Kacey-Lou Carberry, 12, jumps ditch and bank cleanly off the road on a competent coloured cob on loan from Master Stephen O’Connor’s family. / Catherine Power photo
Tuesday, December 2, 2021, was a gala day in Co. Meath, Ireland. Not only were the usual crack Ward Union jockeys out, but also in the field was a group of world-class showjumpers.
Shane Breen, Joint-Master of the Scarteen Black and Tans and a member of the Irish National Showjumping team, had arranged for a group of showjumpers to experience the mystique and magic of hunting in Ireland, in general, and with the Ward Union, in particular. Team Ireland was just back from Portugal, where they had emerged victorious in the Nations Cup finals the week before.
Family affair: (L-R) Trevor Breen, sister Rowena, and Shan, MFH, Scarteen, with their father John Breen / Catherine Power photo
Three of the four-member Nations Cup-winning Irish team were there to hunt the stag―Shane, his brother Trevor Breen, and Anthony Condon, a keen foxhunter from Wexford. The only missing member was Jack Ryan.
It was a stellar show-ring lineup with David Simpson, ‘Cas’ Cassidy, and Michael Duffy thrown in for good measure. It was also a Breen family outing with Shane, Trevor, sister Rowena who hunts with the Meath and Louth out with dad John filling the role of non-riding captain. Perhaps it was also Shane Breen’s Scarteen connection that had the two Scarteen veterans, the inimitable John Gleeson and his wingman Billy Halligan, box up from Limerick for the occasion.
Retired National Hunt jockey Paul Carberry, considered among Ireland’s leading jump race riders, whips-in. / Catherine Power photo
Having bivouacked at the Snailbox and Paul Carberry’s overnight, the lads had gathered an international showjumping group led by no less than Sweden’s Peder Fredrickson, current World Number One showjumper. As if all that wasn’t enough, the legendary Michael Whitaker was there as anchor-man.
From Sweden, the world’s leading showjumper and 4-time Olympic medalist Peder Frederickson tries the hunting field for the first time. Horse furnished by Shane Breen horse. / Catherine Power photo
Over his showjumping career, Peder has accumulated more medals than the whole Limerick hurling team put together. He has to his credit one Olympic team Gold from 2020 Tokyo and three Olympic silver medals, his first in team jumping at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, his second in individual jumping at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, and his third in Tokyo 2020.
Riding a horse of Shane’s at the Ward Union was Peder’s first venture jumping natural fences in the hunting field. Also making an appearance was a group of Swedish amateur showjumpers who had tagged along to see what Irish foxhunting was all about.
On our way from Limerick, the meet was changed at least twice, ending in Bardstown Industrial Estate just down the road from that most welcome sporting establishment, The Hatchet Inn. The estate is owned by hunt supporters Jimmy and Fiona Collins, who made it available at short notice. Fiona is a regular with the Wards, but was not out this day.
Time for socialising was all too short but we did manage to catch up with Robbie Power and his Dad Con, the gallant captain. Robbie was on crutches recovering from a fall that would probably have left a normal person in a wheelchair. Made of stern stuff, he hopes to be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks. Jack and Sarah Bannon, recently married, were out ready for the challenge of a day with the Wards. We were lucky to have a quick word with hunt chairman Ronan Griffin just before he got a leg-up.
(L-R) Huntsman Pat Coyle, Gerry Reynolds, MFH, Stephen O’Connor, MFH, and whipper-in Peter Reynolds before moving off. / Catherine Power photo
Even at a distance, it was obvious that huntsman Pat Coyle, now in his forty-second season, was raring to go. He did relent under pressure, however, to line up for a couple of photos. His horse, which he later described as “a machine, an absolute machine,” made a couple of determined efforts to buck him off. For all that, sufficient peace was restored, if only briefly, to have pics taken before huntsman and whippers-in set off at a pace that would not have been found wanting at a trotting match. The field struggled to stay on terms before turning off at the Hatchett, huntsman and hounds going on to draw Bill Brennan’s farm.
Two Ward Union Masters were out, Gerry Reynolds and Stephen O’Connor, the latter on a smartly coloured horse that can really do the business. Stephen, who when not hunting is chairman of the highly successful Underwriters Exchange, had drawn the short straw and is heading up the small expert group that is negotiating a new, *insurance* deal for hunting, point-to-pointing, and equestrian sport in general. We can but wish him a following wind and fair weather.
Because of the number of visiting show jumpers, there had been a certain amount of musical chairs with local horses. Kiva Cromwell was riding Rachel Carberry’s hunter Mossey which of late had been taken over by Paul and Rachel’s cracking young jockey Kacey-Lou, aged twelve. Help was at hand for Kacey-Lou, however, as Stephen O’Connor had sportingly made one of his family’s coloured cobs available, and what a cracker it turned out to be…and was of course ridden accordingly.
With half the field still on the road, hounds spoke, and if you needed a friend shortly thereafter, you had better have brought one with you. Michael Whitaker was one of the first to go foot hunting, as the field jumped out of Barry Geraghty’s farm into Noel Burke’s dairy farm. The banks and trenches of Meath are no respecter of famous horsemen and knew nothing of former Hickstead Derby-winners. It was fast and furious, with no road for miles crossing Tom Bailey’s extensive sheep farm before running for Batterstown Power station.
Here there was a brief and badly needed check before hounds swung left-handed back through Tom Toole’s farm renowned for the challenge of the jumping therein. However, the end was approaching as hounds lost the scent in Thomas Sheridan’s farm back near the Hatchett.
Keith Donoghue, two-time winner of the Cheltenham Cross Country Chase, in full flight on his lovely grey. Who needs stirrups? / Catherine Power photo
Far from country familiar to us, we’d been placed under the expert guidance of Patricia O’Donoghue, who was well represented in the field by three family members, her son Keith for one on a smart grey. Keith rode Tiger Roll to victory in the Cheltenham Cross Country Chase not just once but twice. His sister Jemma and young brother Ross were also out.
The day was almost over, but not quite. Peder Frederickson admitted to two falls but said he hugely enjoyed himself. Michael Whitaker was a little more reserved, but uncharacteristically for him wore a broad smile from ear to ear.
As hounds and field returned to the meet opposite the ever-more welcoming Hatchet Inn, Shane threw his eye on the horse Michael Whittaker had been riding. Changing horses, Shane cantered briskly around the filling station a couple of times, changed lead at least once and, obviously liking the feel of him, went back out on the road and popped back in over the wall. As he was going back out to the road for his encore, twelve-year-old Kacey-Lou, every inch of her a Carberry, joined in, and they jumped back in abreast. A clear round and no time penalties!
Multiple Olympic competitor and medalist for Ireland Michael Whitaker (61) and Kacey-Lou Carberry (12) are back at the meet after a brilliant day’s hunting. / Catherine Power photo
The Ward Union Staghounds was established in 1830 upon the amalgamation of the Dubber and the Hollywood packs. Hounds were kept by Mr. Peter Alley for hunting both the Fallow and red deer.
Kennels: Greenpark, Dunshaughlin
Chairman: Ronan Griffin
Masters: Stephen O’Connor, Gerry Reynolds, David Baker, Seamus Fitzpatrick
Hon Sec: Jill Carberry
P-to-P Sec: Sarah Maxwell
Treasurer: Francis Lally
Huntsman: Pat Coyle (1980)
Whipper’s-in: Paul Carberry, Ronan O’Dwyer
Posted February 14, 2022
This article, first published in The Irish Field, is republished here with permission.