Iris Kellett: Show Jumping Legend
In a career spanning 30 years, Iris Kellett established herself as one of the top show jumpers of her generation. Her contribution to Irish equestrianism as a teacher and trainer is unparalleled and her legacy can be traced through the successes of her many students and the outstanding horses that she trained and bred.
Iris Kellett was born on 8th January 1926 and grew-up at Mespil Road, Dubin, where her father ran a famous riding school.
Iris was 9 when she won ‘Best Girl Rider’ at the Dublin Horse Show in 1935 and, from then-on she became a regular fixture at the Show. Iris and her great horse Rusty won many competitions at Dublin, most notably the International Grand Prix in 1948.
In 1947 Iris competed on the first Irish all civilian Nations Cup team at Blackpool, and with Rusty, won the Princess Elizabeth Cup for the European Ladies Championship, at White City in 1949 and 1951. Iris proved the equal of top male riders and was a fitting ambassador for the growing involvement of women in the sport.
In the early 1950s Iris had a bad fall and shattered her ankle, this and an ensuing bout of tetanus, put a halt to her show jumping career. It was almost ten years before she was back on top form, competing for Ireland in the Nations Cup and winning the European Ladies Championship, on Morning Light, at Dublin in 1969.
Iris retired from professional show jumping in 1969 and devoted herself to teaching and training and breeding horses. In 1972 she sold her riding school on Mespil Road and moved to Kill in County Kildare. Here she trained some of the greatest names in Irish show jumping including, Eddie Macken, Paul Darragh and Jack Doyle.
Iris Kellett passed away on 11th March 2011, leaving behind many friends and an unparalleled legacy as a rider, teacher and breeder.
The physical version of Iris Kellett: Show Jumping Legend was shown in the RDS Library during Dublin Horse Show week 2013. Here you can watch a short film made to accompany the exhibition.
