Phone call breeds success

Putting her trust in a friend paid off for West Cork-based Justine Fay, who bought a horse, unseen, over the phone that last week capped a great year by winning two championship titles at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Colorado III, also known as Sid, was selected as the Champion Small Hunter in the six-year-old and older class and went on to also lift the Intermediate Hunter crown, with 16-year-old Gavin Daly from Leap in the saddle.

“I bought Sid over the phone in 2008 as an eight-year-old after I received a call from a friend in England telling me you have to buy this horse.