FERGAL HOLOHAN
AYRSHIRE’S YOUNG SHOWJUMPER IS AIMING HIGH
Gill Sherry
When Fergal Holohan was just five years old, he asked his mum and dad for a pony. This would have been considered by some parents as an unusual, somewhat ambitious request but having grown up around horses, it seemed perfectly natural coming from Fergal.
“My mum always had horses, she was showjumping when I was young, and my dad was a professional national hunt jockey… so it just started from there. I was seven when I started competing at proper shows.”
By this time, he was used to the hard work and dedication required to look after horses.
“My whole life I’ve always had horses and had to take care of them. It’s really important that you’re around them all the time because you learn so much about them.”
Fergal knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in his mother’s showjumping footsteps so he did whatever he could to turn his dreams into reality.
“You’re only going to be able to get the best out of them if they can really appreciate that you care for them. That’s the only way they can achieve. You get to know their characters and they get to know you.”
Currently studying International Marketing at Glasgow Caledonian University, Fergal is having to balance his studies with his showjumping training and stable duties on the outskirts of Ayr.
“Some days I get up at 6am so I can ride the horses before I go to university. Other days I get up at 7am to feed them, ride them and muck them out. Right now I’m juggling it all with university and so far it’s been okay.”
With six horses to work with it’s a huge commitment, particularly for someone so young (he’s 18 in December). But Fergal has no qualms about the work involved.
“I have three young horses and three more experienced ones and they all need something different. The older horses might just need fitness, but the younger horses need repetition to get them into the way of things. It’s about educating them.”
The hard work, however, is already paying off, as his mum, Fiona, confirms: “He was selected to jump for Great Britain three times this year and once last year so he’s been on four Jumping Nations Cup teams for the juniors. It’s massive to try and get on these teams, particularly with horses you’ve produced yourself. It doesn’t happen very often so we’re immensely proud of that.”
“I’ve qualified for the London under 25s class at the end of the year,” Fergal adds, “so my first objective is that I’d like to win that because it’s quite a prestigious class. I actually qualified for London at my first attempt. It’s very difficult to qualify because all the best under 25s in Britain want to be at it.”
And his second objective?
“I’d also like to compete in the Hickstead Derby in June which is probably one of the most prestigious classes in the world. I have a horse capable of doing it.”
The horse he’s referring to is Karima, a nine-year-old mare.
“She’s really brave,” he continues. “We got her when she was seven and she hadn’t done a lot. She’s just incredible. She’s produced really lovely and she’s so capable of doing anything so I think we could do well in the Hickstead Derby.”
But his objectives don’t stop there.
“My other objective is to be in the Young Rider European team because that’s where the best always go… the best horses, the best riders.”
Fiona is hopeful her son can attract some good owners and further sponsors along the way, believing his success so far promises excellent investment opportunities. With his continued dedication and the right backing, there’s no reason to think that Fergal can’t achieve his goals. He’s an ambitious and determined young man with the full support of his family. He’s also savvy enough to know that you never stop learning.
“Obviously winning is an incredible feeling,” he says, “but I’m always learning. I surround myself with experienced people that can teach me all the time and I just love to improve. And I love to improve the horses, especially when you take one and have them produce up the ranks. That’s ten times more special.”
“He’s incredibly talented and he’s very successful in what he’s done so far,” Fiona adds. “He had a big win on his homebred mare at the Royal Highland Show this year. Twelve-year-old Kan Annie had a really good run, and Fergal produced her. He’s always taking it to that next step. He’s never had a horse that’s done it all before, he’s had to produce them all. It’s always his first time at that new level and it’s the horse’s first time as well, but he seems to get the horses to love it just as much as him, and they’re always trying to win just as much as him. It’s really lovely.”
This mutual respect comes from spending so much time with the horses and understanding their needs from such a young age. This is something that all young people can learn from, as Fiona explains: “It teaches them that there’s another person – the horse – that they’ve always got to be mindful of and look after. The horse has got to want to do the job and love the job just as much as the rider, it’s got to be a two-way thing. As a child they learn very early that the horse has to feel really well, it’s got to be comfortable in itself and healthy. There’s a lot goes into looking after them and keeping them healthy.”
Despite knowing the obvious advantages of working with horses, Fiona admits that she didn’t necessarily want her son to pursue it as a career.
“It was never my idea for him to get into horses because I know how hard it is. It’s physically demanding and it takes over your life. It’s tough. But it was always his idea to do this. He’s always been the one that’s wanted to take it that next step further. He trains so hard; every day he’s training.”
Fergal responds: “To be one of the best, you have to do something that your competition isn’t doing and that’s difficult because there is only so much you can do. Also, you don’t want to overdo the horse or overdo yourself. But it’s very important that you try and keep pushing away and try to be better each time.”
Wise words from an ambitious young man, and someone who’s determined to achieve success in his chosen discipline. A desire reinforced by his next declaration: “My aim is to be in the 2032 Olympic team.”
Well, if you’re going to aim high, you may as well aim for the top!
