Irish Paralympian Helen Kearney Says Adieu to Horse Sport

Ireland

Irish Paralympian Helen Kearney has announced that she will be bidding horse sport farewell.

She is the third Paralympic dressage athlete in a short period of time calling the sport quits after Sophie Christiansen and Demi Vermeulen.

Helen Kearney

The 35-year old Kearney is from Wicklow, Ireland.

She began riding at the age of 10. In 2001 she was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) during an operation for scoliosis.

Kearney began competing in Grade Ib in 2008 and rode her first championship in 2009 at the Europeans in Kristiansand aboard the Irish sport horse Boris Zieg (pedigree unknown).

In 2011 she returned to the Europeans as a grade 1a rider with the Irish sport horse Mister Cool (by Cool Corran Cool Diamond) and won bronze, which was Ireland's first ever medal in para dressage sport. She represented Ireland at the 2012 London Paralympics and won individual silver, and team and kur bronze. Mister Cool then took her to the 2013 Europeans in Herning, where she was fourth and at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Cane, they were fifth.

As of 2015 she began showing the Hanoverian Rock And Roll (by Romancero H x Archipel) and he took her to the European Championships in Deauville (6th in the individual test) and the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, where they were 12th.

A six-year break from international competition followed and in 2022 Kearney returned with the Danish warmblood Tjornelys Zensation (by Zonik x Marlon), whom she showed for three consecutive years at a few CPEDi's in Hartpury and Hickstead.

The End of an Era

Kearney today announced that she is bidding horse sport farewell.

"I am giving up my life and career with horses and para," she stated. "It has been wonderful and I have amazing memories that I am so grateful for. After my competition results in 2023, I decided that 2024 would be my last competitive year. I worked hard for the final few months of 2023 and could see improvements in Benny, so I decided to give international competition one more go with a view to potentially getting to Paris Paralympics."

Kearney was attempting to qualify for her third Paralympics but her last show turned out to be in April 2024 at the CPEDI Waregem, where she was 13th and 14th.

"It went well but my scores were not where they needed to be so I decided that was probably the end of competition for Benny and I," said Helen. "However I do love riding and I decided to keep going riding when I returned. After reflection I decided that logistically it was becoming too difficult for me to maintain the horse. I have received lots of help and in particular my parents are absolutely wonderful but I am able to do less than I want to care and ride the horses and I’ve decided the time is now for me to close this chapter."

"Amazing Time Doing What I Love"

Reflecting on her career, Helen said, "obviously no disability is nice and I think it is clear that FA is definitely not nice but I can say I’ve had amazing time doing what I love. In terms of FA progression I have managed quite well and I have to attribute that to the horses. The physical activity has been great for me but more than that the whole experience gave me a great reason to get up every morning and keep fighting. Even though I’m stepping back from the horses, I really hope to be good and disciplined about keeping up my physical activity in the fight against FA."

She concluded, "I will forever be grateful for the wonderful experiences that have helped shape me into the person I am."