FÁILTE STAKES:THERE WERE tears of joy from 23-year-old Paddy O'Donnell of Fenor, Co Waterford, on the opening day of the Dublin Horse Show when he claimed the Fáilte Stakes as last to jump from 41 starters.
“I only got the call for my first international five-star call-up last weekend to compete at Dublin and I was over the moon, ” said O’Donnell.
“To hear the national anthem being played and have a win on the opening day of the show was an amazing feeling. This is the happiest day of my life.”
O’Donnell had a word with chef d’equipe Robert Splaine before he jumped as last of a long start list. “Robert told me the competition was there for the winning, and I knew Harristown Princess could do it. She was placed in four world-ranking shows in Italy this year and jumped in Drammen and Ypaja in Finland and always there. To win in Dublin is the greatest day of my life.”
O’Donnell, who trained in his early days with Edward Doyle, was told by his Kildare mentor the night before to go and win the class on opening day.
“Both Edward and Robert knew I could do it. The irony was that when I was 18, I won a Golden Saddle bursary to train with Michael Whitaker and he was also in the competition with Gig Rockim to finish eighth.”
Last week O’Donnell recorded a fifth in the Tattersalls International Grand Prix with Harristown Princess, a true Irish mare by Clover Flush, owned and bred by Dunmore East farmer Thomas Power.
“Unfortunately Thomas couldn’t make it to the show because the class was so early, but I would like to thank him for retaining the mare for me. He could have sold her so many times and it has paid off to keep her for a win like this.”
O’Donnell’s parents Paddy and Gay O’Donnell managed to make it up from Waterford to cheer him on. The rider continues his onslaught at the Dublin show today in the Power and Speed.
Harristown Princess’s speedy round of 68 seconds over a Bob Ellis track was well ahead of runner-up Daniel Zetterman on board Spirit Magic from Sweden, clear in 71.69, and third-placed Cara Raether USA with Lyonell, clear in 72.02 while Claremorris-born, Cameron Hanley and Bordeaux VDL was fourth ahead of USA’s Laura Kraut on Tortola.