Royal reward for Ballymore man at Badminton event
Sarah McGrath
A Ballymore man who won a significant sporting award at the weekend received his trophy from a royal figure - Prince Charles’s wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
Joseph Murphy, the internationally-renowned three-day eventer, who has represented Ireland at several prestigious international sporting events, including the 2012 Olympic Games, was winner of the Glentrool Trophy at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials at the weekend.
The trophy is awarded annually to the rider whose horse records the greatest improvement in placing following the dressage competition.
In the dressage, Mr Murphy (40), riding Sportsfield Othello (ISH), picked up 58.8 penalties and was placed 75th.
However, a sterling performance in the cross country saw him rise up the rankings, while in the showjumping he had a clear round. These two results saw him rise by an impressive 62 places, to take the 13th spot overall and, in the process, the Glentrool Trophy.
Three Irish competitors were placed in the top 20 at the trials, with Murphy ahead of the Irish line-up, followed by Clare Abbott, on Euro Prince, who came in in 14th place, and Jonty Evans on Cooley Rorkes Drift who came in 20th.
Badminton is known to be a very testing contest and indeed 31 of the 80 starters failed to complete the tough cross country element.
Murphy, who is one of the six sons of Netta and Joe Murphy, represented Ireland at he 2012 London Olympics, and in 2013 and 2014, he took the Ireland’s Leading Rider title.
He has for some years been based in County Down where with his wife, Jill, he runs a noted training yard.
Mr Murphy started his riding career with Dot Love, of Charlestown Stud, trainer Liberty Counsel, winner of the Irish Grand National eventually making the move from racing to the show jumping circuit.
Interviewed afterwards by RTÉ, Mr Murphy admitted that the dressage competition “didn’t go according to plan”.
"It wasn’t a disaster by any means but I would have liked to have been a little bit further up the leaderboard,” he said, adding that he was, however, happy with how they performed in the cross country.