Biography

It will be the fourth Badminton for Irish Olympic rider Padraig McCarthy (45) who is based near Beaworthy in Devon. Last year with Badminton entry HHS Noble Call he completed both Badminton (33^rd) and Burghley (19^th).

In 2022 with Fallulah he was a member of the Irish team to contest the World championships in Pratoni and in 2021 Padraig was a member of the team to contest the European Championships with Mark Todd’s former ride Leonidas.

Padraig made an impressive Badminton debut in 2018 when completing in eighth place with Mr Chunky. The pair then gained individual silver at the 2018 WEG in Tryon and led the Irish to team silver.

Padraig hails from Tipperary in the south of Ireland. Now based in Devon with his wife, former British international rider Lucy (nee Wiegersma), together they run MGH Sport Horses – an equine breeding, training and trading business. Lucy completed Burghley 2015 on Mr Chunky and was second at Badminton in 2008 (Shaabrak).

Padraig has been involved in horses from a young age. He learnt his trade under the guidance of Rolf Goran Bengtsson, Max Hauri, and Hans Horn and then spent almost ten years showjumping and training horses around Europe and in the USA. In 2003 Padraig made the decision to go to university to study business, gaining a first class honours degree in Economics and Finance with German in 2008. He was offered a scholarship to undertake a research project which turned into a PhD study of business insolvency laws in Ireland. Padraig turned down the opportunity of an academic career to focus on his main passion – horses. Since basing himself at Warren Farm in 2013, Padraig turned his attention to eventing.

He rode in his first BE event in 2013 and by the end of 2015 had ridden for Ireland on Nations Cup teams, including the only Irish team to win an FEI Eventing Nations Cup at Boekelo. He was a member of the 2015 Irish European Championship team at Blair Castle and in 2016 had his first wins at three-star level at both Chatsworth and Tattersalls. As a result Padraig was selected for the Rio Olympic Games on both Simon Porloe and Bernadette Utopia.

Padraig and Lucy set up MGH Sport Horses in 2014. They have two sons Moss (8) Gus (4) and a 3-year-old daughter Mimi. Padraig enjoys cooking, mending and fixing stuff round the farm, DIY and breeding horses. He trains with Tracie Robinson and Grant Wilson.

HHS Noble Call owned by Pearl Chaffe and rider is a 12-year-old Irish-bred registered Irish Sport Horse. Bred by Anne Hughes he is by Marion Hughes 2004 Irish Olympic team jumping stallion (Heritage) Fortunas out of a mare by Cavalier Royale. He was acquired as a 6-year-old from Marion Hughes having done some showjumping and is described by Padraig as ‘large and white’. His owner Pearl Chaffe was a former competitor in the ‘70s and ‘80s.