We caught up with the very talented young Irish Showjumper Susan Fitzpatrick in October 2019, following a very successful year, culminating with a Super Finish in the Grand Prix in the Dublin Horse Show, with her home produced horse at the time, Fellow Castlefield. The following interview is what Susan had to say.
Were horses always in your family, and when did you first start to ride?
My parents both had an interest in horses. My Dad Joe always loved the racing side of things so he began breeding, while my mum Sharon competed as an amateur in showjumping.
I began riding when I was about 4 years old. Horses and ponies were always on our doorstep so it was inevitable.
We know you had a very successful career as a pony rider, when did you really get the bug for Showjumping?
I had an incredibly successful pony career including winning the 128’s Final in Dublin and picking up 4 European championship medals in 148’s. That taste of success, was definitely the main driving force for where I am today in the sport.
Who has been your greatest Inspiration and who did you train with through the years?
As much of a ‘cliché’ as it may be, my family are my inspiration. My parents have been the biggest supporters and mentors in my career. I’ve trained with Ger & Jim O’Neill, Marion & Miguel Bravo and my current trainer Denis Flannelly. I also received a helping hand from Cian O’Connor in the spring which was fantastic.
As a Pony Rider was there a Pony that you look back on and think, he/she was a Pony of a life time and what made them special?
Rock Dee Jay was without a doubt my pony of a lifetime. I was fortunate enough to get to ride him for 2 years from the O’Reilly Hyland family. I won 2 individual medals including a gold and 2 team medals with him. He was a really intelligent pony and gave me a huge amount of confidence, while also making me become a more accurate rider as he was not one you could take out of his comfort zone!
When did you first make the jump to horses and did you find the transition difficult?
I always had young horses while I was competing in ponies including Ard Ginger Pop, a horse my late brother Jonathan bought as a 3 year old and later sold. I was slowly introduced to horses, which was great as I feel that if I was rushed I may have lost my feet a little. Albeit, there were definitely still difficulties with the transition but more so mentally as it was tough coming from the highs of winning every weekend to the slow progression of young horses, which meant I became less competitive
Tell us a bit about Fellow Castlefield and that superb finish in the Dublin Horse Show Grand Prix?.
‘Billy’ ,as we call him, is a 9 year old now so he is still relatively young and inexperienced considering the level he is competing at. I’ve had him since he was 3 years old so he’s like part of the family to us. He’s an amazing horse with all the great attributes like scope, carefulness and blood but more importantly he has the biggest heart. Every time he enters the ring he tries his best to fight for me. To finish 4th in the 5* Grand Prix in Dublin on home soil has been completely overwhelming and a great start to our 5* career. There is nothing quite like the atmosphere in that main arena!
Do you have many horses at this level at the moment?
I have an older horse called Cavalino whom has jumped up to 1.60. He is just back competing after an injury he sustained last year, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the year with him. I also have a 7 year old called Keatingstown Gotha De Baudignies. I have great aspirations for her and I think she will be one for the future after being slowly produced. At home the stables and fields are full of 2, 3, 4 and 5 year old horses which we hope will be lucky for us in years to come.
Tell us a bit about the European Young Rider Championships this year?
The European Championships were held in Zuidwolde in the Netherlands this year. It was a lovely show with some great facilities so I hope I will return to compete there again with some other horses. Unfortunately our team of Mikey, Jason and Cian had no luck this year but we have our eyes set on next year.
What have been the Highs for you in your career in 2019 so far?
This year has, without a doubt, exceeded all my expectations. We won 2 nations cups in the space of 8 days back in May, after being placed 3rd in the 4* Grand Prix of Vejer. I then went on to place 3rd in the 4* Grand Prix in St.Tropez which led to my highlight of the year, a 4th place in the Prestigious 5* Grand Prix in Dublin!
How about your plans for the rest of season as we head toward Tokyo 2020?
The plan is to go to Gijon for the 5* nations cup at the end of the month and then to St. Tropez for a week or two. The horses will then get a break and we will begin to plan our show schedule for 2020.
Last question if you had one piece of advice to offer to a young equestrian starting out in Showjumping what would that be?
There are a lot of lows in this sport and it can sometimes become daunting and creep into our minds, that we are not capable or talented enough for bigger things. Keep working at it and trying to better yourself. When the going gets tough, the tough get going!
This Interview was originally published in the October 2019 Issue of Irish Sport Horse Magazine. All Pictures were provided courtesy of Susan Fitzpatrick and Keatingstown House Stud.