CLARE’S MICHELLE KELLY has been crowned a National Show Jumping Champion.
In Mullingar at the weekend, Michelle and her horse Donatelloe Dreamer partook in the Connolly’s RED MILLS National Show Jumping Championships. They claimed top spot in the national RC70 championship and sixth in the accumulator class.
Now based outside Cranny, Michelle told The Clare Echo that the success was “a dream come true”. She said, “Having bought Dreamy as a two year old, I would say we now know each other inside out after all these years together. He is the kindest, most honest horse. I only started horse riding as an adult so the riding club was a great way to get out and compete every week”.
They travelled to Westmeath “hoping to hoping to have a good day out” but not expecting the success that followed. Michelle outlined, “Having won the Derby league and show jumping league in the west midlands with Dreamy I knew he was capable of doing it, he’s a great horse, but on the day you never know how things will go, there were large entries in each of the classes and the weather can often affect the going so to say I am beyond thrilled to bring home the silverware on the day doesn’t even begin to tell you how happy I am”.
Dreamy jumped clear in both rounds to qualify for the jump off, they were balloted last to go in this with another superb showing seeing them claim the national title. Michelle had another big win with Dreamy’s stable mate, Drumsey to bring the Frank Mangan Memorial Cup to West Clare.
Newmarket-on-Fergus native, Michelle said, “He’s the horse of a lifetime and never puts a hoof wrong. We do joke that he wasn’t going to be outdone by his stable mate Drumsey who also won big for me at the national AIRC riding club festival a couple of weeks ago, winning the supreme champion in the showing bringing home the Frank Mangan Memorial cup, but I have to credit my husband Derek for all the work he puts in to have both of the horses going so well.
“He always helps have the horses fit for each of the competitions we enter and on show days he is always there to give advice and support when needed. It’s definitely a team effort and winning the national title meant to world to me, it was literally a dream come true. He’s a fantastic genuine horse and I’m very lucky to have had so many amazing days out with him, a national title was the icing on the cake,” she concluded.
