Clarkson: bad Leaving Cert, good owner

As the owner of Kicking King, Conor Clarkson has hit the heights of National Hunt racing, but the journey has been an eventful one and testament to the vicissitudes of the sport. Declan Colley hears the story from the horse owner’s mouth.

CONOR CLARKSON is a self-made man and one who has had a passion for racing since his grandfather brought him to his first meeting as a child. He has had the bug since and often dreamt of owning a horse good enough to win decent races. Never in his wildest dreams, however, did he think he’d have one which would win a Gold Cup and two King George chases.

But that’s what happened and, even though the horse has since fallen foul of two bad tendon injuries which may yet curtail his stellar career, the Dublin financier is just grateful that for him, the dream became reality. Anything else will be a bonus.