The best way to start is probably to introduce myself. My name is Austin O'Connor and I was born 33 years ago in Cork, Ireland. Horses have always played a big role in my life as my parents ran a riding schooling/dealing yard as I grew up.

After plenty of gymkhanas, hunting and show jumping my first taste of International competition came at the age of 13 when I became the youngest ever rider to complete a CCI** in Punchestown on 'Clonmalt'. Since then I've been lucky enough to represent Ireland in several major Championships at Junior, Young Rider and Senior level including Burghley CCI****, Badminton CCI**** and with my long-time supporters‚ Horseware, Ireland's horse 'Horseware Fabio' at the Sydney Olympics.

I left Ireland at 19 to base myself in England and after a few years with the Wiegersma family in Cornwall, I, and my now wife Kathrin, started to run our own yard in Worcestershire.We have since moved and are now based at our present address in Somerset. We typically have around 20 horses in work, most of which are event horses, but we also take in horses to school and as we are both keen national hunt followers we often have the odd racehorse in for schooling or pre-training.