Life lessons: Irish eventer Mark Kyle *H&H Plus*

Mark Kyle rode for Ireland at three Olympics and finished in the top 20 at Badminton and Burghley before retiring from eventing after an injury in 2017. He now trains his showjumping daughter Tabitha, a children-on-horses team bronze medallist in 2019.

As you get older, you realise it’s worth taking more time with each horse, rather than rushing from one to another. I had a lot of horses when I was younger to make the sport pay, but with time you realise which ones you shouldn’t be riding and focus on the better ones.

Dressage was my weakest phase and in my final few years eventing I spent more time on it. I also had horses with better brains, who were more trainable.

Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.