Talented Cian’s preparing to clear more hurdles in 2018
ONE of the country’s hottest prospects on the show jumping scene begins his new season this Friday.
Ballincar’s Cian Harrison has already made plenty of waves in the Irish arena having represented his country since the tender age of just ten.
Now eighteen, Cian faces into another season with plenty to be optimistic about. It all gets underway again this Friday at the four day Mill Street International Show at Green Glens Arena in County Cork.
With his career still in its infancy, the 18-year-old can already look back at a successful decade or so.
Part of the only Irish team to ever win the Nations Cup and a regular in representing his country since ten, Cian also boasts qualifying for the RDS Dublin Horse Show at under 12 level at just ten and a number of Connacht Grand Prixs as part of his ever growing list of honours.
Today, despite his youth, Cian is now ranked within the top 2,000 senior riders in the world.
At 17, last year was Cian’s first year away from the pony category. He competed with two horses at the Dublin event winning the qualifier with one horse and finishing a close second place in another with a second horse. All the more impressive given he was up against approximately one hundred competitors.
“I guess my biggest achievement was winning the 1 metre 20 young riders and then coming second in the 1’40 with a second horse”, Cian says. “That won me the Leading Young Rider of the Show award at the RDS. I finished fourth then in the second class and then seventh on two separate horses.”
The Summerhill student then went on to win in his class aboard a seven-year-old in Mill Street before being placed in the 1’50 Grand Prix at the same venue.
He was once more picked to represent the Irish junior team at the European Championships in Slovakia last year but Cian, along with his parents Fergal and Rachel made the decision not to travel due to the clash with the RDS event.
Now in his leaving certificate year, Cian is careful not to prioritise his sport over his education.
Late nights are a given for anyone studying for exams. Couple this with weekly trips to places like Cork and Wexford and things don’t get much easier.
“You’re going up to the stable first thing at morning and last thing at night”, Fergal explains.
“We treat the horses like athletes. You’ve to check their legs, check that they’re eating properly, you’re working with vets. You’re talking about a level similar to how Sligo Rovers look after their players. You’re feeding them every day at the same time, let them rest at the same time and you’re working them out, cooling them down and you’ve to give them days off.”
“You get used to it”, Cian laughs. “You just have to go out and do it. I suppose when you’ve been doing it for years, you’re not going to change your mind.
“Sometimes you’re down in Wexford on a Sunday evening at an event that mightn’t finish until 7. You’re getting home at all hours and you’re settling the horses before you go to bed yourself. It’s not simple.
“I’m gone nearly every weekend. In the winter time it’s harder because you’re home late and of course the horses need to be looked after every day in terms of exercising them.”
The Harrison’s horses are mainly kept at the stables near their home in Ballincar. While Tubberbride Stables, owned by Fergal’s uncle Francie Kerins is also utilised.
“We have a couple of horses of our own. We jump with five or six of them depending on the circumstances”, Fergal continues.
“There are four we’re using now. We had a horse of Donnacha Anhold’s who we were using last year, we did quite well with him.
“We have a new mare this year that came from Belgium and we’re hoping she will be a good prospect.”
“Most of the training is done up at Tubberbride with Francie and Richard (Kerins).”
Cian takes over: “We’d train three times a week up there at least and as much as I can get up really.
“To be honest, it’s really hectic now between trying to get stuff done in terms of competitions and then the leaving cert.”
Cian’s passion for the sport has obviously taken a life of his own. But he owes a lot to his father Fergal who is also the owner of Fiddler’s Creek pub and restaurant in Sligo town.
“My Dad would have hunted and I got into it through the years I suppose”, he outlines.
“Francie and Dad would have been reared with horses and it’s gone through to me really.
When asked to recollect his favourite memory on a horse, Cian selects his Nations Cup victory in Hagen in Germany in 2016 aboard Knockeroghery Prince.
“Winning the Nations Cup and an in- dividual event when I was 16 in Germany was special.
“It would have been the biggest show for pony or junior riders in Europe. It was the first time the Irish team had ever won it and it’s been going on for years and years.”
That special memory is closely followed by his introduction to the national scene in 2010 when he first qualified for the RDS showpiece.
“I was only ten”, Cian beams. “There were four All-Irelands across the country that you could qualify from, with seven coming out of each one.
“You had to jump three clear rounds against the clock.
“There were over one hundred competitors in that. That was under 12 and I was only ten at the time.
“I’ve always qualified since then and I’ve been lucky enough to win there before.”
Looking ahead to this weekend’s season debut, Cian says: “I’ll be jumping
You’re getting home at all hours and you’re settling the horses before you go to bed yourself. It’s not simple.
international class so that’ll be 1 metre 35 or so. We have an eight-year-old and one older horse heading down there and I’m looking forward to that.
After that, the calendar rolls on with nationals and premier competitions taking place, with up to €10,000 at stake.
Also ahead are a number of Connacht Grand Prixs with prize-money worth €3,000 up for grabs and €1,000 going to the winner.
“We went to five Connacht Grand Prixs last season and were placed in top five in all of them”, Fergal points out.
So what’s the long term objective for an ambitious 18-year-old show jumper? It must be tempting for someone with so much potential to follow their dreams and hit the lofty heights. But a pragmatic Cian is keeping his feet as close to the ground as possible.
“I have to take everything as it goes really and see what comes up and see what opportunities arise”, he considers.
“I’m not sure if I’ll take a year out or head straight to college.
“I’ve applied for Equine Science and Equine Business but I’m going to apply for a few business courses before the deadline.”
The pinnacle for many equestrian athletes is qualification for the Olympic Games. This is something that interests any young athlete, but with price of keeping horses not cheap, Cian knows he needs to look after the financial side of things.
“It would be a great achievement and would be something to work towards but at the end of the day it’s not going to put money into your account”, Cian considers.
“You can win a Rolex Grand Slam and if you win three, it’s a one million euro bonus. You go to the Olympics and that’s great but it doesn’t pay really.”
Given his recent exploits, Cian is in a position unique to just a few riders of his age.
“It’s hard enough for people my age to get into international shows”, he says. “
“You have to have a certain amount of achievements. But I’m lucky because I have so many achievements in ponies, I’ll be let in. But there’ll only be a few of us allowed in.
The young prodigy may in the future, be forced to move away to pick up the points necessary to boost his international rankings, if he is to rise to the very top of his game.
His father outlines further: “You’d need to move away from Ireland to boost your international rankings. If you’re, we’ll say in Belgium this weekend you’ll probably have ten shows to choose from.
“But in Ireland you’ll only have five or six per year. It’s like everything really. We’re on an island and that’s the way it is!”
Cian also paid tribute to the support he receives from local businesses. Along with sponsorship from Fiddler’s, he’s also received backing from Enda McCarrick Motors, EJ’s and Dundalk’s Horseware Ireland.
“I’m lucky with my sponsors who help me with the gear. It’s not cheap”, he concludes.