It was inevitable that both horses and dogs would feature in my life. I was born into an animal-loving family. My dad Donal was an inspector with the Limerick and Clare branch of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, assisted by my mam, Philomena.

Dad bought and sold horses and ponies. He was also involved in harness racing and Mam kept greyhounds. Many rescued or surrendered animals found a permanent home with us, so we’d numerous pets over the years!

Dad was on dialysis for years with diabetes, before getting a transplant. He died from cancer in 2002. Luckily, Mam was a nurse and supported our family, often facing into a day’s work caring for us all after a night shift. She showed me it’s possible to keep going, despite any challenges and difficulties that may be thrown at you.

Our greyhounds have the ‘Timaru’ prefix, which was the name of our house when we lived near the city. I’ll always remember when we moved to a farm with 50 acres, as, although I was devastated at leaving my school friends and teacher, it allowed me to get my first pony.

Invaluable lessons

I never had a ‘made’ pony, so gained invaluable lessons on how to bring one on. The greatest time was after school and heading out to the yard. It’s where my love of cobs came from.

After school, I studied for my British Horse Society exams at Clonshire Equestrian Centre and got my first job, working for a polo team in Northern Ireland. Things were still delicate up there, it was the time of the Omagh bombing, but I settled in very quickly in Co Armagh and made some very good friends.

Then I got a job with the Larkin brothers in Trim where, I was made feel at home and was treated like family by Paul and Petra. I spent 10 very happy years there, working for some top-class show jumpers, like Dermott Lennon and the Doyle brothers, Ed and Jack.

I was extremely fortunate as Ed was just starting off Billy (Flexible) and I’ve very happy memories watching him jump around small tracks at Kill and Broadmeadows. Even then, for a small horse, he had the heart of a lion.

That November I went to Italy with Conor Swail. We did the World Cup show in Verona and Mechelen on the way home. Then I headed off to the States to Eamon Hughes, who was based in upstate New York and Ocala.

Passed away

I came home that March and, in December, my dad passed away. I got a call to come home straightaway and after flying down the road from Trim, abandoned the car and rushed in. The first thing Dad said was: “There’s a great smell of horse pee off you!” Obviously, I wasn’t going to waste time changing my clothes or boots!

He held on for another month and I’m very lucky to have been with him the day he died. He opened his eyes, gave me his usual nod, squeezed my fingers and off he went.

Injuries

I got badly injured out hunting, though luckily when I was ready to go back to work I was offered a job with Hugh McCusker, near Lurgan. I’d never worked with show horses before and I couldn’t believe the size of some of them! I’m not the tallest person in the world, so I was thinking: ‘How am I going to plait, even up on steps?’

Again I couldn’t have been made feel more welcome and loved it there. Hugh had greyhounds, so that was the icing on the cake for me, I was lucky enough during my first Dublin Horse Show there as we had Connswater River, the supreme champion.

Heart problem

I decided to move home to Limerick as Mam was at home on her own, plus I missed the greyhounds. One day, after putting it off for years, I went to the doctor, only to be told: “I’m not happy with your heart.”

I said: “That’s just a murmur. I’ve had it since I was a baby.” She still wasn’t happy so got me an appointment next day for a cardiologist in Limerick, then I was sent to Dublin the following week. There I was told I’d never sit on a horse or walk a dog again and to give up work immediately.

Well, after several operations, I’m proving them wrong every day!

Everyone has problems in life, but you just have to try your best to keep going. I gained from Dad the ability to live an active, productive life with a chronic illness. Only for the cobs and greyhounds I can honestly say I’d have given up long ago.

After having some very nice but not ‘Dublin cobs’, I phoned Ann O’Grady, and she told me the Russells had a young cob.

I went to try him and loved him. He had the frame and step, he just needed to fill into himself and we were second in Dublin our first year.

Everything was going super the following year until the day before the cob class at Dublin. Just when I needed it most, my heart let me down.

Ann O’Grady, as always, stepped in and did her usual super job. It was a bittersweet day when Mr Allsorts won the heavyweight class but we all take knocks and have to keep going. He was sold to a lovely lady in the UK and I go on yearly visits to see him.

After that I couldn’t find anything ‘special’ at the fairs, so contacted K&K Cobs and they said I was more than welcome to show Bluie (Westend Willie). I had a very special greyhound called Bluie, so it was fate. What a journey it’s been! Bluie has won multiple classes on the showing circuit and was named Reserve Champion at the Dublin Horse Show this year.

I’ve had the most amazing two years working with a cob that simply is the best and I thank my lucky stars everyday I was fortunate to find such a superstar.

Fionnuala Moloney Carey was in conversation with Susan Finnerty.