James Kernan: Born to the horse

Natural as breathing, James Kernan fitted seamlessly into his family’s tradition of breeding, competing and selling show jumping horses.

As he says himself: “It was a natural progression for me. My grandfather and father Frank were steeped in the history of horses. Dad competed up to international level. Grandad was always dealing in horses like Top Of The Morning who he sold to David Broome and subsequently went on to win the Foxhunter at the Horse of the Year Show”.

The Kernans had many connections with British rider Broome – they also sold him Countryman, who he rode to fourth in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. In a reverse of those deals, James’ first real competitive pony Buckley Boy was bought from Broome.

Of Buckley Boy, Kernan says: “That pony was a real winner. He got me into the ring, taught me how to ride fast and win.”

But James goes on to clarify that he never got a “made” pony after that: “My father bought me green ponies that I had to make myself. That helped me to become a better rider. You do not develop the skills unless you develop a green pony and bring it up through the grades.”

One of the ponies he developed himself was called Jo Jo, and this pony went on to be sold to Broome’s father at the Dublin Horse Show.

European dream

While nearly every horse that his grandfather had could be bought for a price, there was one mare named Marcella he was determined to keep for James to ride.

“Both my grandad and my dad wanted me to be the first Irish rider ever to win the Junior European Championship,” says James.

That dream came true in 1974 at Lucerne, Switzerland, when James was the only one of 69 starters to jump three clear rounds to land gold after a 16 horse jump–off.

“The whole family was there that day and it was brilliant,” he recalls.

Around this time James won a bursary for a three week course with Eddie Macken. But he regrets that he was so busy riding young horses in the yard at home that he could not take it up.

“That is a real regret of mine as Eddie had brought Irish show jumping into a whole new era. Anyone who wanted to model themselves on a brilliant rider – Eddie was the man.”

In November of that year, buyers from Iran were offering huge money for him

Also around this time, James did a short stint with Italian Olympic Champion Graziano Mancinelli. The Kernans had sold the rider his 1972 Olympic champion Ambassador and James recalls being in Mancinelli’s yard when he clinched gold in Munich.

Another horse that narrowly escaped being sold by the Kernans was Condy.

Says James:“He [Condy] had won the Boylan Trophy at Dublin in 1976 and was the best young horse in the country at the time. In November of that year, buyers from Iran were offering huge money for him. But just as a BBA lorry was being loaded in our yard, my sister Shirley stepped in and said ‘that horse is to be kept for James’. Were it not for Shirley my career could have been very different.”

In 1976, while still aged 18, and with a horse called Spring Trout, Kernan got his first call up to the Aga Khan team. The following year, and for the two after that, James was part of the famous three–in–a–row winning Irish team alongside Con Power, Eddie Macken and Paul Darragh.

[...] once I entered the ring it was a matter of just getting on with the job

When asked if he was ever nervous in that August setting he coolly responds: “Once the bell goes something takes over and all you want to do is the best for your team and for the country. Beforehand I would be walking the box concerned about Condy jumping the treble because he might not have had all the scope in the world. But once I entered the ring it was a matter of just getting on with the job.”

In the 1977 jump–off for the cup, Chef d’Equipe Sean Daly’s instruction to James was simple and direct – ‘Take no chances, just jump a clear’.

Olympic horse

During the late 1970s and into the 1980s, top replacement horses were hard to come by, so the Kernans set about breeding their own.

Frank was one of the first in Ireland to seek the help of continental bloodlines. He put the good mare Lady Willpower to the French international jumper Galoubet and the result was the superb stallion Touchdown. James aimed him at Olympic glory.

Sadly James broke his own leg in 1991, which slowed up preparation for the 1992 Barcelona Games. But despite not being fully ready they still emerged best of the Irish finishing in the top 20.

He never really recovered from that

“It was a fantastic experience. I can still remember heading for the start in a silent arena and hearing my sister Ellen shout ‘Come on James!’”

Having been on the winning Aga Khan team that same year, James’ sights were then set on the 1996 Atlanta Games. However, disaster struck when Touchdown was injured in a freak accident at the indoor bank in Millstreet. “He never really recovered from that,” James says, with deep sadness in his voice.

While not totally retired from riding James’ concentration is now on developing the Kernan Equestrian Centre along with his partner Linda. Their daughter Alicia already has a good pony that James bought from Sean Daly’s son Robert.

They have just added 25 meters to the outdoor sand arena that international course builder Alan Wade declared good enough for a Global Tour. He has some good four-year-olds in the yard that his sister Shirley bred before her death.

James’ other ambition is bringing home more European medals as manager and chef d’equipe of Ireland’s junior and young rider teams.

“We have a fabulous squad at the moment and we will win again in 2021,” he declares with the same quiet steely outlook that brought him gold in 1974.