Sean is runner-up in big competition

A NORTHSIDE man was celebrating recently after coming runner-up in a national horse riding competition.  

Sean Mack O’Meara (18), from Raheny, came second in the Riding for the Disabled Association of Ireland’s (RDAI) annual Rider of the Year Award.

Sean’s teachers said that while he is a fun loving, gregarious young man, he was nervous when attending the stables at the beginning and even “missed a day or two of school to avoid it”. 

But over a short period of time and with plenty of positive encouragement he began to feed and pet the animals. 

However, Sean quickly gained more confidence and once he mounted for the first time he never looked back.

According to his mother, Susan, Sean’s confidence has improved and he is now more relaxed around all animals, both big and small, since first attending the Kilronan RDAI Group in Swords.

“When Sean told me that he was starting horse riding I was a bit scared for him because he had never seen a big animal up close except for the ones in the zoo,” she said. “At first he was a bit apprehensive, but the more time he spent with the ponies the more he came to trust them and the more relaxed he became. Then, from being scared he progressed to totally enjoying himself.”

Sean attends school at St Michael’s House and enjoys soccer, swimming and watching Brendan O’Carroll. The announcement was made during the RDAI’s national conference in Armagh city, held with its sister organisation in Northern Ireland, RDAI NI.