Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2017 | Page 91
Equestrian
Emily, who gets two hours a
day for riding, inbetween her
stable duties and caring for the
McCarthys’ toddler son Tomas,
has completed more than a
dozen events on Simon Porloe,
and recently stepped up to CIC1*
level when they competed at an
international event at Bicton, and
finished 18th of 60, with double
clear rounds.
Next year, she says she would
like to step up again to Open
Intermediate classes for under 21s.
For a girl who first rode on a
friend’s pony when she was just 18
months old, this is a job that goes
beyond her wildest dreams.
She had her own first pony, May,
for her third birthday present, and
started hunting, taking part in
Pony Club activities and showing.
By seven years old, she had Kenny
(Bromells Mckenzie), and started
hunter trials, showing, and pony
club teams and riding club events.
She went on to ride Guy (Sunny
Hill wise guy) and then started
eventing on Tetcott Cracker Jack
when she was 11 and then aged
12 on Johnny, who qualified for
the Pony Club championships.
Also at 12, she won a scholarship
for a school in Wiltshire for horse
riding, and from there went to
Priory School on the Island.
Switching from ponies to
horses, she rode Spring, and
then had Goldie. At 16 she spent
the summer with Nicky Ryan
in Wiltshire, and then worked
weekends and holidays for Sarah
Holmes on the Island.
When she started her A-levels at
The Priory School, it was with the
intention of going into teacher
training, because if her first love is
horses, then her second, she says,
is children.
However, Emily admits she was
struggling with her studies and so
when the position came up at Lucy
McCarthy’s yard, it was impossible
to resist.
She did continue with her
studies for the first six months
after moving to Devon, though,
and completed her AS English
Literature. Around the same time,
she also passed her HGV test and
got a licence to drive a 32-tonne
horse box!
In the longer-term, Emily says she
may return to A-levels and teacher
training, but for the moment she is
just relishing the thrill of riding and
competing on the feisty, 17 year-
old Olympic star Simon.
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