Member Interview: Vincent Doyle
Q: Member: Vincent Doyle
Q : Favourite Discipline ? Showjumping,
Q: Your Background? I was born near the Phoenix Park a very long time ago very close to the old cattle market ( North Circular Rd / Prussia Street ). In my younger days everyone had horses, from the bread man, the milk man , breweries, CIE even done a lot of their transportation with horse and floats, Market day was always on a Wednesday and on these days the Horse Drawn Cabs where in used to bring people to and from Market, I used to scutch on the back axel of the Cart but the cab driver carried a whip in which he had faultless accuracy when he could manage to send that whip around to the back axel and take the head off you !!
One day while walking to school I had cut through the cattle market when only I could go and manage to slip and fall and get covered in cow shite from head to toe, off I had continued onto school and sat at my desk, when the headmaster came in, sniffed the air while discovering me sitting at my desk covered in shite, he looked at me and said I think you better go home, if every cloud has a silver lining this had I happily skipped home early from School. My First experiences of horses where from friends of mine who had a family pony, there was about 4 kids in that family and a lovely pony called brighteyes which was shared among all the kids Brighteyes would have been the first pony I had sat up on from there on I had graduated to the polo grounds in phoenix park where we looked after the ponies between the chukkas , at the age of 12 I got my first summer job in a polo stable in Castleknock, the job was 7 days a week you were up from early in the morning until 5pm and two late evenings a week when there was polo games we worked until 9pm, I did that for about 4 years, for 3 of them years I had the yard on my own with 3 or 4 ponies and 7 days a week, on the 4th year, I had finished school and waiting on my exams to come in and the ponies I had looked after that year where stabled in a racing yard, the head lad from the racing yard was sent to the races in Listowel Co Kerry where I was asked to take charge of the yard for the week while he was away , I had gladly agreed and on his return from Listowel the head lad got fired !! I was asked to stay on in which I was happy to do so for the 2 further years I continued to look after the race horses, after the 2 years I taught I had better get out of here and get a real job, I had nothing to do with horses then for a bit over 20 years, then by that time I was married with kids, the kids where anxious to take up horse riding so I got them started in a riding school and when they took a lesson I took a hack, they lost interest about 2 years into it but I had continued on and again was bitten by the bug, I had Joined the Riding Club where I was riding at primary level in them days you went out from primary to intermediate where there was no advanced primary back in them days, I made that transition using the horses from the riding school where I had frequented
Q : A Horse that stands out to you the most that you currently own or have owned ? I purchased my a horse who unfortunately was broke up and had to be put to sleep , Soon after I had bought a horse that must have been destined to me and we called the horse Bart because when I went to pick him up I has asked the girl in the yard what was the horses name , she had replied his name was Vincent , shortly after that I was talking to Bart’s previous owner and I told him about the coincidence in names and he said we going to call him Doyle as the dealers surname who sourced him for him was called Doyle so if ever a horse was meant to be he was surely it, His show name was The Gent , because he was an absolute Gentleman , he served me well until old age took its toll, I retired him to a young lady in Ardee, I then purchased a big grey mare by the name of Muirin who she also served me well, I was indeed extremely lucky to have two beautiful horses one after the other who had carried me through many competitions one highlight it would have to be a part of the winning the Horseware RDS Showjumping qualifiers in 2010 in Kernans alongside member Nuala Stafford,
Q: Most cherished achievement ? Winning the Horseware RDS Showjumping qualifiers in 2010 in Kernans through the AIRC Movement
Q: Funniest Moment at a show ? hhmmmm …laughs, One day at the festival I told anybody that would listen that I had a hot date set up for later on that evening and as if by magic “my date “ came riding into the stable block where he had been competing dressed as a woman and when I said to him are you still on for 8 o clock this evening, he said yes, everyone around the stables got the joke, it was a moment that always make me laugh
Q : Most Embarrassing Moment at a show ? laughs …. Where do I start , navigation was always my down fall the only way to get over that was to keep competing and I think I have it down to reasonable level now and in conclusion I am always happy to look back with all the friends I had made through the AIRC Movement
Q: Favourite Show and Why ? My favourite Show is the Annual SOCK show because Jane Keating was a very dear friend and we shared many good times together
Q: Do you have any show day superstitions or rituals ? Make sure you have with you what you need and make your turnout is as good as possible
Q: Who would be your favourite National or International Rider ? Dr Hans Gunter Winkler jumping on the international circuit in the 60s, in those days there was an awful lot of Showjumping on TV not like now,
Q: What is the best advise that you have ever been given ? Jump the last one like it is the first one
Q: What do you miss the most during the lockdown? I miss my journeys to the beach always a great and enjoyable day out,
Q: What are you doing to keep your horses happy during lockdown? Well I’m fortunate to be liveried with Anna Burke, She had locked down the yard and took extremely good care of all the horses throughout lock down
Thanks so much to Vincent for sharing these lovely memories with the club! If you would like to be our next member interviewee please don’t hesitate to get in contact with any of the committee members.
Category:
