Childhood friends have become the first Irish team to take part in and win a major skijoring event – despite having only a tractor and no snow to practice on.
In a win reminiscent of the famous Cool Runnings Jamaican bobsled team, the Co Meath couple scooped the prestigious feature sprint race in the Skijordue Festival in Calgary, Canada.
Skijoring is North America’s fasting growing winter sport and consists of a horse pulling a skier over obstacles through the snow at breakneck speeds of up to 65km per hour.
Accomplished horse rider Susan Oakes, 37, and her best friend, 40-year-old Barry O’Brien Lynch, from Navan, won the two-and-a-half furlong event against 50 competitors – mainly from the US and Canada – over four heats.
Barry said: “The lack of snow in Ireland was definitely a problem but I practised my pace and balance being pulled on a kids sledge by a tractor over a roll of carpet and it obviously worked.
“It wasn’t something on my bucket list but the adrenaline was huge.
“It’s unbelievable to think we are the very first Irish team to take part in a skijoring contest – and we won.”
Accomplished horsewoman Susan, who holds a world record for the highest jump side saddle at 6ft 8ins, was competing in Canada when she met event organiser Sam Mitchell and decided to take part.
She added: “I roped in Barry and I’m glad I did. We had signed in for all five races not thinking it through at all.
“I lost my hat, my boot and my spur in the race and I had never ridden in a western saddle before either or hadn’t neck reined since playing polo about 15 years ago.
“I had never ridden on snow before either and Barry had never jumped on skis.
“It’s kind of like Cool Runnings I guess and we even went to eat in Ranchman’s after the race, same as the Jamaican bobsled team in the film. But I’d say they were better prepared.
“Everyone was behind the Irish and I always feel like the underdog taking on something that is probably out of reach, and in most cases and for most people it would be, but it’s the driving hunger inside me that is longing for something extra all the time.
“It’s like winning the Gold Cup at Cheltenham and we will definitely be back again next year.”
It’s the latest event for Susan who made a full recovery after a fall from a horse in New York in 2016 when the saddle broke, leaving her with an acquired brain injury.
