Greatest dream is to breed an Olympian

CELEBRITY FANS: RONAN TYNAN, Tenor, 47, Show Jumping

Did you grow up around horses?

Yes. I’m a farmer’s son and we had horses. My great-grandfather had horses; my grandfather had them. We used to keep point-to-pointers and hunters, so I kind of grew up with them in the yard.

What age did you start horse riding?

I’d say I was about seven.

You had both legs amputated following an accident when you were 20. How did that affect your riding?

It didn’t really. It slowed me a little bit. I just went back and started riding. I didn’t do any point-to-points after that.

When did you get into show jumping?

I always show jumped as a young fella; I went up through the grades but I was no Eddie Macken, but in my own calibre I was all right.

What level did you reach?

I competed internationally. I was on the amateur team that went to Anaheim in Germany in 1996. I came third in the grand prix so I thought I was a hero altogether.

What is your interest now in the sport?

I have a team of horses. There’s about eight who are riding. For the last couple of years we’ve been up in the top three in the country. My rider, Tholm Keane, has been second in the national championship three times.

Do you ride on them?

Very quietly and discretely (laughs). It’s kind of a given with my agents that I would stay on terra firma rather than fly the heights.

What is the attraction with show jumping?

The amazement is the skill involved both of horse and rider. You look at how much athleticism horses have to have to compete. For me, the attraction is that one day in my life I want to breed an Olympian. That would be my greatest dream.

How close are you to realising it?

I have a very good top horse at the moment, who’s called Warrenstown U2, but one thing you’ve got to understand about show jumping is you can be absolutely dogged – dogged desperately – by injuries. Last year, Warrenstown U2 walked on himself and knocked himself out for the season. He got a trachium cellulitis right up the back of his leg and had to be let off. You’ve these things to contend with and you have to accept them.

What’s the biggest hurdle, if you’ll excuse the pun, in running a show jumping outfit?

There’s quite a cost involved and trying to keep a horse sound is very important.

What can go wrong with horses?

You’d see horses miss a stride and land into a fence. Horses might over-work themselves and end up with ligament strains or tendon problems. There’s an amount of injuries that can occur – and simple things, simple things. A horse slipping up can maybe do a suspensory ligament. There are so many injuries; there are a lot of back injuries. Hey, a horse . . . it’s not unlike a good human.

Is there psychology involved? Can you train horses to be better than others?

It’s very hard to say. I’m a firm believer that the mother of the horse has to have competed herself or to have an ability to show that she can use herself. That’s very important in a show jumper’s life. In the thoroughbred world, if you look at pedigree, they do breed a good youngster. You’re better off breeding from a line that is proven.

Do you have any show jumping heroes?

There have been several show jumpers over the years that have been extraordinary. You have to look at the likes of Eddie Macken, Paul Darragh and Ned Campion. Con Power was a man I thought was fantastic because he was a natural horseman and a born winner. Any time he went out, he went out to win.

What are the elements that make a good horseman?

A good horseman is one who has an innate understanding of a horse, that will understand the mentality of the horse, work within the horse’s limits and work on the athleticism of the horse, know the horse’s mind, and know what works with the horse and what doesn’t.

When they’re competing in horse shows are they full of adrenaline or tranquil?

In terms of competition, riders have to be the epitome of calmness. They have to be able to read strides, know when they’re exactly on, know what his horse’s limitations are as well as his abilities, whether to ask a horse to go deep or to stand off, where they can take bends. They must be a very good analyst when it comes to reading a show jumping course, particularly when it is the jump off.

What is irritating about the sport?

Your successes . . . they’re not frequent.

In conversation with Richard Fitzpatrick