FitzGibbon aiming high

MENTION, as a by the way, that Nicola FitzGibbon is, perhaps, the new pin-up of Irish show jumping, and the head of fair hair is thrown back as she laughs in surprise, if not slight embarrassment.

To the 23-year-old, it may seem unbelievable, especially as she is still coming to terms with the fact that last month she lived the dream by making the Irish team at the recent Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show.

Denim-skirted and with a sense of the innocuous in her attire, there is no element of the diva, so it is easy to believe FitzGibbon when she dismisses any attempt to make a truism of the pin-up notion.

“I’m not the new pin-up of Irish show jumping. I would like to think that what I have achieved has given inspiration to other kids. They’ve left messages on my facebook page thanking me for showing somebody as ordinary as myself can do it. Yeh, I’m pretty ordinary. I’m still not sure how I got here... my god, it’s mental. An old schoolmate left a message saying how we used to cheer on the Aga Khan riders a few years ago. Now they’re doing it for me, which is amazing,” says FitzGibbon.

Most important is that she looks good in the arena and, with the aptly-named, big-jumping Puissance, she also ticks that box. In the nations cup at Dublin they produced a creditable first round marred by just one mistake, but followed with a clear that put Ireland temporarily into the lead, before the home team were forced into a thrilling jump-off with Britain, that, unfortunately, showed that the power of positive thought of 15,000 partisan spectators does not always have the desired effect.

While her Dublin selection by the Irish manager Robert Splaine caused a ripple of excitement in the sport, it was followed by a relative tsunami when she won a place in the squad for next week’s European Championships. For all the sense of glamour attached to the sport, FitzGibbon acknowledges her reality is more prosaic.

“I have a small set up, two barns, one with five stables, it’s nothing fancy, just practical,” which she agrees also sums her up as a person. “I don’t like being in the spotlight, unless I’m with my horse,” said Dun Laoghaire-native FitzGibbon, who relocated to Kildare in 2004 to pursue her love of horses. “My approach is to try to keep my cool. The biggest thing I have going for me is my determination, competitiveness and stubbornness. I set goals,” she says in earnest.

She concedes, though, that competing for the Aga Khan trophy was a leap into the unknown and, under the scrutiny of supportive, but demanding home fans, she suffered a brief wobble in her confidence.

“The day before, it all started to get to me. I was inundated with calls from well-wishers, even from people in Australia, Dubai, Singapore. But you have to put it aside. I think the biggest thing that helped me was my experience of trying when I was younger for the European championships team with my pony Miami Bound. We were great in the run up to the selection, but on the day I froze. I don’t know why, but I panicked and was left off the team. They went on to win a medal and I was sitting on the sidelines. I did not want it to happen again.”

She cites the importance of her dad Nick — an international bridge player — in her success, but points to her mother, Kathryn, who died in 2009 from cancer, as the reason for her love of all things equine. Her mum also recognised that, after the disappointment of the pony trials, she needed outside intervention.

“My mum sent me to a hypnotist when I was 15. As a result, I was cool as cucumber on the day of the nations cup, but afterwards the enormity hit me, particularly when I crossed the finish line. I came out of the arena and they were all crying. It really was an emotional experience.”

But is she a one-trick pony with Puissance? If world-beating horses were readily available, FitzGibbon would be just one of a big crowd at the top, as Irish riders are among the most accomplished, but often lacking in horsepower. Puissance is now 14, with the clock ticking down on his competition life. Is there a replacement in the offing?

“I’ve competed Puissance from day one. Rider Jack Doyle brought us to see him in the Netherlands in 2004 and we certainly did not know we were buying an Aga Khan-quality horse. At the moment, Puissance is paying his way, but it is difficult to say if I will dedicate my professional life to show jumping. I did electronic engineering in TCD and I don’t have a proper job, but the degree was originally designed to help me fund my equestrian pursuits. It’s something I can fall back on if buying, selling and riding horses professionally does not work out.

“I do have two nice six-year-olds. One is called Penny Lane, a mare. I know every rider says he or she has the next star, but I really believe she will go all the way. I am a straight talker, or I like to think so.

“In the meantime, I am hoping I can find a sponsor or owner to keep me at this level. Nobody has actively approached me, but I’m going to make every effort.”

More immediately, she aims to prove Splaine made the right choice in selecting her along with Billy Twomey (Tinka’s Serenade), Denis Lynch (Lantinus or All Inclusive), Shane Sweetnam (Amaretto D’Arco) and Niall Talbot (Nicos De La Cense) for the Europeans. The Corkman’s every decision has been impacted by the singular desire to qualify for next year’s Olympics. To achieve this, Ireland must finish in the top three of countries not already qualified.

“While we are doing very well as a team and have the best riders, anything can go wrong with horses. We have shown tremendous consistency this year, but it all depends on the day. The bottom line is that we are making sure our preparation is the best we can achieve, and I am confident we can qualify,” says FitzGibbon, a rider ready for her next big leap.