PADRAIG McCARTHY didn’t expect to be competing at eventing’s biggest occasions next week but now can’t wait to have a crack at the biggest the sport has to offer.
McCarthy, from Co. Tipperary, will be at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials which start on Thursday, September 1.
McCarthy initially reigned in his career with horses to study a degree in business aged 26 before going on to complete a PhD in business and sociology at Waterford Institute of Technology.
Yet the 45-year-old never strayed too far from his true passion, and continued to buy and sell horses, before eventually getting back on the saddle and competing himself.
And now, with McCarthy about to embark on the biggest event of his career, he can’t wait to take it all in having taken a longer road than most to end up competing at what many regard to be the toughest challenge eventing has to offer in Stamford, Lincolnshire.
“Like everything in life, you start on one path and you end up somewhere completely different but I’ve always been a great believer in just starting and then just going with the flow,” said McCarthy, who runs his own stables at Warren Farm, Hatherleigh with wife Lucy.
“My eventing career has been largely similar – I didn’t ever envisage riding in championships.
“I try to do things as well as I can and put all my energy into it. I had a bit of the rub of the green, meeting the right horses at the right time can really catapult your career forward. For me, the timing is right.”
McCarthy only started to compete again after starting a family with wife Lucy, whom he met in a chance encounter.
Padraig McCarthy“She came over to Ireland looking for horses, looked at a couple of mine, and I got to know her over the couple of months where she came back looking,” said McCarthy.
“Eventually I found my way over to England. At the beginning I was more focused on buying and selling, Lucy always encouraged me to ride a little bit.
“Then as our relationship changed, we had kids, it was a natural step that I took over the horses and she stepped back a little bit.
“There’s a great team here at Warren Farm, with so many years of experience – that allowed me to kickstart my career and we’ve had a good time so far.”
McCarthy, who previously competed in equestrian jumping before a switch in 2013, heads for his Burghley debut with 11-year-old Noble Call after first establishing himself in eventing on Mr Chunky.
McCarthy and Mr Chunky competed at Badminton, another 5 star event, in 2019 but never made it to the hallowed turf of Burghley and now the Irishman is looking forward to taking in the biggest stage of all.
“Sadly, Mr Chunky had to retire from the sport before I had a chance to ride at Burghley,” added McCarthy. “The horse that I’m riding this time, it’s the first time I’ve had him ready to go. I bought him three-and-a-half, four years ago with the intention of getting to Burghley.
“When I rode him I thought this could be a horse for Burghley. It’s a very big thing for me, and for all riders, to get to Burghley. We all see it as the very, very top of our sport.”
Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (September 1-4, 2022) returns after a two-year hiatus. For more information visit www.burghley-horse.co.uk
