Spotlight On: Eugene O’Sullivan
Role: Handler & Member of Dromahane point-to-point committee
Area: Lombardstown, Co. Cork
This week, we caught up with handler Eugene O'Sullivan who won the foxhunters' chase at the Cheltenham Festival with It Came To Pass.
O'Sullivan, who hails from Lombardstown in North Co. Cork, has had some very smart sorts through his hands over the years to win their point-to-points including Chris's Dream, Scorpiancer and in recent times the promising Coqolino.
How did you get involved in point-to-pointing and racing?
My father had broodmares when we were young. The ones that we didn’t sell, we broke and rode, and we ended up point-to-pointing them.
You must have been thrilled with your Cheltenham winner It Came To Pass on Friday – Has it sunk in yet?
It’s starting to sink in now! It’s surreal to win there, it’s a great achievement that I’ve been trying to repeat. We never expected to win it in 1991, we went over there because we had a horse that was capable of going there, we only went there to have a runner there and we never expected to win it. We have expected to win it a couple of times since and we never did. This time, we weren’t getting our hopes high, but we did believe that the horse was good enough to win it.
How did you come across the horse?
A friend of mine called John Linehan was working for Jim Culloty last year looking after Jim’s horses while Jim was in England. The two horses were there (It Came To Pass and Electric Concorde) and both of them just happened to be for sale. He told my about them and I approached Jim Culloty and bought them.
It must be very special to have your brother William ride one foxhunters’ for you and for your daughter Maxine to ride the other?
It’s unreal to keep it in the family. All our life, we had family involved in it. It started off with myself, then William, Maxine, Eoin (son), Michael (nephew, son of William) and Alan (also a son of William) is starting off now as well.
Does William still ride out for you?
When available, he is so busy with the farming it is hard, but when available he does ride out.
Your nephew Michael (O’Sullivan) is also enjoying a great season?
Michael is having a good season considering he had a few injuries, but as the season goes on I think things will improve for him. We haven’t had as many runners as we would usually have yet, we have only the same few horses running all the time.
What about your own riding career?
My own riding career was very moderate and very limited. I was a bit like Eoin, I was always struggling with my weight. I’d have been self-taught until such a time that I went to England but I had retired from the saddle when I went to England to more or less learn about training. I worked with David Gandolfo for a year.
Have you many horses in for the season?
We would have about 45 in, but they wouldn’t be all for this season.
Have you got any horses to look out for in the future?
We have some very nice horses, some of them aren’t named yet. There’s a Court Cave, Elusive Pimpernel, and a couple of Westerners who are all very nice horses for this year if the season keeps going.
Can you tell me a bit about your role on the committee of Dromahane point-to-point?
I’ve been involved in Dromahane point-to-point since I was 16 or 17 years of age. Things have changed a lot in committees like that. Unfortunately, the young people aren’t getting involved and the committee has dwindled. When I started, there was about 25 or 30 on the committee, it’s down to eight or nine now. John Linehan is our chairman. I am chairman of the Cork and Waterford association, and that progressed through turning up at the meetings and I am on my second year now. Thankfully, the Cork and Waterford association is going well. We haven’t had too many problems until now, and I hope we will just be able to ride our way through this one.
What is involved for you and the committee in organising a fixture?
Theres an awful lot of work in organising a fixture for the secretaries. I am the secretary of Dromahane. Between liasing between the Cork and Waterford association, the IHRB and the relevant people that are involved in the day-to-day running of it. The ambulances, vets, doctors, there is an awful lot of paperwork involved. Luckily in Dromahane, We are lucky enough to be associated with the O’Brien family who have a sort of ready-made course where we don’t have to do anything with the course, it is there from meeting to meeting. Basically, all we have to do is the logistics of it really.
What would you think is the biggest change in point-to-pointing?
The people involved I suppose really, with the Wexford boys coming in with four-year-olds. In my time there was an awful lot more individual people and runners. There would be nobody with more than ten or 15 horses point-to-pointing, whereas now you have a few very big yards, and very little individuals coming with the one or two horses.
Have you any interests outside of point-to-pointing and racing?
Eoin plays GAA and Rugby, I’d be interested in that. I’m interested in all sports really.
