Kerins – an Irish family of showjumpers date back to the early days of Wellington

When Darragh and Sarah Kerins first came to Wellington in 1992 – separately at the time – the Irish contingent consisted of a handful of riders.

Today is a different story. “It started with only a couple of us and then all of a sudden it just started getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Darragh. “And then it was the place to come for riders, grooms – to come for the few months [of winter] and a lot more people wanted to get visas and stay longer and now there’s more Irish here than there are in Ireland.”

That was a joke clearly, but there is a strong enough presence of leading Irish riders in Wellington to warrant the collective nickname of the ‘Irish Mafia’, something Darragh is not offended by – “I get a kick out of it,” he said.

“Ireland is a small country so a lot of us know each other from Ireland – or you know the family so you’re always doing each other a favor. So everyone that’s here, we’ve all known each other somehow in Ireland in some way.”

The Kerins family of Darragh, his wife Sarah and their children Khloe, 12, and Daniel 18 are all involved in their horse operation offering training and boarding at Innisfree Stables.

Daniel, is out of town while taking a golden opportunity to work for Jimmy Doyle – Georgina Bloomberg’s trainer – in New York. The same trainer that Darragh, having shown in Ireland, went to work for after his father suggested he go to the States for six months to test the water. Four years later Darragh went on to work for Margie Goldstein-Engle and several years after that, he and Sarah started a small horse operation of their own.

“We started out with two stalls at the showground,” Darragh said of a period when he and Sarah spent winters in Wellington and summers in New York’s Whipstick Farms with Bonnie and Frank Cunniffe at Sam Edelman’s S&L Farm and Norman Dello Joio’s Wembley Farm. Darragh was also sent horses to ride from Glenview Stables’ Ralph and Holly Caristo.

“People started sending us horses to ride,” Darragh recalled. “Along the way I was lucky enough to start riding a few horses for Double H Farm and one of those horses at the very beginning was a horse called Night Train and Night Train probably changed the course of our lives.”

Night Train took Darragh to European Championships, World Cups and Nations Cups. “I won things that I could only ever have dreamed of before,” he said. “Night Train was the breakout for me.” Darragh went on to find success with Lisona, a horse the Kerins owned in partnership with Kevin Babbington and Marty Higgins – not least winning the 2012 Nations Cup for Ireland on home soil at the Dublin Horse Show.

Sarah, 52, has only stepped up to Grand Prixs since partnering with Centriko Volo in September. “Normally I would ride some of the young horses,” said Sarah. “And then I just got this opportunity with this horse. I haven’t really jumped in Grands Prix consistently ‘til now – this winter. I’m enjoying it. He’s a scopey horse and he keeps me safe.”

Khloe, meanwhile, is pint-sized and partnered with a hand-me-down in 16.2hh 17-year-old WKD Tokyo who was brought over from Ireland as a seven-year-old ridden by Darragh, then Sarah and after that Daniel, who aged 13, jumped the grey gelding in a Grand Prix. “I’d say it comes pretty easy to Khloe,” said Darragh. “She loves animals and animals seem to love her.”

The Kerins have stayed longer in Florida this year than normal, making the most of being at home and showing at the ESP Shows and pursuing their passion – Khloe says she wants to be a trainer, and Daniel is on a professional trajectory having landed the prestigious placement in New York. “It’s a sought after job and a great opportunity because the guy is an unbelievable trainer,” said Sarah.

Last weekend, Darragh, Sarah and Khloe were all at the ESP June show – Sarah coming fourth in the $25,000 Grand Prix after winning the 1.40m, and Khloe taking runner up in the 1.15m Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic. “We do it as a family,” said Darragh. “It’s hard work but it’s really rewarding in the end.”

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