Sarah Ennis: From her family's Howth zoo to the Olympic Games

Paris will be Sarah Ennis's second Olympic Games.

8 July 2024; Sarah Ennis during the Team Ireland Paris 2024 team announcement for Equestrian at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Francis Ennis used to get a great kick out of answering the family phone in Howth. ‘Hello, Cats and Dogs Home,’ he would chirp on picking up the receiver. More than a few callers hung up, convinced they had dialled the wrong number.

His wife Orla would implore him to stop, but then he wasn’t a million miles from the truth. Their five daughters aside, the house was home to ponies, cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, an iguana and a parrot. ‘Howth Zoo’ wouldn’t have been a stretch.