Equestrian Inspirations: Victoria Clarke Mullen
Vicky was pony mad from a young age and her very dedicated parents helped her to pursue her passion and she now rides horses, very successfully for a living!
**A podcast accompanies this article!**
This country has been blessed with a huge amount of equestrian talent, not only in the form of the equines themselves, but also the people who handle and ride them. Horse&Field would like to feature some of these people, across all the disciplines, and give recognition to their achievements. If you know of someone who should be featured, please email: horseandfield@gmail.com
In the 11th Straight from the Horse's Mouth podcast on Horse and Field, I had a great chat with Victoria Clarke Mullen.
For many years, I have been putting Victoria Clarke's name in the results. For show jumping, eventing, working hunter, you name it.
She is one of those multi-talented riders who has a real knack of getting the best from the horses she rides. Victoria is from Cloughey on the Ards Peninsula and she is now married. Her new surname is Mullen, although to avoid confusion, she sometimes uses Clarke Mullen, just so you know who we're speaking to.
I was really intrigued to find out more about how and when her riding career began and at what point she decided to make horses her full-time career.
Hello Vicky, how are you tonight? Thank you very much for joining me.
I'm great, thanks. How are you?
I'm not so bad, thank you. All the better for speaking to you and I'm looking forward to our wee conversation.
Great, yeah, me too. Can't wait.
So I'll get stuck straight in with some questions, if that's okay.
Yep, work away, hit me with them.
Brilliant. So first of all, are you from a horsey background? Do or did your parents ride or have horses?
Well, they didn't have horses growing up. Dad used to go up and help out in a little riding school in Newtownards on the summer holidays and everything. And mum always wanted a horse, but where they lived, she could never have a horse. So she saved up all her first pay cheques and bought her first horse called ‘Harvey’ and that's where it all started.
Oh, brilliant. What age was she when she did that?
Oh, I don't even know what age she would have been. It was probably whenever she moved out of home, probably 26, 27.
Oh, I didn't know that about your mum. There you go.
Yeah, so they weren't horsey all their lives, but as soon as they flew the nest as such, they both got their first horse. Mum got her horse first and then dad quickly followed suit.
Oh, brilliant. So they both rode then?
Yeah, they did. Dad used to compete a wee bit at all the local stuff around here. He would have jumped and I think he would have been a bit like me and probably would have done anything at a stage.
Oh, class.
Yeah. Mum then, after ‘Harvey’, got a little cob called ‘Chelsea’ and she did a lot of showing and stuff around all the local shows.
Oh, good for her.
Yeah.
So you couldn't help but have a horsey interest then?
No… no, I couldn't. I probably was on the horses before I could walk.
Well, that was going to be my next question. What age were you when you started to ride?
Well, I was three whenever I got my first little pony called ‘Black Molly’. She was about 10 hands tall. And she was all black bar her face. And her face was just completely grey. She was like a wee old lady. And we think ‘Black Molly’ was going to the knacker’s yard. And I can't remember, obviously, where we were at, but whatever yard it was that we were in, she was on the back of the lorry or in a stable or something. And mum and dad found me underneath her, with a hoof pick at three years of age trying to pick out her feet.
Oh, how sweet.
Yeah, so that's kind of where it all started. But ‘Black Molly’ didn't like men, so it was only mum who could catch her. And obviously me, being so small, couldn't go and catch her in the field or whatever on my own. So mum had to run around everywhere after me with ‘Black Molly’. And when she would have been leading me around, I'd have just kept telling her, ‘mummy, I want to jump, I want to jump’.
Yeah.
And she'd have had to lead me around over wee poles on the ground that ‘Black Molly’ could just step over.
Oh dear, she made her rod for her own back, didn't she?
Oh, she completely did, because she's still running around in front of me with young horses and leading me around the yard and up and down the lanes on foot now.
Oh, great. And who taught you how to ride then?
Whenever I got a little bit bigger, I went to a little riding school that they used to have at the other end of Cloughey down here where we live, called Ardminnan. And I started to learn to ride there and then went to Belvedere, which was owned by Sharon Hayes and Noel Hayes at the time, and I did a wee bit there too.
Right, very good. And did you do lead rein and things then? Or what was your route into ponies and competing?
I can't really remember much about competing as a small child. Now, we went to all the local shows and I think we probably did a lot of the lead rein classes and I can remember doing lots and lots of the clear round jumping. Ards Riding Club used to have Wednesday night jumping on, and we were there religiously every Wednesday night with the ponies, jumping away.
Brilliant.
And then Peninsula in Greyabbey, they used to have a Monday night league. So we used to go jumping on a Monday night to Peninsula. And then, on a Wednesday night, to the Ards Riding Club one and then away again on a Saturday.
Oh my goodness and what age would you have been then?
Oh flip, I could have been seven, eight, nine, ten…
Oh excellent that would have been my dream childhood!
Yeah it was, I was pony on the brain, I can remember as a small child at primary school… I couldn't get any work done, because I was always looking out the window, thinking about how I could be riding my pony around on the football pitch.
Oh, how sweet.
Yeah.
Were you in the pony club or a riding club or anything?
I was, I went to North Down Pony Club for a while. But when I was there, they were mainly focused on games. And at that stage, I was nine and had a 13.2hh pony. The games were quite difficult for me, because I really couldn't vault onto a pony. And to this day, if you ask me to vault onto a 12.2hh pony, I probably still couldn't do it. But yeah, I did do a wee bit with the pony club and stuff.
Right. And were you ever in the riding club?
I can never remember being part of any of the riding clubs, though we did go every Wednesday night to the riding club jumping.
I was going to say, aside from supporting the Ards competitions.
No.
And when did you start to seriously compete then? Did it just move on from those Monday and Wednesday nights?
Yeah, so then, when I got my 13.2hh pony that I couldn't vault onto... We started to go to all the show jumping shows.
We then registered with SJI and we went everywhere from I was probably about 10 or 11.
Very good.
And that pony finished up grade A and was sold then to Denmark.
Oh my goodness!
So he was, yeah. And he continued jumping there for years.
Excellent.
Yeah, so a little pony that I couldn't vault onto and I could barely hold him. He used to take off around the courses of fences whenever we were at those things.
He ended up grade A, jumping all the big tracks and was pretty consistently placed.
Wow. That's brilliant!
It was a lot of fun.
I'm sure. Sounds like it. And then, what's your educational background, Vicky? At what stage did you leave school or did you go into further education at all?
Apart from ponies and horses?!
So I went to Kircubbin Primary School and then, from there, I went to Glastry College, which I loved, because it was such a wee country town homely feeling school and, from there, I could have gone to tech or could have gone somewhere else when I finished my GCSEs, but I stayed on at Glastry and the only reason I stayed on was because it was so close to home and I could literally get off the bus at the end of my driveway at four o'clock and get stuck straight into my ponies. When I learned to drive, I was home as quickly as I could and was out on the horses.
Oh, that's great. Yeah, there's a lot to be said about living near to where you're being educated!
And then I didn't go to university, because I was just horse on the brain. Whenever I was doing my A levels and everybody was applying to go to university and doing all the UCAS forms and everything, the teachers would have said to me Victoria, come on now, you have to do these UCAS things. You've got to fill in all these forms. And one day I just got sick of it and turned around to one of the teachers and said ‘I don't need to do this, I'm going to ride horses whenever I leave school’. And I can remember to this day, the teacher turning around to me and saying, ‘Victoria, you can't do that for a living, you've got to do it. You've got to do these UCAS forms’. And I said, ‘no, I don't, I'm going to ride horses whenever I leave school’.
Oh, good for you.
And sure, look at me now. That's exactly what I'm doing.
Brilliant. Oh, that's great. And so at what point did you decide then that you wanted to work with horses? Did something just click with you at the end of that school time that, no, you didn't want to go down the educational route or did you always have it in you?
I think it was always just in me. I think even whenever I was in fifth year and going on to do my A-levels, the only reason I went back to do the A-levels was because mum told me that if anything ever happened to you, when you're riding horses, at least you have your A-levels that you can fall back on.
Yeah.
And that's the only way that she got me back to do the A-levels.
Yeah, that's probably good advice.
Yeah.
And then, whenever you got your A-levels and you were then starting to work with horses, can you tell us a wee bit about that? Because there may be listeners or readers, if they're looking at the article, who wish to follow a similar path.
Yeah, well, when I was at school, I was riding different bits and pieces of horses and ponies for classes for owners, but the summer that I finished school around about the August time, I was supposed to be going away to a yard to work and the whole thing fell through.
Howard Whelan was in the yard and I was telling him the whole story and how it fell through and everything and he asked me ‘what are you doing tomorrow?’ I said nothing, just doing the horses at home here and he said ‘I'll tell you what, come up and speak to Siobhan and we're maybe looking somebody to come and help us with the thoroughbreds’.
So that was me, the next morning, I was up straight away and off up the road in the car and I was there every day for about 10 years and I'm still going up the odd time.
Oh my goodness!
Yeah, it actually could be longer than 10 years and then I'm still going up there and riding the odd horse here and there as well, so yeah. It's lasted a long time!
And then presumably other other people started to ask you as well…
Yeah. So I did that for a long time and then I decided when I was 23 that I wanted to go away to America to work with horses over there, so I did. I went on a holiday visa and I came back after the three months - I loved the experience, but it just wasn't for me.
Yeah.
So when I came back then, we started to build a bit of a yard and stuff at home here and I started to get more horses at home and I had a few freelance horses to do. And then about six, seven years ago, I got a phone call from Richard Iggulden and I've been going up and down to his place ever since then, too.
Brilliant.
Riding his show horses and the working hunter horses.
Excellent. Because, yes, I was going to ask you about that as well, because obviously, you started off show jumping…
Yeah, I started off show jumping and then did a bit of eventing and I’m doing a bit of the showing and working hunter now too. So a jack of all trades, really.
Yes and you've had great success in all of them, Vicky.
Yeah, well, you get out of it what you put into it. And there's a lot of hard work and a lot of blood, sweat and tears that goes into it. But the results speak for themselves.
Yes. So how did you move from show jumping into eventing then? What made you make that leap?
Well, at that stage, my sister was eventing and mum and dad were going left, right and centre. One was going with me to show jumping shows and one was going with my sister to events.
Right…
And I just refused to go eventing. Point blank, just wouldn't go. I was a show jumper through and through and nobody was going to make me change my mind. So Hollie O'Flynn, as she was then, now Hollie Woods, said to me ‘right, I tell you what, if you come eventing, I'll come show jumping’.
Right…
We made the deal and off I went.
Oh, brilliant.
So, yeah, that's where it all started with the eventing and it all just took off from there. Obviously, my horses were all jumping horses, so I was back and forward as many times as I could over to Kircubbin to Hollie's place, to school for cross-country.
Oh, brilliant. I was just going to ask, do you remember what your first event was? Where was it?
Yes, I do. It was an Ards Riding Club event at Kircubbin.
Oh, brilliant.
I didn't have the foggiest clue what I was doing. I didn't have gloves for dressage. I thought I had a dressage test learned and learned inside out. Turns out that three loop serpentines are much bigger than the serpentines that I was doing…!
Oh dear.
I arrived up (for dressage) in a bubble bit. I hadn't got the foggiest clue what I was doing. But, with the right people around me and keeping me right, that's where we all kicked off.
Oh, brilliant. Oh, that's super.
Yeah.
So are you riding any of your own horses at the minute or is it just horses for other people?
I have two of my own horses at the minute. So I have a horse there, my older horse, Carrickview Flamenco. He's 13 now. He started off his career as an eventer and then he got an injury and I completely forgot about him for a couple of years, and brought him back in then and now he is show jumping full-time and he's ready to step up now and jump a few of the Grands Prix and stuff, a few of the 1.35m Grands Prix.
Oh, fantastic.
And I went last year and bought a three-year-old from Goresbridge.
Very good.
He's Greenhall Overtake. And my aim for him is to go for the Young Event Horse Qualifiers next year.
Oh, super.
Yeah, as I say, there's a lot of work and a lot of time that goes into it, but it's all worth it.
And then do you take horses into your yard to produce for other people or is it just that you're going and riding the horses in the other people's premises or what way does that work?
Yeah, I have the yard here as well, where I have… how many do I have at the minute…? I think there are nine here at the minute and I go up to Richard's in the mornings and do his horses in the mornings and then come down the road. Sometimes I get lunch, sometimes I don't and I start into my own horses down here.
Oh my goodness.
So I have a few here to break and get going. There are a couple of Thoroughbreds. They'll go into training hopefully in the next few months.
Very good.
And then all my own horses and the horses that I'm competing.
And then, with the various horses that you're riding, do the owners decide which path the horse is going to go down? Or do you have an input into that - whether you're going to try eventing or show jumping or showing and working hunter, or does it just depend on the stage in the horse's career?
Yeah, well, I like to start them all off and go and do a few wee worker shows and a few wee jumping shows, you know, take them cross-country schooling and really see which is the best route suited to them.
Yeah.
Because, you know, every horse has a job. You just need to find out what its job is first.
Yes, very true. Horses for courses, as the saying goes.
Exactly. Yeah, that's it.
And then in terms of eventing, what would you say was your favourite event within the Northern Region?
Oh, my favourite event would have to be Loughanmore. I love Loughanmore. It's like a little mini Badminton, with the lovely big house and the courses are always really, really good and really nice tracks to jump around. Plenty of questions asked and they're at that stage in the year that they've got to be full-up technical tracks. And that's what I love to do to get round.
And will you be taking anything to Loughanmore this year?
Yeah, I will. There are two or three I might take to Loughanmore.
Oh, very good.
Depending on how everything goes, but yeah.
Oh, well, fingers crossed. I'll be looking out for your name then.
Hopefully we're in the placings.
Well, fingers crossed. I wish you all the best for that. And then what about across the island? Are there any other events in the south that you particularly enjoy?
Yeah. Obviously we don't have it any more, but Tattersalls, the international down there was fantastic. We used to have something to go to there every year.
Yeah.
And then there was Camphire and again, we don't have it any more, but it was a really fun event to go to. And I suppose we've got Millstreet now, so I'll aim maybe one for Millstreet next year.
Very good.
Yeah.
It's always good to have something to aspire to.
Yeah, it's having a plan and having something to aim for.
Yeah, that means a whole lot.
It does. You have a goal to hit at the end of it and you're always working towards it.
Yeah, it kind of inspires you to keep going, doesn't it, whenever you're aiming for something?
It does, yeah, definitely.
Especially if that goes well then and then you can aim for the next thing.
Exactly, that's it.
And in terms of showing then, what's your favourite show to compete at in the north, first of all?
I have to say probably Balmoral. It's the first big show of the year and you get to see everybody that you haven't maybe seen all over the winter months and we're getting to show off all the work that we've put into the horses over the winter and hopefully reap the rewards of the winter months, come Balmoral.
That's interesting that you feel there's such a social element to it, meeting up with everybody.
That's it. And you see faces that you haven't seen in a very, very long time. It's probably one of the nicest shows. Everybody's friendly. Everybody's just so glad to be there and glad to get out.
Yes, because it can be a long winter.
Yeah, and these past few winters have been extremely long.
Yeah, I know. Mind you, Balmoral is very early in the season and I'm always in awe of how fabulous all the show horses look, in terms of their coat and their state of preparation for being the first big show in the season, especially the younger horses. How do people like you, Vicky, take horses out to a show like Balmoral with the atmosphere and the crowds and the umbrellas and the prams and everything else? And the horses just behave impeccably. I just don't understand how you manage that. Please explain!
Well, it's like this. The work in those long, hard winter months, it may be extremely hard work, but that's where it all comes to pay off.
Yeah, it is just incredible.
Yeah, and it's going to all the small shows and taking them all schooling over the winter months.
Yes.
And just having them ready and having them prepared for the big day.
Yeah. And what about across the island then? Are there any other shows that you particularly like?
Well, Tattersalls July Show. I love Tattersalls. It's just the atmosphere and the classes that they have and it's almost a little warm up for Dublin, you see a lot of the horses that will be out at Dublin, out at Tattersalls and everything about Tattersalls is just so well set up and so well organised and run. It makes it so much nicer just to be there and to compete at that show. The last few years, the weather at it has been a bit rotten and this year we couldn't have got better weather and it just made the whole show so much better, it was just so pleasant.
Yes, I was going to say, I believe you were there last weekend. How did you get on?
Yeah, we had a good weekend. We had our own four-year-old there and another couple of horses. The ‘Flamenco’ horse, he was there too. He was show jumping. He was sixth in the 1.20m and we had a pole down in the 1.30m.
Very good.
And then the ‘Greenhall Overtake’ horse, he had a pole down in the working hunter and the novice working hunter. And I had another horse who was seventh in the novice workers. And they’re always technical tracks, especially the workers’ tracks. You know, they take a lot of jumping.
And you'd be up against some tough competition down there as well.
Yeah, you know there are always nice horses that come out to those shows and again, you're a little bit further down the country, it's not just the same people who you would be competing against around home. You're getting more competition down there or different competition down there, maybe I should say. So I think that's probably one of the main reasons why we love going down there, it's a bit different, you're a bit further down and the courses that they set out, especially the workers as I say, they're just lovely technical tracks, they ask plenty of questions and again it's a nice warm-up for a lot of people before Dublin.
Yeah, very good. And have you competed much on the mainland?
We've been across a couple of times, yeah. So we've been to the Highland a few times and we qualified a horse for HOYS a few years ago.
Very good.
So we went down to HOYS as well.
Oh, and what was that like as an experience?
Yeah, it was an experience! A lovely, lovely big ring to go into and just being in there in that stadium kind of environment, which is so much different to what we're used to here, you know, we don't have shows that are inside a great big stadium with lots and lots of people watching you, it's just completely different experience for the horses and for us.
Yes, I would say so. Yeah it would be a good recipe for getting star struck I think.
Yeah, yeah. Lots of big names and people that we wouldn't see here very much, but yeah, it was definitely a lovely experience to get there.
Oh, that's brilliant. It's brilliant to have ticked that off the bucket list.
It is.
And I mean, with any of those, what factor would you say makes those shows and events special? Is there one thing that you can put your finger on that just makes the difference?
I think seeing the results at those bigger shows and all the hard work that goes into preparing the horses for it and seeing the results pay off. Yeah, that's definitely, definitely a big one for us.
Very good. And have you competed internationally?
Yeah, so mainly at eventing. So we've done Tattersalls, Camphire, Millstreet, Ballindenisk. I don't think you can pick one as a favourite that stands out, because they're all such different venues and different courses.
Yeah.
For the social side, I would have probably said Tattersalls, you know, they put a lot on and try to get a lot of people from outside in to watch. So you have lots and lots of spectators there. So I think probably that was the one that stood out the most.
Yeah. Brilliant. Oh, it's such a shame that that event's not running anymore.
Yeah, it's greatly missed.
I would say so. It was, as you've already said, so well run. It had such great facilities and everything down there too.
Yeah, the atmosphere at Tattersalls was always just something else, it was fantastic.
Maybe we should start a petition and see if we can bring it back.
Bring back Tatts!
Yeah! #bringbacktatts.
I would be well up for that one.
I think there would be a whole list of people who'd be up for that one.
Yeah, I think we might win our petition.
Yeah, I suppose it's just getting the finances in place. That's probably what one of the issues was.
I think that was the big one.
Yeah, unfortunately. So in total, how many horses are you working or competing at the moment?
I couldn't even start to think of how many that I'm working. Competing, I have about eight horses.
That's plenty.
Yeah. And then on top of that, we have, you know, maybe a couple of three-year-olds and a couple of Thoroughbreds getting ready to go. And yeah, it's just manic and flat out.
I was going to say, you must never stop.
No, no. It's early mornings and late nights…
Yeah, that's hard going.
It is, but you know, it's enjoyable too. I wouldn't be doing it, if I didn't enjoy what I do.
Yeah. I totally appreciate that. And when you see a horse starting to perform to the best of its ability, that's bound to be very satisfying as well.
Yeah, it is, extremely. And that's exactly what we do it for, to get the best out of them, get the best results possible for them.
Yeah. So when you're preparing for an event or a show, what would be your usual routine, in the weeks beforehand or the night before or the morning of the competition? Are there things that you do that you can maybe give tips to other people?
Yeah, well in the weeks leading up to it, we're schooling, we're making sure that our horses know exactly what we're asking, making sure that the night before, our horses are well cleaned and plaited, it's all hands on deck and any set of extra hands is always welcome because there's always so much to do - grooming them, making sure they're clean and just so much work. Whenever we go out eventing, I'm learning the test for the next week nearly, as I'm driving out of the event on the Saturday and just making sure that you know exactly where you've got to go in that test.
Yeah, I know. And I mean, again, I really am in awe of event riders and dressage riders, who are riding multiple horses at different levels and they have multiple tests to learn, because I just have such a mental block about learning dressage tests. And so when I see people riding multiple tests, I'm like, oh my goodness, how do they not go wrong?
Yeah, how do they do that? I used to be that person. You know, whenever I came from show jumping to eventing, you see if the dressage arena on the Saturday was sitting at a different angle even than I had my dressage arena set up at home, I was completely freaking out. I was losing it and thinking, oh my goodness, I don't know which way to go whenever I go down this centre line.
Oh...
But yeah, over the years of eventing and stuff, it just became natural and the tests just become so much easier to follow.
Well done! And what's your best advice for walking a cross-country course, or a working hunter course for that matter?
Well, it's like any course, know where you're going. Know the lines you're going to take, know the route that you're going to take. Go over it in your head. There are some people I see out taking pictures of fences on their course or I see them out with a little book. I'm quite lucky that following numbers was my thing, the letters (for dressage) didn't come as natural whenever I started to event, but just know exactly where you're going and don't jump the wrong fence!
Yeah, that can be quite costly!
Follow your colours.
Yeah, oh dear, you wouldn't want to get eliminated halfway round!
No, no. And if you're not sure about a certain fence or you're not sure how you should ride a fence, ask somebody that will know.
Yeah.
Because, anybody's just too happy to help.
Yeah, that's really good advice, actually. And sometimes, especially somebody maybe at my level that's going to do a competition, you do get a wee bit starstruck when you see all the bigger and better people around you. And you don't really think about asking somebody else's opinion or advice. But yeah, most people are very friendly.
Yeah, always ask. Most people aren't monsters. They're quite happy to give you a bit of advice or a bit of help.
Yeah, I must remember that.
Yeah, note to self.
Indeed. And I believe you are now judging as well as competing. Can you please tell us what attracted you to become a judge and what was the process you had to go through?
I wanted to see more of the shows across the water, that’s really what drew me to it. And we had to go and do almost like an exam. We went over there a couple of winters ago. So it was around October, November time, not last year, but the year before. We had to go and we had to do an interview and tell them exactly why we wanted to become a judge and what we wanted to do and so we had to sit the interview first and then we had to go out to ride make sure that we were capable, we weren't just going to be thrown up on horses that we weren't capable of riding, so we had to ride three or four different horses and then we had to be able to identify problems that horses may have in their conformation and stuff.
Ah, okay.
And so, then once we had done that, we had to go and do three probation shows, where we were judging underneath qualified judges.
Okay.
So it was tough enough work.
I was gonna say, I mean, that's quite demanding then.
Yeah, it was.
So it's not just a matter of, oh, they ring somebody up and say, will you come and judge at my show?
No.
And are you on some kind of a judge's register then, where people would have access to your name?
Yeah, so I'm on the judging panel for Sport Horse Great Britain now.
Very good.
Yeah, so they cover a lot of the Royal International (RI) qualifiers and stuff and they're judging at the RI and everything.
Oh, excellent.
Yeah.
And what shows have you judged at so far? Is there anywhere particularly nice?
Well, yeah. So the one show that I really, really wanted to go to was Royal Cornwall and how and why, I will never know, but that was the first show that I was asked to do as a qualified judge!!
Oh excellent!
Yeah, I went over there in June and judged there at Royal Cornwall.
And was it lovely?
It was a lovely, lovely show. It was like Balmoral on steroids.
Oh, class.
Yeah, it was just huge, beautiful big rings to ride in and yeah, really, really nice horses to ride and just a really, really enjoyable show.
And what class or classes were you judging?
So I was judging all the ridden hunter classes. So all the weights and the smalls.
Brilliant. And did you see some lovely horses?
Yeah, some really nice horses. Some very nice horses, of which a lot of them, not all of them, but a lot of them came from here originally.
Oh, interesting.
Yeah, all nice Irish-bred horses.
Very good. And then who inspires you in the equestrian world, both locally and internationally?
I would have to say Sarah Ennis. I think to watch her ride, she's just a machine. Her horses all go fantastic. And to watch her cross-country is just unbelievable. I think she's brilliant. She's up there with some of the top riders in the world.
Oh, that's brilliant. Yeah, it's lovely to be able to say that, actually, whenever you can go to your local event and see her riding, because she does come up to the Northern Region events and competes.
Yeah, not that she's local to us, but she's from here (Ireland) and she's doing so well on such a big stage.
Yeah, absolutely.
She's show jumped and she events. She's had a few horses out jumping Grand Prix level and, the creme de la creme, she's away off to the Olympics.
Yeah, I know. It's fantastic. I was so disappointed for her that her horse was injured.
Yeah it was rotten, a really horrible feeling.
But I do hope that it's not a serious thing, I hope that it's something that's easily resolved for her, because she clearly loves that horse dearly.
Oh yeah, as we all do, but we've all had our fair share of heartache. And, you know, unfortunately with horses, things like that happen.
Yes, unfortunately. But, well fingers crossed that she gets back on the road quickly. And I mean, you've obviously stuck with it with ‘Flamenco’.
I know. You know, at one stage with him, I thought it was lights out. Whenever he injured himself, I thought it was the end of the world. I think I must have cried for weeks after it.
Oh dear…
But again, I just threw him into the field and I forgot about him and let time heal.
Yeah. That's sometimes just what's required.
Yeah. In his case, it's paid off.
Oh, thank goodness, that's great. And then who has been the greatest help to you so far in your career, both in terms of family and externally?
Definitely have to say mum, dad and my sister. You know, there's not a week goes past where they're not at the shows with me, mum's not up helping me muck out and do horses and my sister as well. Mum and dad, whenever I was a kid, traipsed the length and the breadth of Ireland with me to shows with ponies and whatnot. Really, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be doing what I am now.
It's so brilliant to have that sort of support network behind you.
And then, now there's Richard as well. He's a huge support to me and we have a lot of fun going to all the shows and getting all the horses ready to go to the shows. Producing them to get where they are.
Yes and his level of expertise and knowledge must be very helpful to you as well.
Oh yeah, you know, there's not a week goes past where you don't learn something new.
Yeah, I would say so.
Definitely.
Oh, that's fantastic.
And just having that there, somebody that you can ring up and say, you know, I have a problem with this horse or what should I do? You know, it's a huge help.
Oh, I can imagine. That must be brilliant.
Yeah. And, you know, we've been to shows again with Richard. We've been the length of the country and across the water. And without having him there, I probably wouldn't have done half of it either.
Oh, that's lovely.
As the saying goes, it takes an army.
Well, yeah and you do see that actually when you go to competitions, the people that are at the top level have a huge team of people around them just helping out.. Somebody's holding the horse and somebody else is handing them their riding hat, you know, whatever.
Yeah, totally, and there's absolutely no way that we as riders could do it ourselves. We need people there to help us.
Yeah.
People to throw us our hat or throw us our jacket or stick a saddle and bridle on a horse, because you're in the ring with another one and you've got to come out and get straight onto the next one. Without the help, it wouldn't be possible at all.
Yeah, well here's a big a big shout out to all those people who are on the ground helping, they're invaluable.
Oh, completely, completely.
And what are your ambitions in life, both with horses and beyond? Is there a particular show or event that you would still like to compete at or things like that?
Yeah, I think I'd like to... Hopefully with the four-year-old horse, I'd maybe like to try and get him to maybe an international across in England or somewhere and maybe aim him for some of the big internationals. Obviously, at the moment, he's only a four-year-old, but just keep him going. We're definitely going to try and aim him for a couple of the internationals. Definitely here and we'll see how things go and maybe aim him for some of the internationals over in England.
Oh, well, that's a good aspiration to have.
And once we get there, we'll see where that takes us.
Oh, that'll be such a great challenge for you, but no better girl for the job.
Well, I'm always up for some sort of a challenge.
Well, here's a challenge for you. My next question. Where do you see yourself in five or in 10 years time?
Oh, I don't know. I definitely can't see myself doing an awful lot different than what I'm doing now. Maybe a little bit more coaching and teaching and stuff.
Right…
But definitely along the same lines as what I'm doing now.
You must really love it then.
Well, they always say you never work a day in your life when you enjoy what you're doing.
Yeah, very true.
So yeah, definitely. I can't see myself doing an awful lot different, but just continuing to try and get the best out of the horses that we've got.
Well, I will wish you all the very best with that. And I think that's a really good point to end on, Vicky.
Yeah, super.
Thank you very much indeed for joining me this evening and taking the time to have a chat. That was really interesting.
My pleasure, it was great.
Vicky clearly puts in a lot of hard work between riding for other people at their yards, as well as producing her own horses and clients' horses at her yard in Cloughey. And then, obviously going to all the shows and events around the country.
I wish Vicky all the very best with her current and future endeavours and will continue to look out for her name in the results.
If you would like to make contact with Vicky, you can find her on Facebook under Victoria Clarke Mullen, or if you prefer to contact her by telephone, her number is: 07835 772878.
Stay tuned for the next Straight from the Horse's Mouth podcast on Horse and Field.
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