During the 1970s, the Irish equestrian world bore witness to one of the most outstanding sport horses in the showjumping and eventing arena. He performed with great passion and evident pride as he swept the hearts and minds of thousands, shown through a combination of beauty and outstanding agility. With his unwavering talents, this horse carried his rider with an energy that matched his charisma with great authenticity, naming them a crowd favorite. This unstoppable team was led by none other than Irish Showjumper Eddie Macken as he rode atop the tremendous and powerful Irish Sport Horse famously named Boomerang.
Early Years.
A man named Jimmy Murphy of Maifeild, County Tipperary was the very reason why the tremendous young bay Irish Sport Horse got his time around the winner’s circle. With the help of his racehorse-owning wife, Mai, Murphy took a liking to breeding Thoroughbreds, but by the late 1960s, they would have an Irish Sport Horse champion within their barn. The Murphy’s bred their Irish Draught mare named Girl From The Brown Mountain to the stallion Battleburn, who at the time was owned by a John Shine from Meelin.
After the colt was born in 1966, Jimmy and his wife quickly became attached to the youngster as they began his training program. Right off the bat, the couple could see the great potential that this little horse had packed into his stout yet lanky body. Originally gifted a name that reflected both of his parent’s lineages’, the young bay was formally known as Battle Boy, but as time would pass, so would this name.
Boomerang’s Training Begins
In an attempt to prepare him for his obvious career path, the Murphy’s had the bay training with the Kilmoganny Harriers. During this time, Battle Boy spent much of his debuts shows in novice classes on the Tipperary/Kilkenny/Waterford gymkhana circuit. After the course, the ever-growing Irish Sport Horse was sent to Dublin to Iris Kellett, the 1969 European showjumping champion, for a finishing school of sorts. It was here that Battle Boy would meet his perfect team partner, who would propel the team closer to a winning title. Eddie Macken worked for Iris as her pupil before Iris and Eddie knew they had found an inseparable match.
The team made their first debut at the RDS Dublin Spring Show in 1970, with Battle Boy being only four years of age. Unfortunately for the power team, shortly after their opening shows, the two were split up as Battle Boy was sold to a new home in Warwickshire, England. A couple by the names of Ted and Liz Edgar came into possession of this fresh young jumper, who gave Liz a considerable boost as an equestrian. As more and more wins accumulated under the now six-year-old’s belt, his impressive reputation had begun to spread. As word caught around neighboring communities, Battle Boy was then sold to Paul Schockemohle in Mulen, Germany.
A New Name & A Winning Team
After spending some time with his new owner Paul, the horse was quickly renamed Boomerang, which caught like wildfire. Soon the name Boomerang would be the main reason for visitor stands to be pumping with energy and excitement. As the rising Irish Sport Horse earned more and more public recognition, his old friend Eddie Macken was searching for a new equestrian path. No longer training with Iris, Maken found himself a new equine owner to ride for, unknowing precisely who and what horses they had in mind for him. Maken had come to work for the Schockemohle brothers during 1975 and was provided horses by a Dr. Herbert Schnapka.
Initially, the talented equestrian was matched with an equine athlete named Easter Parade, who did quite well for him while the time allowed. But after a spring show at Hickstead in 1975, Easter Parade had unfortunately been involved in a freak accident, resulting in a broken back, leaving Macken horse-less at the height of the season. Growing content with Macken’s work, Paul Schockemohle decided to give him his best and fastest horse; who just so happened to be Boomerang! Initially, the replacement horse was merely a transition horse until Macken could find something more suitable for his class level. But within weeks, it was clear to see that no better match could ever be made. So finally, the two had been reunited and even sooner would they take the showjumping world by storm.
Boomerang & Macken Take on the World.
Over the next four years, the Macken-Boomerang team was set to win a record-breaking 32 major Grand Prix’s or Derby events spread across Europe and the United States. As the heads of the Irish equine community turned, Boomerang had taken Macken to the top of the World Computer ratings, and by 1978, the team had won over 250,000 pounds in winnings. If it wasn’t enough to be a record-breaking jumper, the team also set the record for highest money earned that year.
As the rest of the world was truly inspired by this incredible team, their triumphant story of finding one another touched the hearts of many, including Boomerang’s very owner. In 1977, the proud yet humble owner of the famous Irish Horse, Dr. Schnapka, decided to gift the horse to his best rider, Eddie Macken. Together, at last, the team would be as the world awaited their triumphant return to the show arena.
Below check out a wonderful YouTube Video showing Boomerang and Eddie Macken in Action. This Video is from the YouTube Channel Mark R. Cuthbert.
A Missed World Championship Title.
Boomerang and Macken returned to the stage in 1978 at the World Championships held in Aachen. Whether it be pride or excitement, Macken had found himself overflowing with it, costing him and his horse The World Championship title. Knowing his horse was the best of the best, Macken was determined to avenge a close defeat at Hickstead some years prior. While the odds were looking to be in Macken’s favor, the tables turned when he was tasked with riding each of his competitor’s horses in a sort of jump-off. On a horse named Pandur Z, it was said that Macken had made a grave jumping miscalculation, costing him a lengthy fault added to his end-time and ultimately costing his team the championship. It is still rumored to this day that Macken carries a chip on his shoulder from the disappointment of that day, blaming himself for letting down his dear friend Boomerang. Macken claims that there was no fault from his horse, just his own human error.
Even Winners Have Disappointments.
In the coming years, the team would be hit with yet two more disappointing roadblocks. To begin, although the team was overly qualified for the Olympic equestrian games, it was said that due to Macken’s professional status and holding of a sponsorship, they were not allowed to enter. This defeat was brutal on the team and the world of equestrian games, as the team was barred from showcasing their evolutionary habits. But even after this unfortunate occurrence, the team’s drive to win never wavered, even in the presence of unfavourable judges. During the 1979 European Championships, Boomerang and Macken had all but won the gold until one of the judges made a decision that would haunt Macken for the rest of his life. After having cleared all of the fences with no faults and having watched the other teams place silver and bronze-status runs, it was decided by a particularly stubborn judge that Boomerang did indeed hit tape on a water jump. This last-minute and seemingly unnecessary decision cost the Championship team, putting them in fourth place and stripping them of their winning streak.
Winners Focus on Winning.
Despite their dance with unfortunate events, the team continued to persevere. In years after, the team took the du Maurier Classic Grand Prix in Calgary, the Horse of the Year Grand Prix at Wembley, and then took second at the Dublin Indoor International. Before the season-ending, Boomerang took fourth at the Grand Prix at Olympia. With so much passion and drive left, the team went on to win and conquer many Derby’s and Grand Prix’s up until the year 1979, earning Boomerang a trophy case that quickly became overcrowded.
Boomerang’s Retirement & His Fascination with the Number 4.
After a life dedicated to winning, Boomerang resided in peaceful and green retirement, up until the early 1980s when an old injury to his pedal bone deteriorated. Having spent three blissful years enjoying the green hills of Ireland’s countryside with a full belly and proud repertoire, the great Boomerang made his final lap around the winner’s circle and was put to sleep. To this day he is buried at Rafeehan Stud, Kells, County Meath with a grave beautifully surrounded by four evergreen trees to symbolize his four incredible Hickstead Derby wins, his four Wembley Championships, his four cleared rounds at the 1978 World Championships and his four consecutive years of cleared fences at the Aga Khan Trophy. It seems this horse really liked the number four!
While Boomerang may no longer be with us, his impressive yet humble memory will live on forever within the hearts of those he inspired. With his fascination for the number four and his trusted partner, this was a team that never understood the term “disappointment”.