Racing’s loss was certainly Irish show jumping’s gain when the legend that is Con Power outgrew the sport of kings and joined the pantheon of Ireland’s greatest jumpers.
Instead of wins at Fairyhouse, Cheltenham or Aintree his glories came at shows like Dublin, Aachen or New York.
Having reached a height of 6ft 3in, Con perfected the “forward seat” as he forged a sparkling show jumping career during the 1970s and 1980s. It ended all too soon in 1988 when he was cut down by a loose runaway horse as he was instructing a young rider at a local event.
With huge courage and positivity, Con accepted the fact that he could never ride again and together with his wife Margaret they have maintained their yard at Derrypatrick in Co Meath.
The Power winning ways are now transferred to their top jockey son Robbie and their daughter Elizabeth, who is a successful international event rider.
“They are the fourth generation of Powers in the saddle,” Con said. “There is a picture of my grandfather winning at Enniscorthy show in 1929. My father rode winners in point–to–point.”
And this brings us back to the beginning when the Powers bought him a 13.2hh pony named Granard Boy at Ballsbridge Sales where it was being sold by Eddie Macken’s dad Jimmy. The young Wexford lad did not know Eddie at that time. But they met up when Con won with Granard Boy in the main arena at Ballsbridge.
Second nature
“People said when I was young that I was better than average. It just came by nature,” is Con’s way of explaining his confidence that he could be a winner. With racing a non–runner for him, the main pathway open to him was the Army Equitation School.
“Thank God I was accepted for a 12-month military training at the Curragh. But I told them if I didn’t get to the Equitation school I did not want to join the Army. Four went forward for a six-week trial at McKee Barracks and I was picked to stay on in 1973.”
With horses passed down by Ned Campion and Larry Kiely, Con soon proved that he was indeed “better than average”.
With one called Cluain Aodha he beat his lifelong pal Eddie Macken at a 1974 show in Kill.
“Eddie was just back from being second in the World Championship at Hickstead. That was just sensational at the time. He was the best in the world and while a great friend he was also the one you had to beat.”
Con’s first Aga Khan call–up was in 1976.
“I had the hugely difficult mare Mullacrew. She had a foul temperament, the more she kicked the worse she got. But she had huge ability,” Con declares.
But Power soon had a team of horses under him that truly matched his enormous talent in Coolronan, Castle Park and Rockbartan. He was, in fact, the only rider who rode a different horse on each of the three-in–a-row Aga Kahn wins of 1977,1978 and 1979.
The iconic image of that historic achievement is of an exuberant Con bringing the gold trophy on a triumphant lap of honour.
“The weight of it nearly broke my arm,” he recalls. “I offered it to the three other lads but they said ‘carry on! You’re doing grand.’ To me the RDS is to a show jumper what Croke Park is like to a GAA player. You had really made the grade when you won there.”
The Irish team who famously won the Aga Khan three years in row, (L-R) Paul Darragh (Heather Honey), Capt. Con Power (Coolronan), James Kernan (Condy) and Eddie Macken (Boomerang) \ RDS Archives
International success
From 1976 to 1979, Con Power had one of the most prolific periods in the history of Irish show jumping. He was leading rider at Dublin in 1976 and 1979. He took the same award at Ostend and at the three North American shows at Washington, New York and Toronto in 1978. He won five classes at Aachen in 1979, and was again leading rider.
“Of all the events in my show jumping career, that week in Aachen 1979 was number one,” he said.
Con then humorously recalls the prizes he won for these leading rider achievements.
“In Aachen they gave me a five-gallon brass-lined milk churn. At the end of the North American tour in Toronto 1978 I got a bright red wool coat that I never wore. I gave it to Ned Cash.”
During this time Con also won a Chrysler car at the televised Strokestown National Challenge of 1976. As an army rider he could not accept the prize. But the show organiser Ado Kenny got around the problem by giving the car as a wedding present to Con and his bride Margaret.
All of this points to a dilemma that faced Con and Margaret at this time. They had just bought a house in Meath and were soon to start their family. But according to the way prize money was divvied up in the army, the rewards for all of Con’s winnings were small.
So, in September 1979 he decided to retire from the military and go out on his own. Over the next nine years the Powers gradually made good on that brave decision. Con was Irish show jumper of the year from 1983 to 1986. He was The Irish Field award winner in 1885. But on top of that he and Margaret created a very busy training yard of race horses, hunters and show jumpers.
Cruel blow
But then in 1988 came disaster of the cruellest kind. Standing on the ground while teaching a riding student Con was cut down by the flying stirrup of a loose galloping horse and rushed to Jervis Street Hospital where he stayed for six weeks.
“Within a week the yard was emptied,” he recalls. But with huge courage and determination they have survived.
In the years since then, Con has rejoiced in the successes of students like Bertram and Harry Allen and in the triumphs of his son and daughter Robbie and Elizabeth.
“I get a tremendous kick out of seeing them do well. We support them every way we can. I nearly cried when Elizabeth won an international class at Dublin Horse Show. That was sensational!”
Con has lost none of his legendary enthusiasm.
Racing’s loss was certainly Irish show jumping’s gain when the legend that is Con Power outgrew the sport of kings and joined the pantheon of Ireland’s greatest jumpers.
Instead of wins at Fairyhouse, Cheltenham or Aintree his glories came at shows like Dublin, Aachen or New York.
Having reached a height of 6ft 3in, Con perfected the “forward seat” as he forged a sparkling show jumping career during the 1970s and 1980s. It ended all too soon in 1988 when he was cut down by a loose runaway horse as he was instructing a young rider at a local event.
With huge courage and positivity, Con accepted the fact that he could never ride again and together with his wife Margaret they have maintained their yard at Derrypatrick in Co Meath.
The Power winning ways are now transferred to their top jockey son Robbie and their daughter Elizabeth, who is a successful international event rider.
“They are the fourth generation of Powers in the saddle,” Con said. “There is a picture of my grandfather winning at Enniscorthy show in 1929. My father rode winners in point–to–point.”
And this brings us back to the beginning when the Powers bought him a 13.2hh pony named Granard Boy at Ballsbridge Sales where it was being sold by Eddie Macken’s dad Jimmy. The young Wexford lad did not know Eddie at that time. But they met up when Con won with Granard Boy in the main arena at Ballsbridge.
Second nature
“People said when I was young that I was better than average. It just came by nature,” is Con’s way of explaining his confidence that he could be a winner. With racing a non–runner for him, the main pathway open to him was the Army Equitation School.
“Thank God I was accepted for a 12-month military training at the Curragh. But I told them if I didn’t get to the Equitation school I did not want to join the Army. Four went forward for a six-week trial at McKee Barracks and I was picked to stay on in 1973.”
With horses passed down by Ned Campion and Larry Kiely, Con soon proved that he was indeed “better than average”.
With one called Cluain Aodha he beat his lifelong pal Eddie Macken at a 1974 show in Kill.
“Eddie was just back from being second in the World Championship at Hickstead. That was just sensational at the time. He was the best in the world and while a great friend he was also the one you had to beat.”
Con’s first Aga Khan call–up was in 1976.
“I had the hugely difficult mare Mullacrew. She had a foul temperament, the more she kicked the worse she got. But she had huge ability,” Con declares.
But Power soon had a team of horses under him that truly matched his enormous talent in Coolronan, Castle Park and Rockbartan. He was, in fact, the only rider who rode a different horse on each of the three-in–a-row Aga Kahn wins of 1977,1978 and 1979.
The iconic image of that historic achievement is of an exuberant Con bringing the gold trophy on a triumphant lap of honour.
“The weight of it nearly broke my arm,” he recalls. “I offered it to the three other lads but they said ‘carry on! You’re doing grand.’ To me the RDS is to a show jumper what Croke Park is like to a GAA player. You had really made the grade when you won there.”
The Irish team who famously won the Aga Khan three years in row, (L-R) Paul Darragh (Heather Honey), Capt. Con Power (Coolronan), James Kernan (Condy) and Eddie Macken (Boomerang) \ RDS Archives
International success
From 1976 to 1979, Con Power had one of the most prolific periods in the history of Irish show jumping. He was leading rider at Dublin in 1976 and 1979. He took the same award at Ostend and at the three North American shows at Washington, New York and Toronto in 1978. He won five classes at Aachen in 1979, and was again leading rider.
“Of all the events in my show jumping career, that week in Aachen 1979 was number one,” he said.
Con then humorously recalls the prizes he won for these leading rider achievements.
“In Aachen they gave me a five-gallon brass-lined milk churn. At the end of the North American tour in Toronto 1978 I got a bright red wool coat that I never wore. I gave it to Ned Cash.”
During this time Con also won a Chrysler car at the televised Strokestown National Challenge of 1976. As an army rider he could not accept the prize. But the show organiser Ado Kenny got around the problem by giving the car as a wedding present to Con and his bride Margaret.
All of this points to a dilemma that faced Con and Margaret at this time. They had just bought a house in Meath and were soon to start their family. But according to the way prize money was divvied up in the army, the rewards for all of Con’s winnings were small.
So, in September 1979 he decided to retire from the military and go out on his own. Over the next nine years the Powers gradually made good on that brave decision. Con was Irish show jumper of the year from 1983 to 1986. He was The Irish Field award winner in 1885. But on top of that he and Margaret created a very busy training yard of race horses, hunters and show jumpers.
Cruel blow
But then in 1988 came disaster of the cruellest kind. Standing on the ground while teaching a riding student Con was cut down by the flying stirrup of a loose galloping horse and rushed to Jervis Street Hospital where he stayed for six weeks.
“Within a week the yard was emptied,” he recalls. But with huge courage and determination they have survived.
In the years since then, Con has rejoiced in the successes of students like Bertram and Harry Allen and in the triumphs of his son and daughter Robbie and Elizabeth.
“I get a tremendous kick out of seeing them do well. We support them every way we can. I nearly cried when Elizabeth won an international class at Dublin Horse Show. That was sensational!”
Con has lost none of his legendary enthusiasm.
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