Equestrian hopes and dreams: Casey Webb
Event rider Casey has achieved her dream of riding for Ireland, but there are plenty more things she would like to achieve... Be sure to listen to the podcast!!
**A podcast accompanies this article!**
Northern Ireland has an incredible number of very talented young riders across the disciplines, with regular international performances in show jumping, dressage and eventing.
Horse&Field would like to feature some of these young people, give recognition to their achievements so far and find out more about their equestrian hopes and dreams for the future!
If you know of someone who should be featured, please email: horseandfield@gmail.com
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Casey Webb has been featuring in results of horse and pony competitions for many years, despite only being 27 years of age! Casey first came to my attention as a member of Iveagh Branch of the Pony Club; with the Branch’s huge membership, Casey was up against some very tough competition, but still managed to get a place on the Iveagh teams, attended championships in mainland UK and brought home ribbons, mainly in show jumping... It was clear that this young lady had serious potential!
More recently, Casey has been following an eventing path and has had numerous successes over the past few years. She has already fulfilled her ambition of competing at international level for Ireland and is hoping to continue to progress.
Over the past few months, Casey has featured strongly in Dressage Ireland Northern Region results. She has really been focusing on the dressage phase and, clearly, this is working very well so far!
I wanted to find out a bit more about Casey’s background, what she is doing at the moment and what hopes and dreams she still has to achieve…
Are you from a horsey background; do or did your parents ride/ have horses?
My dad always had a thoroughbred mare or two and bred foals, which he aimed for the Tattersalls sales. He was an avid follower of racing and that is where my love of horses came from.
At what age did you start to ride?
I went to the local riding school when I was five or six years old.
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What age were you when you got your first pony? Tell us a bit about him/ her.
I got my own pony when I was seven.
My first pony was a 12.2hh Grade B pony called ‘Limerick Misty’. She was 16 when I got her and was a chronic box walker and windsucker, but thankfully we were advised to ignore all these things that typically put people off, we couldn't have afforded such a good pony otherwise! She took me to Under 10 Championships, all Pony Club competitions and then also taught my brother how to ride. We were very lucky!
Who taught you to ride?
Once I had my own pony, Mary Mahon, a family friend taught me on my pony at home and helped me learn about how to look after her, prepare for shows and all that came with having a pony.
Did you do Lead Rein etc?
No, I started attending the unregistered jumping at Millbrook (Bessbrook) and Mossvale Equestrian Centre (Dromara).
When did you start to compete and in which discipline(s)?
I did some unregistered jumping before heading into SJI doing Under 10 classes. Alongside that, I participated in all Pony Club activities with the Iveaghs, including several trips to Pony Club Championships for Mounted Games.
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What is your educational background? At what stage did you leave school; did you go into further education?
I attended Sacred Heart Grammar School in Newry before going to Queen’s University Belfast. I have a first class honours degree in Actuarial Science and Risk Management. Not the regular route into being an event rider, but I'm not sure there is a regular route!
What attracted you to eventing?
I had been training with Steven and Trevor Smith, and I was offered the ride on an event pony ‘Phoenix Firefly’, so I began to event. It was by chance really, but it has worked out well!
What is your favourite event - within the Northern Region? Across the island? What makes these events special?
Tyrella on a beautiful day is one of my favourite events… Although, on a wet and windy day, there are fewer places that are colder! The national event at Clonmahon House in 2023 was absolutely world-class, hopefully we will see it on the schedules again soon.
Where have you competed internationally? What has been your favourite international event and why?
I have competed at International events here in Ireland and the UK. My favourite has been the Young Rider European Championships in Millstreet in 2017, as I dreamed of getting to wear the Irish Green Jacket and it was then I finally achieved it!
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Do you have your own horse(s) now? If so, tell us about him/ her and about your plans.
I have several horses that I compete for owners and for Smith Brothers Eventing.
I have based myself with Steven and Trevor as my focus is on high performance and having the facilities, training and expertise to do this.
I am always open to new possibilities in terms of equine talent. There is an opportunity to come on board with suitable horses and be involved up to senior team level... High level horse power is always welcome!
What horses are you working and competing at the moment?
I have a mixture of event horses, potential young horses and horses for schooling, so it is always busy!
What is your routine to prepare for an event - in the week before, night before and morning of?
We are always working on dressage, jumping, cross-country and fitness! It just depends on the horse what it needs the last few days before the event, whether this is extra cross-country, extra dressage or jumping. We tailor each horse’s workload to their specific strengths and weaknesses.
What's your best advice for walking a cross-country course?
Pay attention to where you are galloping between fences, where your gear changes are and things like what hand you should have your whip in. The correct approach and getaway from a fence can help both with smooth jumping and making the time allowed.
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You have really stepped up your dressage recently - what have you been doing to make such improvements?
Thank you! I think it’s a combination of things. I have had a lot of help over the last few years from Alan Dewhurst, who I really enjoyed training with and learnt a lot from, he has now moved to Scotland but we regularly stay in touch.
As I have learnt more and got more experience, I think I have really improved and fine tuned the way I train my young horses, who are now stepping up to compete, so the benefit of this knowledge is now starting to show.
Over the winter, I really wanted to consciously train and improve, so I began to train with Ruth Edge (British eventer and dressage rider), who has won Luhmuhlen 5*, as well as many other top eventing competitions and competed up to Grand Prix Dressage. She has been invaluable in improving my riding, my understanding of training the horses and how to ride test movements.
Furthermore, I joined Dressage Ireland and tried to get in the ring as much as possible. I have found the quickest way to learn is to get as much feedback as possible, so I have really tried to do that this winter.
Who inspires you in the eventing world - both locally and internationally?
I am obviously very inspired by Steven and Trevor, how they have competed at a high level and built a business. Clare Abbott is also local to me and is a world-class rider. I have real respect for how she managed to juggle her career as a teacher, while competing at some of the top events in the world.
In terms of international riders, two of my favourites are Piggy March and Ros Canter. They are brilliant riders in all three phases and manage to do so on a variety of horses.
Who has been the greatest help to you so far in your career - both family and externally?
My mum and dad have been hugely influential and are incredibly supportive of me. They are always there, whether it has been a good day or a bad day and I love being able to chat through my day with them and have them at the events to watch.
I have had a lot of people along the way, who have helped me up the ladder, whether this be by believing in me to ride their horse, introducing me to people or giving me excellent advice along the way.
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What are your ambitions in life - in eventing and beyond? Is there a particular event that you would like to compete at?
I would love to ultimately represent Ireland at Senior Championships and have a string of horses coming through that allows me to be a regular at that level. I also really enjoy pure show jumping and dressage, so depending on the horses I have, having ambitions and goals that suit them. I would really relish the challenge of riding at the top level in any of the disciplines!
I have always dreamed about competing at Aachen, so that is something I am working towards. The World Championships are there in 2026, so that is my aim!
Where do you see yourself in five years and in 10 years time?
Hopefully, successfully riding horses! I really value spending time with my family, so I hope I will be able to create a business and lifestyle that will allow me to develop a team of horses and enjoy time with my friends and family.
What would your advice be to young aspiring riders in terms of education - would you recommend continuing with their education, even though you have ended up riding full-time?
In terms of young people, I would say you need to really figure out how you are going to make a living from horses. It is a really tough way to go and a hard way to make a living, you absolutely do it for the dream.
It felt right for me to continue my education, so that I have the option to go back to that if I wish to, or if I have an accident or injury, I always have another option. I am academic, so it’s easy for me to say absolutely go into full-time education, but I think qualifications of some sort that would support riding would be very useful, such as BHS exams, a qualification such as equine physiotherapy or farriery. There are lots of ways to work with horses that aren't totally riding and competing!