with Susan Finnerty.