Spotlight On: Aileen O'Sullivan

Spotlight On: Aileen O’Sullivan

Area: Navan, Meath

This week we caught up with corinthian rider Aileen O’Sullivan, who explains how she balances working full-time with riding out and going point-to-pointing every weekend.

The Meath Native achieved the quite remarkable feat of being crowned joint-Ladies Champion in the same season that she recorded her initial career winner in.

That first success came courtesy of the Alison Murphy-trained An Tiora Dall at Rockfield in November 2015, and by the season's end, she had won a further five races to share the title with Liz Lalor and Sheila Ahern.

How did you get involved in point-to-pointing?

I’m not from a racing background myself I was brought up on a dairy farm. I went over to a friend’s house when I was younger, and I was brought on a pony riding lesson and I loved it and my love for horses just grew from there. I got a pony of my own and I started hunting and going to pony club, there was no stopping me.

When I was a teenager, I wanted to explore the option of riding racehorses, so I started riding out for a local trainer of mine Suzanne Cox when I was about 14 and she had point-to-pointers.

After I completed my junior cert, I decided to take a year out and go to RACE and I did my placement at RACE for John Oxx. After I finished the course at RACE I came home and started riding out for James Barrett in Eamon Deignan’s yard full-time and I was also doing half-breds in my spare time. I went back to school after a year and while I was in school, I continued to ride out at the weekends for James Halpin.

I finished school and I went to College in Maynooth to do the Equine Business Degree and during that time I Rode out part-time for Pat Downey.

What do you do outside of racing?

I work for AIB in the bank Monday to Friday 09:00 -17:00, I try and juggle working full-time with riding out, so I never really have a moment to spare.

Do you own your own horses?

I have four point-to-pointers in total. Duckphil, Deo Bellator, Drimsee Lad and Coach Road. I ride all four horses at the point-to-points myself.

Are your family involved in horses?

My father Denis is the handler of the horses I have at home, he is a great support to me he will generally let the horses out during the day for me and then at the weekends he also looks after them for me if I am not around, he is worth a fortune to me.

What does your typical week involve trying to manage both working and riding out?
 
I have two of my own point-to-pointers at home so during the week I will ride them out before I go to work. I generally ride them out in the dark with a flashlamp over my helmet, so I am lucky that they are both quiet horses and they don’t get spooked from the light!!

After I finish work, I go to the gym and when I get back from the gym I will go and feed the horses.

On a Saturday then I will either go and ride out for Gavin Cromwell or else I could head up to Antrim to my partner Neil (Gault) and ride out with him at Michael Miller’s yard.

On a Sunday then I will go racing where I usually have a ride.

How long have you held your amateur license for?

I have my amateur license seven years now. I remember my first ride was for Pat Downey at Farmaclaffley on a horse called Tipolino. 

He was a real dream to ride and we were going really well in the race, but I got hampered very badly by another horse jumping the third last. I lost my stirrups, so I came to a standstill trying to get them back and at that stage, the other horses had gone well clear of me.

I wanted to finish the race, so I decided to kick on, but the ground conditions were bad that day and when I came up the hill, the horses were walking up it, he started picking the other horses off and I ended up finishing third. I was delighted I couldn’t believe my luck, it’s a day I will never forget.

Have you ever thought about riding out full-time?

For me, point-to-pointing has always been about having fun. After I finished college and before I started working with AIB I did ride out for a year full-time, I thought about making a go of it then, but to be honest I just felt there weren’t enough opportunities there for me to make a career out of it.

I feel if I were to do it full-time then there would be an element of pressure on what I would be doing. The enjoyment would be taken out of what I love doing every weekend, so the plan is to keep riding my own horses and get outside rides from friends and continue having as much fun as I can.


What has been the highlight of your riding career so far?

The highlight for me by a mile would have to be when I won the Ladies Champion Title in 2015 with Liz Lalor and Shelia Ahern. I had been riding for two seasons and it wasn’t until that season I got my first winner and it all just took off after that. I had great support from Sean Gallagher, I was very lucky, it was something I never expected to happen and had to pinch myself because it didn’t feel real.

Do you have a favourite horse?

An Tiora Dall (pictured below) would have to be up there as one of my favourite horses. I rode my first winner on him for my friend Alison Murphy and we nicknamed him Cyril. He was a very special horse to me.



Can you tell me about a funny moment you have experienced at a point-to-point?

I was leading up Nevada Rose at Kirkistown last weekend and I was walking her around the parade ring beforehand and the bit actually fell out of her mouth and I didn’t even realize. Mark O’Hare had to come up to me and tell me to put the bit back in!

What might readers be surprised to know about you?

I do a bit of farming in my spare time. I have two pet calves called cheese and crackers, they are a year old now, and normally I would sell them at this stage, but I have become very attached to these two, so I will be hanging on to them.