Latest from Horse & Hound in Abi-lyle

Irish Olympic dressage rider withdraws from World Championships contention

Oscar Williams — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:16:35 +0000

Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle has withdrawn her top ride Giraldo (Arty) from selection for the Irish dressage team for this summer’s 2026 World Championships in Aachen, Germany (11–23 August).

In a statement, she said: “After much careful consideration, I have concluded that it would be best for me to withdraw from [World Championships] 2026 team contention.

“Although I am very privileged to have an amazing, fit horse and the opportunity to be selected, this is an incredibly personal decision to which I have given a lot of thought.

“This year, Team Ireland has a fabulous group of talented dressage riders, and I wish them all the luck in the world. In the meantime, I intend to keep training, competing and most importantly, enjoying my horses and giving them the best life possible.

“Thank you to everyone who has supported and continues to support me, especially Horse Sport Ireland, Caroline Clarry, my sponsors, Carl [Hester], Gareth [Hughes] and Mark [McVicar]. I really appreciate it.”

Abi Lyle withdraws from World Championships contention

Abi Lyle also took an extended break from competing between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Speaking to H&H after announcing she was withdrawing from selection for the Aachen 2026 dressage team, she reassured readers that her decision wasn’t down to any single underlying issue.

“It was nothing in particular, but it was a culmination of things,” Abi explained: “For me, it’s always important to have at the forefront the reason why we do this sport. I’m fine, Arty is fine, there’s no drama, nothing has gone wrong, and the decision has brought me a huge amount of relief.”

The withdrawal comes at the end of a season in which Abi has been Ireland’s form leader: her 2026 international grand prix average of 68.39%, across four starts, is the highest of any Irish combination nominated for Aachen.

She was competing as recently as Hartpury (3-4 July) – the same show at which several of her prospective teammates secured their own qualifying scores – finishing 12th in the grand prix (67.41%) and 4th in the freestyle (71.57%).

Abi has represented Ireland at the past three major championships for which they have had dressage representation: as part of the team at the 2022 World Championships and 2023 Europeans, and as an individual at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

What does Abi Lyle’s withdrawal mean for Irish hopes?

But whereas in championship seasons past Abi was Ireland’s sole or leading hope, the Irish team goes into the worlds in as strong a position as it’s been in for a long time. With her withdrawal, the remaining four nominated riders – who will make up the team – are:

Kevin Acres with 15-year-old gelding Ganesh (Jazz x Partout)
Alex Baker with 14-year-old stallion Top Gear (Totilas x Don Frederico)
James Connor with 13-year-old gelding Vanotti (Vitalis x Florestan)
Jess Dunn with 13-year-old gelding Dan Its Carston (Durable x Clearway)

Kevin’s place had been riding on securing a second minimum eligibility result (MER), which he duly achieved at Hartpury CDI3* last week, scoring 66.96% in the grand prix to finish 14th – part of a season that has seen his scores climb steadily, culminating in his best grand prix and special results of the year at the same show.

James arrives with by far the busiest campaign of the four, having contested seven grands prix across four countries this season for a 67.05% average, the most tested form of any of Ireland’s remaining combinations. Jess Dunn (67.32% from three starts) and Alex Baker (64.80% from six) round out the side; Alex’s has been the most variable season of the four, ranging from the low 60s to a personal-best 67.48% at Hartpury just days ago.

It will be the first time Ireland has sent a dressage team to a major championship since the 2023 European Championships in Riesenbeck. Six team quota places for the LA 2028 Olympics will also be awarded to the highest-placed nations at Aachen (excluding hosts, the USA), so a strong showing here would put Ireland’s name into that conversation for the first time in years.

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‘I’d only sat on him three times’: teenager off to a winning start on Irish Olympian’s former European Championship ride

Oscar Williams — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:49:23 +0000

Ruby Hughes made her competitive debut with Fenella Quinn’s Farrell (Fabregas x Davignon) – Abi Lyle’s former European Championship ride – winning the under-25 grand prix at Myerscough College High Profile (69.06%) and placing fourth in the inter II (68.04%).

The 18-year-old has secured the ride for the summer season, with Farrell now based on her yard following support from Alina Pedersen. Abi remains closely involved – and was in the warm-up at Myerscough.

“She had me laughing the whole way through,” Ruby said. “She told me every single side to him, and she knows him so well that to have that perspective is amazing.

“I’ve watched her and Farrell for many years, and they’ve been such a huge inspiration to me.”

Ruby had ridden the experienced 15-year-old gelding just three times before competing. Despite the limited preparation, Ruby credits Farrell with helping her through the test.

“He gave me so much confidence in the arena, allowing me to process the test as I rode,” she said. “It’s a very hard level, especially with my limited experience at it – but he was very cool.

“There’s definitely lots of room to grow as a partnership in this test, but what a beginning.”

Ruby does have previous experience at the level, riding her first grand prix on Classic Goldstrike when she was just 15-years-old, and more recently too on Jens.

But the focus now is on more concerted international exposure at grand prix, having already secured a qualifying score – though fitting competitions around her A-level exams has proved a logistical challenge.

“Our heads are stuck in the diary and on the FEI schedule looking for places to go,” she said. “But it’s not every day you get to ride a horse of that level, so I want to make the most of it.”

The new partnership has a neat family dimension. Ruby’s father, Gareth Hughes, trains Abi and Alina, whose eight-year-old daughter Ruby teaches — a connection she describes as “a really nice circle”.

Ruby also has the ride on small tour horse Mount St John Jazz Dance among her strong string — but for now, the focus is on making the most of an opportunity she knows is rare.

“I think horses determine the journey a bit,” she says. “So we’ll see where it goes.”

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‘I honestly don’t know how I did it’: Abi Lyle on abuse, resilience and riding at the Olympics

Oscar Williams — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 08:25:50 +0000

On the latest episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle reflects on the pressures of Paris 2024, speaking publicly about abuse she survived, and how stepping back from competition helped her rediscover her love of riding.

Abi described the months leading up to the Olympics as one of the most difficult periods of her life, as she was also preparing to take part in the three-part Sky documentary Death of a Showjumper, which examined the murder of Katie Simpson and included Abi speaking publicly about violence she survived from the same man earlier in her life.

“I honestly don’t know how I did it,” Abi says. “I really don’t, because I was really affected by all of it.”

The emotional weight built steadily in the run-up to the Games, particularly as the trial of her former partner approached.

“There were just so many things going on in the background that were bringing everything up in a way you don’t really expect,” she says. “It made me feel so overwhelmed, like I was drowning.”

Despite this, Abi went on to compete at the Paris Olympics, producing a performance she says she can still remember in vivid detail.

“I remember the half-halts I gave. I remember thinking about certain things. I remember riding everything,” she says.

It was on the final centre line that she says that she really allowed herself to take in the moment.

“I remember just being like, ‘Whoa, I’ve done it.’ And then turning around and seeing the score was the best feeling. I looked up, saw 69%, and thought, ‘Thank you, everyone.’”

Abi Lyle on revisiting the abuse

Abi explains how taking part in the documentary, almost immediately after getting back from Paris, was ultimately an important experience for her, even if revisiting everything was intense.

“I’m so glad I did that,” she says. “I had never relayed my experiences chronologically like that before. Going through everything from start to finish was amazingly cathartic, because you realise: ‘Now I’m here. I’m fine, I’m safe, and I’m in a really healthy relationship’.”

She adds that revisiting those memories also helped her make sense of what had happened.

“It was good to actually feel things about it again, because a lot of it had been shut down,” she says. “Going through it step by step – and realising I got away, I rebuilt my life, and then went to the Olympics – was really powerful.”

Abi also reflected on what resilience means to her now, admitting it took time to recognise it in herself.

“I expected resilience to mean that I’d be absolutely fine now,” she says. “And I’m not. But actually that’s OK. That’s still resilience.”

While those who know her would all describe her as strong and brave, Abi says she once struggled with those labels because of the long-term mental effects of what happened.

“I thought that meant I wasn’t strong or resilient,” she says. “But now with therapy I realise that actually it’s normal – and that I am resilient because I’ve made the effort to work through it and build a life for myself.”

Abi says speaking publicly about her experiences feels important, partly because silence is where abuse holds its power.

“Their ability to silence you is their greatest power,” she says. “So once you take that away, that’s the best thing you can do.”

Abi’s advice to young riders – and anyone in an unhealthy relationship – is simple: don’t keep things to yourself.

“If you’re in any kind of relationship and feel like you can’t share what’s happening with people, that’s a problem,” she says. “The most powerful thing you can do is talk to someone.”

To hear more from Abi on riding at the Paris Olympics, speaking publicly about her experiences and why stepping back from competition helped her rediscover her motivation, listen to episode 174 of The Horse & Hound Podcast here, or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

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The Horse & Hound Podcast 174: Abi Lyle, Irish Olympic dressage rider

georgia.guerin@futurenet.com (Georgia Guerin) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:30:51 +0000

On our 174th episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast, which is sponsored this month by Leader Equine, Horse & Hound’s dressage editor Oscar Williams chats to Irish Olympian Abi Lyle. They talk about the pressures of top-class competition, dreams of eventing and resilience following abuse

Episode 174 of our popular audio service The Horse & Hound Podcast, which is sponsored this month by Leader Equine, is now live and features Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle, who was announced as our Inspiration of the Year at last year’s H&H Awards.

View all episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast

On this episode, H&H’s dressage editor Oscar Williams caught up with Abi to talk about finding her rhythm after being out with injury and enjoying her return to competition.

“By the time the year ended, I was in a really bad place mentally. It wasn’t even that I didn’t want to do it – I felt I couldn’t. People said, ‘You’re so lucky, it’s a privilege to have two grand prix horses,’ but I just thought: they don’t care. They don’t care if they don’t go to the Europeans – they’ll still get the same level of care and attention. I knew I needed time to enjoy it again.” – Abi on choosing to step back from international competition

Abi also talks to Oscar about her dreams of eventing – and the welcoming eventing community – what she’d change about dressage, how she warms up at competitions and how she’s learning to recognise her own resilience after surviving an abusive relationship.

We would love to hear your feedback on all our podcasts, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 174

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‘I finally feel like my old self again’: Olympic rider on how breaking her back was a blessing in disguise – and led to a winning return

Oscar Williams — Sat, 19 Jul 2025 08:54:58 +0000

Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle made a winning return to the grand prix arena at the NAF Five Star Hartpury Festival of Dressage (30 June–6 July), claiming first and second in the Premier League grand prix. Giraldo, in just his second appearance since the Paris Olympics, topped the class on 69.39%, with Farrell close behind on 68.37%.

“I didn’t compete for almost a year,” Abi explained. “I’d done a small test run the week before, but Hartpury was my first real show back. I definitely felt rusty, but by the time I got there, I felt like I’d found my feet again.

“Last year was a lot. I had so much going on in my personal life, and by the end of it, I was just wrecked mentally.

“Then, of course, I broke my back. If that hadn’t happened, maybe I’d have been keen to get back out sooner. But I just really wanted to take the pressure off this year and enjoy the horses again.”

Even as she returns to competition, Abi is careful about managing her physical health. “I can’t just get on and ride seven horses and then go to bed any more,” she said.

“I have to do more to look after myself, like foam rolling between rides, which makes a massive difference.”

Abi confirmed she won’t be aiming for the 2025 European Dressage Championships this season, choosing instead to focus on rebuilding gradually.

“I’ve always been very motivated,” she said.“I’m the type of person who gets out of bed thinking, ‘Yeah, let’s do this’. But I didn’t feel like that last year, and that was quite a shock for me.

“Now, I’ve got that fire back. I want to get out and compete again, but earlier in the year, it felt silly to force it.”

She believes stepping back was crucial for both herself and her horses. “The horses don’t care about whether they’re going abroad. They still get ridden, they still get all the love,” she said.

“It was a real lesson in what matters. I’m so glad I took the time. It’s completely revived me.”

Abi even sees a silver lining in her injury. “Breaking my back was almost a blessing in disguise,” she said. “Within a week of being out of the saddle, I was desperate to see the horses and couldn’t wait to ride again.

“Since getting back on, it’s been exciting – and I finally feel like my old self again.”

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Olympic dressage rider back in the saddle after recovering from fractured vertebra – and enjoying a spot of jumping

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘I’m on box rest!’ Olympic rider’s update after fracturing a vertebra in fall

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘If I couldn’t compete it wouldn’t bother me’: Olympian Abi Lyle’s training mantras, including why praise, variety and turnout are key

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘Arty is my heart horse – I sat watching him for hours in Paris’: Abi Lyle shares her special Olympic memories

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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Olympic dressage rider back in the saddle after recovering from fractured vertebra – and enjoying a spot of jumping

Becky Murray — Thu, 01 May 2025 15:42:12 +0000

Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle has returned to competition after fracturing a vertebra – and has enjoyed a stint in the showjumping ring.

Abi, who has expressed interest in dabbling in other disciplines, was injured in a cross-country schooling fall in January. She sustained a stable fracture so did not need surgery, but was on “box rest” for six weeks.

Abi has been back in the saddle for five weeks and told H&H she is looking forward to the year ahead.

“It was a smooth recovery, I was quite good because I did nothing and literally sat on my bottom for six weeks and just relaxed,” she said.

“After six weeks I started doing a little bit of light yoga and started to move a bit more, and then by eight weeks I got back on.”

Abi took advice during her recovery from international dressage rider Fenella Quinn, Abi’s good friend with whom she owns horses. Fenella was seriously injured in a fall in 2015, underwent surgery on her back and made a full recovery.

“Fenella really hurt herself and was great for advice on how to keep myself occupied, and she is pregnant at the moment so we were off resting together which was nice,” said Abi.

“Everyone just told me to listen to my body and to the doctor, and taking that six weeks was really important.”

Abi first got back on her Paris Olympic ride Giraldo (Arty), and has added more horses each week.

“I was quite shocked at how strong I felt again quite quickly, obviously I lost some strength because I’ve never in my life not done anything for six weeks, but I was really surprised how quickly everything came back,” she said.

“I’m still building myself up, in a lesson the other day I got a bit sore with a horse that gets a little strong, so it’s just about stopping and taking a minute and not suffering in silence.”

Abi has enjoyed a return to competition – but in a showjumping ring rather than white boards. Abi and Francesca II (Chessie), owned by Fenella and her mum Jacqui Ross, enjoyed a spin round a course in the unaffiliated showjumping league at Cherwell.

“I’ve also been cross-country schooling, I’ve been to Lyneham, Ascot-under-Wychwood and Aston-le-Walls. The plan is I still want to do an event this year,” said Abi.

“Chessie is so good, she loves it. She’s a little bit more laid back on the front, but when she jumps she’s a different horse, she’s ‘Let’s go!’. It’s so much fun and she’s so nice to jump.

“But she’s away to do an inter I and prix st georges soon. My goal for the end of the year with her is to do a one-day event and an inter II test, so we need to make sure they both happen.”

Abi added that Arty and her other top ride Farrell – who is for sale – are also both fit and well.

“We’re training at Carl’s [Hester], and they’re still doing everything,” she said.

“There’s no rush to sell Farrell, the most important thing is that we find him the right person – he could do amazing things for somebody like an under-25, but we will wait until that right person comes along. The plan is to do Hartpury CDI, then we’ll see what happens.”

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‘I’m on box rest!’ Olympic rider’s update after fracturing a vertebra in fall

Oscar Williams — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 10:26:19 +0000

Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle is facing time out of the saddle after she fractured a vertebra in a fall. Abi, who has been branching out into eventing alongside dressage, had been preparing for an arena eventing competition this weekend with Jacqui Ross and Fenella Quinn’s small tour mare Francesca II (Franziskus x Sandro Hit) when she came off.

“I was having a session with Nigel [Taylor] at Aston le Walls to prepare for the event,” Abi said. “We’d jumped the whole showjumping course, and I was halfway through the cross-country. She’d been jumping amazingly, and there’s a little hill where you go from one arena to the next. She surged up the hill, full of excitement, but when we got to the top, she threw in a massive buck and twisted to the right – and I just kept going straight!

“It was one of those ones where as soon as I landed I thought ‘Oh, I don’t feel okay…’ So, I writhed around for a bit and I thought I was going to be sick

“Nigel told me there was no way I was getting back on and took Francesca back, untacked her and put her on the lorry. I thought about driving the lorry myself, but as soon as I got in the driver’s seat, I knew it wasn’t going to happen and he said ‘I’m really uncomfortable with this, I think you’d be better getting yourself to the hospital.’

“Luckily, it’s a stable fracture so I’m still up and walking around. I’m waiting to hear from the spinal clinic about what the next steps are but the doctor said I could be back in four to six weeks – so as far as these things go it’s not bad at all, but in the meantime, I’m on box rest.”

Abi added that she hopes to be back in time to compete Francesca at regionals but is being careful not to rush her comeback.

“My physical self means a lot to me so I’ll follow orders and not be irresponsible. It’s quite disconcerting though because I think a lot of people could do this and not even know what they’ve done. Sometimes I can feel okay but then I take like a frivolous step and I can really feel it.

“So it’s one of those things that if you wanted to push through you could but everyone I know who’s done that regrets it because it can lead to problems further down the line.”

While Abi recovers, her fiancé Mark McVicar and showjumper Georgina Round – who herself made an inspiring comeback from cancer in recent years – will keep the horses in work. And the experience hasn’t deterred Abi from pursuing her dual-discipline goals.

“My aim this year had been to do a BE80 and an inter II on Francesca,” Abi said. “It’s hard to know how you feel confidence-wise when you can’t get back on straight away after a fall but I’d love to still achieve that, and for now, the plan remains the same.

“I also find reassurance in knowing it wasn’t her being bad or refusing – it was just her being fresh and having fun. So as soon as I can, I’ll be back at it.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news from major shows throughout 2025, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘If I couldn’t compete it wouldn’t bother me’: Olympian Abi Lyle’s training mantras, including why praise, variety and turnout are key

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‘It’s been a wild ride’: Abi Lyle shines for Ireland with emotional performance in the Olympic dressage grand prix

Abigail LYLE (IRL) riding Giraldo during the Grand Prix for the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Team Championship at the ECCO FEI World Championships in Herning in Denmark between 6th - 14th August 2022 (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘He’s the love of my life’: Ireland’s Abi Lyle sheds tears of pride for defining horse of her career on World Championship debut

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘Arty is my heart horse – I sat watching him for hours in Paris’: Abi Lyle shares her special Olympic memories

(Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘I’m good with mares because I am one’: Abi Lyle on her future stars, best advice and why she’s going eventing

Becky Murray — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 15:28:34 +0000

Ireland’s Abi Lyle achieved what many top riders aspire to and only a select few attain when she competed at the Paris Olympics this summer – but what does the future hold?

Abi thrives on training horses – more so than competing – and that hasn’t changed since riding at the Olympics.

“It’s funny, I don’t have children but they say doing an Olympics is like childbirth and that you say ‘Never again’. Then time passes and you think, ‘Hmm, maybe I could do it again’. I’m still transitioning,” laughs Abi.

“Of course, if I’ve got a horse that’s good at the time, then absolutely. But I’m not going to say ‘Right which one’s going, what am I going to do?’. We’ll just see.”

Abi Lyle’s current horses

Abi has a promising string of six horses; her top rides Giraldo (Arty) and Farrell are joined by eight-year-old Francesca II (Chessie), who is competing at prix st georges, seven-year-old Sun Rose (Shirley), who is at advanced medium, plus five-year-olds Olenza (Lenny) and Firedance Caledonia (Fawkes).

Abi Lyle getting Olenza (Lenny) ready with her partner Mark McVicar. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi produced Arty and Farrell from young horses to grand prix, and it was Farrell she rode at the 2023 European Championships. They were both qualified for Paris, but Abi leaned towards Arty, with the atmosphere in mind.

“When I found out there was a Paris slot I wanted to focus more on the one I would take and I thought I could do a better job with Arty. I feel guilty for saying that, and there were times I questioned my decision, even not that far out from selection,” she explains.

“I knew Paris was going to be an atmosphere like I’d never experienced before, and Arty is the most bombproof, chilled, easy-going horse. That’s really why I chose him because I knew when he saw all the things he’d see, he would be absolutely fine – and he was.

“But it’s nice they’re at the same level; they’re very different to ride but they complement each other, if there’s something you wish you had more of on one, you can ride it on the other and get that feeling.”

Giraldo (Arty) enjoyed some down time after the Games – though hacking is part of his regular routine (Image credit: creditUnknown)

Since returning from Paris, Arty has been just ticking over, then headed to the Burghley dressage demo, and Abi says he feels “so good and fresh” following the Games.

“I’m not sure what’s next for Arty, I loved the London International, so maybe he’ll do that – or maybe Farrell wants to do that.”

Discussing her string, Abi says “there isn’t a weak link”.

“They’re all gorgeous and really strong in different areas,” she says.

“They’ve all got good temperaments, and I’ve got such wonderful and supportive owners. You’ve got to be really confident in the people you have around you and who is going to be standing there when you’re going into these big events, and I’m over the moon to have them standing there in the kiss and cry.”

Abi Lyle schooling Sun Rose (Shirley). (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi’s top rides may be geldings, but she “loves” working with mares.

“I’m inclined to say I’m very good with mares, and I think I’m good with them because I am one. You discuss everything with them and you pick your battles. I think it’s important with each one to decide what you’re fussy about and what you’re not,” she says.

“A rule I have with all horses, if you’re getting nowhere then it’s OK to quit that day. They won’t hold a grudge. Especially with mares, I think there’s days where things can just be a fluke. With one, she was jumping everything and then one day wouldn’t go over a pole, then the next was absolutely fine. Some days you can say ‘It’s not today’, and that’s important with mares.”

Abi Lyle – not just a dressage rider

Looking further ahead, Abi reveals plans to mix things up – she has a love for showjumping, but keep your eyes peeled for her on a cross-country course.

“Ingrid Klimke, that’s the vibe,” says Abi. “I’d love to be able to dabble in other things. I don’t think I could event to three-star or anything like that, but I’d love to maybe have a toe in another discipline. For me the idea of getting a medal or scoring 80% is not as inviting as the potential of being able to be working across disciplines – that’s a little bit more of a goal I’d have for now. I don’t know how I’m going to achieve it because I’d need another horse, but that is something I’d be super interested in.

“I’m supposed to be doing a British Eventing BE80 competition soon with a client’s horse. If we don’t get it done before the end of the season it’s not the end of the world, but it’s going happen at some point – and it has to happen because I’ve told the whole of Instagram, and the Irish eventing team, so I’d look really silly if I didn’t do it!”

Abi loves jumping and incorporates small jumps and polework in training her dressage horses. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi will also continue with her regular coaching commitments.

“It’s been a journey in coaching, I really lacked confidence with it and I still do sometimes. But I enjoy it and I think it really helps my riding. You’ll be teaching someone and they’re having a problem and you magic up an exercise, and then think ‘I’ll use that’,” she says.

Being realistic

When it comes to giving others advice on following their dreams, Abi says the most important thing is to set achievable goals – a mantra she followed in Paris.

“I read a book by Steve Magness, an amazing sports coach. He says if you’re doing something important take your last five scores and average them, and that’s your goal. He says it’s so important to be realistic about what you want to achieve or otherwise you’re going to be disappointed,” explains Abi.

“Have your dreams absolutely, but when it comes to what you’re doing now be super realistic, because you don’t get better by not being confident. If you have an achievable aim and you reach that then you’re going to get more confident. And you’ve got to be prepared for something being difficult. A really good motto I have, and this was my motto going into Paris was, ‘This is going to be hard but I’m perfectly capable’.”

Abi achieved more than she thought possible in Paris, riding her heart horse Giraldo (Arty). (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

There is no doubt that Abi is proud of her Paris achievements, but when asked if it has changed her life, it’s an easy no.

“I came home to my same little house, and everything day to day is the same. I am the same,” she says diplomatically, but she has already been spotted for her achievements when outside of horses, thanks to her new tattoo of the Olympic rings accompanied by Giraldo’s name.

“The only thing I would say is in ‘civilian’ life, being at the Olympics is something that people know what you’re talking about. I was at the Taylor Swift concert and someone saw my tattoo and they said ‘May I ask, did you do the Olympics?’ It’s a really good talking point,” laughs Abi.

“But on a deeper level, I really didn’t know if I could do the Olympics, to ride in that sort of atmosphere and hold my nerve, and I did. And I’m really, really proud.”

One thing that is next for Abi is a well-deserved break – and her first holiday in five years.

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‘If I couldn’t compete it wouldn’t bother me’: Olympian Abi Lyle’s training mantras, including why praise, variety and turnout are key

Becky Murray — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 13:43:49 +0000

Top riders often talk about developing their own system, but modest Irish dressage rider Abi Lyle says she’s “still figuring this out”.

“I don’t know how much of a style of my own I have yet. I’m obviously heavily influenced by Carl (Hester) and Gareth (Hughes), but I’m also influenced by being Irish in that I love jumping and doing a bit of everything,” she says.

Perhaps surprisingly for an Olympic rider, it’s not competition that motivates Abi.

“It’s not that I’m not grateful for the success I’ve had competing, but I just really love working with horses, training them and being with them,” she explains.

Abi Lyle is more interested in training horses, and building a partnership with them, than competing. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“I loved the covid lockdown, I thrived so much. For some reason if I couldn’t compete it wouldn’t bother me… I enjoy it when I compete, but it’s not where my motivation lies,” she explains.

“Some people might say I’m not a great sportsperson for that reason, but I think it’s a good mindset to have as an equestrian. I’m more interested in partnership and longevity with horses, than scores.”

What does Abi Lyle look for in a horse?

“I don’t really have a set ‘something’ I look for, and any horses I ride have come to me. But I want horses that seem like they want to do it; they look happy to be tacked up, and interact with me,” she says, adding that a good temperament is key.

“I like to figure them all out and I like to work out what they need in terms of their personality. I’ve never had an established horse to ride, they’ve always been young or green. The oldest horse I’ve ever had was six, and that was Farrell [Abi’s 2023 Europeans ride].

Abi Lyle is excited for the future with Olenza (Lenny), who is by Glamourdale and out of her Olympic ride Arty’s dam. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“I don’t really have a preference when it comes to bloodlines, I think they all have something to offer. I have Arty’s half-sister (Olenza) and she’s by Glamourdale and out of Arty’s mum Valenza (by Flemmingh). Temperament comes a lot from the mare; they are the ones giving the foal their first experiences and laying the boundaries, so I think looking at the mare is really important.”

Training for success

When it comes to training Abi believes less is more, and she says having someone on the ground is an important factor for gauging progress.

“I do a lot of riding the horse on both sides; if you’re spiralling in, then spiral out, do left and right shoulder in on the same rein. Moving the horse around a lot is something I always do with all of them, even in the warm-up,” she explains.

Abi believes in variety when it comes to training, and while she enjoys hacking and this is included in most of her horse’s routines, including her Olympic ride Arty, she adds that it isn’t essential for all horses if they don’t enjoy it.

Abi enjoys hacking and incorporates it into the exercise regime of those horses who also enjoy it. (Image credit: creditUnknown)

“It depends where you are in terms of roads, and the horse. I have two horses that don’t enjoy it, one that I had a collision with a cyclist with. But both these horses love jumping, so when the others hack they’ll jump that day. Why make them do something they don’t want to?,” she says, adding that being based at showjumper Georgie Round’s yard helps with her jumping training.

“Georgie might have an exercise out, and we have poles out a lot. I absolutely love jumping, and used to compete up to 1.20m in Ireland – though I emphasise poorly! But if I had a horse that could, I’d jump around 1.30m tomorrow.”

Abi “loves jumping and doing a bit of everything” as demonstrated with Francesca II (Jesse). (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi applies the “rule of age” when working with young horses.

“Four-year-olds work four days a week, five-year-olds do five days, and if they are six and up they’ll do six days. For the four-year-olds Monday is generally a lunge to get their bodies going, they’ll then do a schooling session, a hack, and another school. If they’re five they might hack again, or school,” she explains.

“Some people might turn a three- or four-year-old away but I prefer to always have a hand on them so mine get a lot more intermittent holidays, and if they’ve just done their first show they might get a week or two after that.”

Francesca II (Jesse) showing how Abi uses polework in her dressage horses’ training. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“I’m a big believer in reward, I train all my horses to stop when I whistle,” says Abi. “It means if I want to quickly walk and give them a break, I whistle, they’ll walk, get a pat, and then do a circle, and then we pick up and go again. But, if it’s something a bit more intense, like training piaffe, the pockets will very much be filled and the treats will be administered.”

And training piaffe is one movement Abi can be particularly proud of.

“The two horses I’ve produced from youngsters to grand prix are Arty and Farrell. Arty’s piaffe isn’t always his best in the actual test because he can get a bit tight, but they’re both very good at piaffe. Carl did say to me once ‘This isn’t a coincidence’ – which was a really nice thing for him to say,” says Abi.

Abi Lyle has knack for teaching piaffe, according to Carl Hester, as demonstrated here on Farrell. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

“I also love teaching a flying change. My method has changed over the years, and for me it’s about the shape of the horse and the canter. You need a bouncy canter, the kind that you’d want coming to a big vertical fence. On a line I do a lot of simple changes; I’m not worried about the walk transition, but I want it to be really snappy when I ask them to canter again. From that I put them into a little bit of renvers so their bodies are positioned where they need to change.

“It’s incredibly unglamorous at the start, and I always say with changes you will want to tear your hair out, then all of a sudden they’ll come.”

Turnout is key, says Abi Lyle

One thing you can always expect to find at Abi’s yard is turned out horses.

“I like them to go in the field and move – that’s my biggest thing. They all have buddies and go out as a pair,” she says. “And I don’t like them to be ridden then not leave the stable again, they’ll either go back out, or go for a walk, or on the walker.

“I’m quite old school when it comes to management and I believe less is more. But I do like to use a massage rug, and when I used to be near a water treadmill everyone went every week, but I don’t have one very close now.”

Arty and Farrell enjoying themselves in the fields at Abi’s yard. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi also takes a less is more approach to tack on occasion…

“If I can ride them without a bridle I will. I wouldn’t say I’m doing natural horsemanship or anything like that, but I’ve ridden a few without a bridle, and jumped one. If I can do stuff like that I will,” she says.

“Sometimes I’ll close the doors, let them loose in the school and muck about and have fun. I remember once riding a mare and getting off her thinking ‘This isn’t happening’, so I just ran around the school with her and had a lovely time.

“You can get too regimented in thinking that you’ve got to ride and ‘do this’, and you’ve got to be achieving every time, but spending time with your horse is still achieving.”

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‘Arty is my heart horse – I sat watching him for hours in Paris’: Abi Lyle shares her special Olympic memories

Becky Murray — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 15:51:16 +0000

Abi Lyle solidified her position at the top of Irish dressage when she was named as the country’s sole Olympic rider at the Paris Games this summer, with 13-year-old gelding Giraldo (Arty), whom she has produced since a four-year-old.

The Games weren’t Abi’s first taste of championship experience, having competed at the World Championships with Arty in 2022, and the 2023 European Championships with her own and Fenella Quinn’s Farrell, but now she can add Olympic rider to her credentials.

“You think Worlds, Europeans, they’re both great – but you know the Olympics are different,” says Abi.

Abi Lyle riding Farrell at the 2023 European Dressage Championships in Riesenbeck. (Image credit: Benjamin Clark)

Ireland missed out on a team spot at Paris, but in late February it was confirmed they had secured one of 15 individual places. It was then all to play for with Abi, Anna Vervedlt, and Judy Reynolds in contention.

“At London International in December there were two countries ahead of us in our group for the individual place so we didn’t think it was going to happen,” explains Abi.

“When we found out that Ireland had a place, I said: ‘If you pick me you pick me, and if you don’t you don’t’. I felt if I started grabbing the bull by the horns thinking ‘I’ve got to get this’, it would just be a disaster.”

That magical selection phone call

That all-important telephone call that Abi will “remember for the rest of my life” came around six weeks before the Games – and while she was paying at the till in the garage.

“We’d been given a time slot and I’d planned to be in the tackroom. I’d heard on the grapevine that they do commiseration calls first, so when our high performance director Anne Marie Dunphy phoned me 15 minutes before my slot my heart dropped because she was calling early,” laughs Abi, who had to ring Anne Marie back.

“My heart was in my throat. I got in the car, phoned her and I was told I’d been selected. I drove back to the yard and my best friend Georgie (Round), who owns the yard, ran to the car and gave me a big hug, and then I told Mark (McVicar – Abi’s partner and groom).

“It’s funny because at first it’s amazing, and then you think ‘Oh, now I need to do the Olympics!’.”

Turnout time in the field is a key part of Abi’s horse management – here she leads Arty to the field with Mark and Farrell following behind. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The journey to Paris

Abi says it was important not to change anything in Arty’s routine.

“We checked his field daily, and the only thing different was if it was absolutely pouring he didn’t go out. I really trust him and he’s not a silly horse – so I thought keep letting him do his thing and he’ll be fine,” says Abi, who trains with Gareth Hughes and Carl Hester.

“There’s no two better people to keep me on the straight and narrow. Gareth is about 30 minutes from me so I’d see him once a week, and he’s made a big difference. He’s able to simplify things, for example the hardest part of the grand prix is getting the paces right and he’s really good at helping me to identify if I’m in the right trot or the right canter.

“Arty is a less is more kind of guy, in the lead up I schooled him three times a week at the most and did the test movements once a week. The rest was hacking and poles.”

Hacking is part of Arty’s normal exercise routine and this didn’t change in the run up to Paris. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi put a lot of emphasis on preparing herself, too.

“I couldn’t have done more on my mindset, and I’m so glad that I did. I had sessions with performance coach Debbie Hill from Ahead for Life, I did a lot of journaling, and I cut down on social media,” she says.

“Every week I did a circuit session, yoga, a long run, an easy run, and speed interval sessions – my own goal was to look and be really fit. I eat pretty well and don’t eat a lot of sugar anyway, so it was just watching what I ate. There was also a special Paris playlist, it was quite personal, but one song on it was So High School by Taylor Swift. It was the second last song I listened to before I got on to do my test, it’s very much a song that will always make me think of Paris.”

Abi Lyle relaxing at home with her dogs. (Image credit: Steve Dawe / Real Time Imaging)

“We had a call to say Arty wasn’t happy”

Abi and Arty enjoyed a smooth journey to Paris, with Arty’s owner Caroline Clarry, and Mark and Georgie accompanying them at the Games. Abi was invited to be part of the Olympic opening ceremony, an experience she says “took my mind off dressage, and allowed me to just appreciate being there”.

But the evening took a turn for the worst when Mark received a call after midnight to say Arty wasn’t happy.

“You can imagine the panic,” says Abi. “He is the most easy-going horse, and he’d settled in well. The aircon had been blasting when we left him and I’d put a thin cotton sheet on him, but didn’t realise they would turn the aircon off at night. He’d gotten a little warm and all it was was that he needed his sheet taken off. But of course I then didn’t want to leave him, so we sat for two hours watching him until the stewards eventually had to ask us to leave.”

Yoga in the sunshine on competition day

Abi and Arty competed in Paris on Tuesday 30 July, the first day of the grand prix.

“I hand walked Arty then I did yoga out the back of the stable in the sunshine. It was lovely,” says Abi, who was stabled next to New Zealand’s Melissa Galloway, who she describes as her “favourite person of the Olympics”.

“I wanted to watch one combination so that I could hear what the bell sounded like, how much the crowd were cheering, and things like that. I watched Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter, who is one of my favourite horses.

“Then it was time to warm up. When it comes to warming up I like to do a movement then walk, then another movement, and more walk. It really works for him and keeps us both super relaxed. Because of the heat I had allowed 15 minutes longer, and it worked out perfectly.”

“I felt so in the zone”

Abi feels proud to have ridden as well as she did in Paris under huge pressure. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi and Arty put on a beautiful and assured performance to score 69.44% in the grand prix, finishing sixth of group B. The group session was won by Denmark’s Daniel Bachmann and Vayron on 76.91%.

Abi says the test went “better than I ever could have imagined”.

“Arty and I went into a little bubble, and I felt so in the zone. Afterwards it’s a wave of relief and emotion,” she explains. “I’ve had very few rides like that in my career, and I don’t know how many I’ll have again. It was the best we could do. He just did everything even better than usual.

“Someone asked me when did I know Arty would be capable of this, and it’s weird because I always knew he would, but equally I didn’t care because if this never happened with him I’d feel exactly the same about him. We’re bezzie mates, I absolutely worship him and always have since he was four.”

Abi Lyle and Giraldo were “in the zone” at the Paris Olympics. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The one-time tempi changes from the test stand out in Abi’s memory.

“If you watch the test back, I did my ones and took the biggest breath of relief – I wanted to nail them so badly. I turned on the line towards the big Paris sign and I just stared at that sign. I thought ‘These are going so well, don’t give up! Ride them, ride them, ride them’ and I got them all.

And while Abi says she wouldn’t change anything about her test – there is just one minor detail.

“Looking at it analytically, I lost 1.4% on my halts which is tragic,” she laughs. “My first halt he didn’t want to stand still, then the halt into my rein back I thought ‘Hmm’. But there’s battles to fight, and battles to not fight – and this was one of them.”

Abi Lyle was delighted with her Paris Olympic test on Giraldo, who exceeded her expectations. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The grand prix was a qualifier for the individual medal-decider, the freestyle. The top 18 combinations from the grand prix – made up of the top two from each group plus the next six highest overall ranked combinations – advanced to the freestyle.

Although Abi did not qualify for the final, she has absolutely no regrets – nor was it even on her radar.

“Before the Games I had to give an expectation to my Olympic federation, and we were hoping for a mid 67%, so to score mid 69% I was over the moon, and everyone on Team Ireland was delighted,” explains Abi, who says she went to Paris with “realistic aims”.

“If I went thinking ‘I want to qualify for the individual final’ I would have come away feeling really disappointed. It was almost frustrating because people would say ‘You shouldn’t be thinking like that’. But I’m 96th in the world, and this was going to be the top 18. I surpassed the score I wanted by a good amount, and I am absolutely delighted.”

Back to normality: “I just want to be doing day to day things”

Abi and Arty remained in Paris until the dressage competition had concluded, during which time she enjoyed hacking him around the venue.

“We thought we’d see other sports and do things while we were there, but when you’ve got a horse and you want to see the other dressage, there wasn’t really a lot of time so we just hung out with Arty,” she says.

“Arty is my heart horse, and then Mark is my heart person. To have this experience with both of them, and knowing Mark got to walk all the way to the rope with me, I could cry thinking about it because it was so, so special.”

Arty and Farrell having fun in the fields at Abi’s yard after the Olympics. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Abi and Mark gave themselves one day off, then it was “pretty much back to normal”.

“We had a little party when I got selected, and we were talking about having another little party but we haven’t done anything yet. The whole thing felt like a celebration anyway. The build up is so huge, and I know people can feel disappointed when they strive for something then it’s done, but I don’t because I feel so relieved,” she explains.

“As an Irish person we don’t like to blow our own horns but I feel very proud that I was able to ride well in that pressure, because I really didn’t know if I could or not. Now I just want to be doing day to day things, I was so excited to get back to teaching and riding. I just want normality, it’s a funny thing.”

Abi Lye and Arty enjoy a quiet moment in their fields at home after returning from the Games. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

‘It’s been a wild ride’: Abi Lyle shines for Ireland with emotional performance in the Olympic dressage grand prix

Oscar Williams — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 13:08:24 +0000

Ireland’s sole dressage representatives Abi Lyle and Giraldo did their home nation proud, scoring 69.44% in the Paris 2024 Olympic dressage grand prix.

“I had expectations but they were incredibly low,” said Abi, who was full of pride for Giraldo and just about managed to hold back tears. “I just thought I love my horse and I just want to be able to come out here with a happy, comfortable horse and then be able to take him home and look after him for the rest of his life.

“So here we are but with an amazing ride as well, I can’t even fathom it.

“I’m going to fall when I go back to the stable. I’ve been emotional for days, it’s been a wild ride of feeling overwhelmed and then excited and then nervous.

“But I’ve just been trying to remind myself how lucky I am to have a horse like that. I’ve got these amazing people that have been with me for this whole journey and they’re with me now – I just feel so grateful.

“I never doubted that he was capable of going to an Olympics but I never thought it’d actually happen.”

It was a fabulous return to form for the combination who were coming to Paris off the back of a disappointing test at Hartpury CDI3* where they had mistakes in the changes.

Their changes were spot on this time, and the pair were harmonious and mistake-free bar a small blip in the first halt and rein back.

“I got my ones and after my ones, I thought ‘I don’t care what else happens,’ then I turned around the centre line and went ‘no you’ve got pirouettes now so you better care!’

“I knew I could trust him with the atmosphere and that he wasn’t going to get overwhelmed.”

In what has been a difficult period for international dressage following the suspension of Charlotte Dujardin, Abi and Giraldo were a breath of fresh air.

“I think everybody has felt like there’s a little bit of a cloud over us but in terms of here, everyone’s just been really nice and has been wishing each other luck.

“Personally, I’ve been trying to protect myself in my own little Olympic bubble because this has been a big struggle for me. It’s been a difficult and stressful run-up and I do get nervous.

“I think we’ve just got to keep pushing with the sport and try to show great riding and great horsemanship as much as we can.”

To stay up to date with all the breaking news throughout the Olympic Games, Burghley, HOYS and more, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

Giraldo – meet the Paris-bound star flying the flag for Irish dressage

Oscar Williams — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 17:30:02 +0000

Successful grand prix dressage horse Giraldo – who is known as Arty at home – is Abi Lyle and Ireland’s leading light in the sport.

It’s been a whirlwind climb to the top for the combination who are set to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics as Ireland’s sole Olympic dressage representatives. Their success seems to take even Abi aback sometimes.

“When I moved to England in 2009 my ultimate goal was to do a PSG [prix st georges],” she explains. “But now here we are, preparing to compete in Paris – even if sometimes I still feel like a wee happy hacker.”

Giraldo’s early years

Giraldo (Rousseau x Flemmingh) was bred by Leon Eggink and his grandfather Gerrit Eggink in the Netherlands.

“To be honest as a foal Arty looked a bit normal,” Leon tells Horse & Hound. “His confirmation was good but he would never trot in the field – he just liked to canter everywhere!

“After being turned away for a couple of years he eventually decided to trot and he looked amazing so we took him to the KWPN stallion licensing.”

Giraldo made the second round but was sold to prominent Dutch stud owner Joop van Uytert after the first viewing.

“In the end, he didn’t become a licensed stallion but my grandfather always loved his breeding and was sure he’d become a grand prix horse,” adds Leon.

Giraldo was later bought at auction by Lotty Chatterton who then gave the ride to Abi – who at that point was still quite inexperienced.

“I was at Talland Equestrian and she had seen me seen me ride a tricky young horse and liked how I handled it,” explains Abi.

“I was still very new to the gig so I bit her arm off. It’s cool because people think you must have been successful in getting good rides whereas she’d seen me getting squashed against a wall and took a chance on me!”

The pair made their debut in the four-year-old class at Somerford Park Premier League scoring 70.8%.

Abi Lyle: “With a little help from Barclay’s bank, I bought him”

When Giraldo was six years old, Lotty decided to sell him.

“I couldn’t give him up so with a little help from Barclay’s bank, I bought him,” Abi laughs.

“I didn’t even give it that much thought as to whether he was going to get to grand prix – to me he was perfect and even if he hadn’t made it I probably wouldn’t have cared.”

It was at that point that Giraldo began to come into his own. He made his debut at advanced medium and with Abi became the first combination to represent Ireland at the World Championships for Young Horses.

Abi Lyle and Giraldo performing at the London International Horse Show in 2022. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Leon explains that he hadn’t heard anything about Giraldo for years until he got an email saying that he’d been selected for the championships.

“I saw that Abi was the rider so I reached out to her and from then we’ve developed this amazing relationship where we now speak together every day which I think is quite rare for a breeder and a rider,” he adds.

Abi and Giraldo continued to progress through the levels and made their grand prix debut in 2021 at Alnwick Ford Equestrian – winning the class with 66.7%.

Their international debut came later that year, where they scored 64.8% at Keysoe CDI3*.

Giraldo breaks new ground

2022 was an outstanding year for the combination. Together, they won national grand prix classes at Vale View Equestrian Centre (70.43%) and Alnwick Ford (70.54%) before competing in CDIs at Keysoe, Compiègne, Wellington and Hartpury.

Their consistency saw them selected as part of the Irish team for the World Championships in Herning – Ireland’s first championship dressage team since 2019 and Abi’s championship debut.

Despite a few mistakes in their grand prix test, the pair showed some lovely work, including a smart halt and rein-back, a flowing canter zig-zag and a real boldness in their extensions to score 65.71%.

“I’m really happy with him. I can’t ask for any more,” said Abi following her test. “He’s young, I’m not experienced at this, so yes – it would have been nice to come and get more like a score like we’ve been getting the rest of the season.

“But he’s never been anywhere like that, I’ve never been anywhere like this, so it’s just going to take time for us. And I love him more than anything in the world. I just adore him, he’s the love of my life.”

Abi Lyle following her test at the London International Horse Show 2022. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

The pair went on to score a personal best of 70.39% in the grand prix at the London International Horse Show – breaking the 70% barrier for the first time.

“I’ve been alive for roughly 13,673 days. Today was the best one so far,” she told H&H at the time.

“It’s an absolutely amazing place [to get a personal best] and I’m just so proud of Arty. He has been so chilled here, relaxing, eating, drinking. As we trotted in I told myself to just trust him, that it would be fine, and it was.”

“I was really happy with the walk – I wasn’t sure if the atmosphere would make Arty walk too short, but he took the rein and that makes me feel confident there’s more to come. And the audience were so fun. Before I went in someone shouted ‘Go on Abi’ and that gave me such a buzz.”

The pair took it up a notch the following night, scoring 75.25% to finish 10th in the freestyle.

Abi Lyle: “It’s beyond my wildest dreams”

Since then the combination has continued to improve. They set a new personal best of 75.55% in the freestyle at Hartpury CDI3* in 2023 and won their first international class together at Addington CDI3* in 2024.

“He’s always been a lovely horse all the way through the levels,” five-star judge Peter Storr tells H&H. “What Abi has done with him is a testament to what you can achieve with hard work, focus and determination.”

“He’s very well-rounded and doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses.”

Abi Lyle and Giraldo in the grand prix at the 2022 World Dressage Championships in Herning. (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

Peter adds: “It’s one thing to train a horse to grand prix but to improve them once they’re there is more challenging and it comes down to training and riding – and that’s what Abi’s been successful at.”

As the leading Irish combination, they were selected as the nation’s individual Paris 2024 Olympic dressage contender.

“It’s so hard to put into words what this means,” Abi said following selection. “To say that [the] Olympics was beyond my wildest dreams is a teeny understatement!

“So many people have led me, propped me up, walked beside me and contributed in so many ways to get to this. There are so many to thank! But the first and most important to thank is Arty.

“Arty, you have no idea what you’ve done for me and I’ll spend the rest of our lives making sure you feel like the most loved horse in the world and that you never ever want for anything.”

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Abigail LYLE (IRL) riding GIRALDO during THE FEI DRESSAGE WORLD CUP™ (SHORT GRAND PRIX) supported by Horse & Hound during The London International Horse Show at ExCel in London on the 15 December 2022 (Image credit: Peter Nixon)

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Meet Ireland’s sole Olympic dressage rider at Paris 2024…

Oscar Williams — Sun, 23 Jun 2024 17:30:04 +0000

When Abi Lyle relocated to Gloucestershire from Bangor, Co Down in 2009, aged 24, she was aiming to achieve her BHS qualifications and, possibly, one day, don a tailcoat and ride a prix st georges (PSG).

She’s now set to ride down the centre line as Ireland’s sole dressage representative at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“To say that [the] Olympics was beyond my wildest dreams is a teeny understatement,” Abi said. “It’s hard to put into words what this means.”

We catch up with Abi to find out more about her career so far…

1. She doesn’t come from a horsey background

“If anything horses were heavily discouraged!” laughed Abi on episode 131 of The Horse & Hound Podcast. “My parents didn’t want me to do it because it was too expensive”.

Abi added that she can’t pinpoint when her “obsession” with horses started. But she remembers insisting her mother pull her around on the Hoover as a two-year-old and that driving to see horses in a nearby field was always a treat.

Abi then spent her teenage years “lingering around” a riding school. She went on to work in retail, before seeing an advert for a groom’s job when she was 23.

2. It was another Irish rider that inspired her interest in dressage

“I’m quite a visual person and my interest in dressage started as a spectator – I was blown away by the aesthetic of it, how they moved their bodies,” Abi told H&H.

She added that she’ll never forget seeing Sorrell Klatzko – who went on to be one of her teammates at the 2022 World Championships – riding at the Irish nationals in 2009. “I saw her and thought, ‘I want to ride like that’.”

Through connections made in Ireland, Abi landed a working scholarship with Pammy Hutton at Talland in Gloucestershire.

“I planned to go for six months, but the day I arrived at Talland in 2009 I knew I’d never move back – I’d never seen anything like it,” Abi said. “And once I arrived I knew I’d never go back home. I arrived not knowing what tempi changes or what a piaffe was, but I was obsessively keen.”

3. Abi Lyle on Giraldo: “He’s the love of my life”

It was at Talland that Abi met the defining horse of her career so far – Giraldo.

“A client had bought him at auction and was interested in getting involved in the dressage world,” Abi explained. “She’d seen me ride a tricky young horse and liked how I handled it and asked if I would be interested in riding Giraldo – who’d just been backed.

When Giraldo was six years old, his owner decided to sell him. “But I couldn’t give him up so with a little help from Barclay’s bank, I bought him,” Abi said.

“I didn’t even give it that much thought as to whether he was going to get to grand prix – to me he was perfect and even if he hadn’t made it I probably wouldn’t have cared.

“But now here we are, preparing to compete in Paris – even if sometimes I still feel like a wee happy hacker.”

4. Abi Lyle on her team debut: “It makes me emotional thinking about”

“It wasn’t something I ever thought possible,” said Abi, reflecting on the 2022 World Championships in Herning, Denmark. “I makes me emotional thinking about riding on that team.”

Abi and Giraldo finished on 65.71% in the grand prix. Giraldo had only been competing at grand prix for less than a year at that point.

“I’m really happy with him. I can’t ask for any more,” said Abi, holding back tears in her interview after the test.

“Yes, it would have been nice to come and get more like a score like we’ve been getting the rest of the season. But he’s never been anywhere like that, I’ve never been anywhere like this.

“And I love him more than anything in the world. I just adore him, he’s the love of my life. So to be able to do that….” she added, emotion overwhelming her voice. “He’s taken such good care of me.”

5. Abi Lyle on her coach, Carl Hester: “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me”

Abi has been training with Carl Hester for almost 13 years. She credits him as being a “massive influence” on her career.

“He’s the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Abi. “It’s hard to describe what it is that’s so great about him. He has that rare balance of being reassuring and encouraging, but also honest in a way that doesn’t leave you feeling terrible.”

In 2022, Abi relocated over 300 miles from her base in Morpeth, Northumberland, to Chippenham, Wiltshire, to be closer to Carl for training.

“I’m moving for a man, if you want to put it like that,” she joked at the time.

6. Abi Lyle: “If I’m going to ask them to give me those few extra steps of passage, I can do those extra squats”

Abi loves yoga, circuit training and especially running. It helps clear her mind and provides another outlet for her competitive streak she told H&H in 2022.

She added that she also feels a benefit in her concentration levels if she can squeeze in a run before riding at a competition.

But her commitment to fitness serves a wider purpose, too. “The fitter I can keep myself, the longer I can do dressage for, and because I came to it at quite a late age, I want to keep going as long as possible,” she said.

“I also think that applying yourself to your own fitness makes you a more empathetic rider.

“It’s easier for me to feel when the horses are tired to understand what I’m asking of them.

“If I’m going to ask them to give me those few extra steps of passage, I can do those extra squats, that’s the way I see it.”

“I’m a bit of a compulsive over-sharer, but that’s just me – I struggle to be anything else,” Abi revealed.

“I honestly cringe at myself so much. I’ll post something then go home and think, ‘Why did I say that’. But people have already messaged me thanking me for sharing it.”

Abi explained that she feels it’s important to be authentic and to share the highs and the lows of competing.

“Where the positives of social media come in is from people sharing not only their good times, but also the bad.

“When a top rider tells me something has gone wrong, or they’ve had a hard ride, I think, ‘Oh thank god I’m not alone’.”

‘I’ve been fan-girling over Ingrid Klimke’: Abi Lyle realises long-held dream with personal best performances at London

Polly Bryan — Sat, 17 Dec 2022 08:55:00 +0000

Ireland’s Abi Lyle declared grand prix night at the London International Horse Show the best night of her life, after breaking the 70% barrier for the first time internationally with Giraldo.

“Riding here has been a dream for so long,” said Abi. “I was riding around training and I let myself have a lap to look around and think, ‘Look who’s here’. I’ve been fan-girling over Ingrid Klimke!”

Abi and her own 11-year-old Rousseau son, known at home as Arty, scored 70.39% – a personal best at this level, and it meant the world to her.

“I’ve been alive for roughly 13,673 days. Today was the best one so far,” she said after the first day of the dressage World Cup qualifier, supported by Horse & Hound.

“It’s an absolutely amazing place [to get a personal best] and I’m just so proud of Arty,” she said. “He has been so chilled here, relaxing, eating, drinking. As we trotted in I told myself to just trust him, that it would be fine, and it was.”

Abi Lyle: ‘I’m in disbelief’ after London Horse Show freestyle

The pair took it up a notch the following night, scoring 75.25% to finish 10th in the freestyle, riding to an “epic pop” soundtrack, as Abi described it, which included music by Emeli Sandé and Kate Bush, and was created by Tom Hunt.

It was an impressive performance, not least because Abi had never ridden to her finished music before, as her outdoor arena had been frozen in the lead-up to this show.

“I feel a bit in disbelief,” admitted Abi afterwards. “I was actually a bit ahead of my music; when I choreographed it I wasn’t riding it quite as forwards as I was today. Carl has been telling me to ride more forwards!

Lottie Fry won both classes with the untouchable Glamourdale, with Gareth Hughes finishing second and Ingrid Klimke third on both days.

Keep up to date with all of the action from London International, including breaking news and behind the scenes insight from each day of the show, with no limit on how much you can read, from as little as £1 per week with a Horse & Hound unlimited website subscription. Join now

‘It helps to know that others struggle, too’: Abi Lyle on the power of social media in dressage

Polly Bryan — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 16:32:31 +0000

It’s fair to say that social media has a mixed reputation when it comes to its use within sport, and especially in horse sport. But there is no denying it has its place, and can bring huge benefits to the equestrian community. One top rider who has amassed an impressive following on social media is Irish international dressage rider Abi Lyle, who is based in Wiltshire.

Abi currently boasts more than 24,000 followers on Instagram, and 53,000 on Facebook. She says she feels “blessed” that social media has always been a positive in her life, and has never become too much for her to handle alongside her riding and competing.

So how can social media be used for positive impact within the equestrian world?

“Where the positives of social media come in is from people sharing, not only their good times, but also the bad. Whenever I heard that other riders struggled with things too, it made me feel so much better,” said Abi on episode 131 of The Horse & Hound Podcast.

“For me, it started because I was feeling a bit lonely, riding on my own. I just started chatting into the camera one day, and saying things about how my rides were going, and it built from there. People seemed to enjoy it.”

Abi points out that the sport of dressage in particular brings with it a sense of perfection, which can have a negative impact on up-and-coming riders in particular, or indeed any rider aspiring to be more like those at the very top of the sport.

“The idea is that you go into the ring and you make it look easy,” she explains. “The essence of dressage is that your horse is supposed to be happy and willing and everything is supposed to look easy. If you watch that representation of it, in someone doing a very good test, it can be easy to assume that’s what it looks like all the time, and it’s very unlikely that it does.”

Abi is one of Ireland’s most successful international riders, who competed at the World Dressage Championships earlier this year with her top horse Giraldo, and she is keen to present an honest image of her life online.

“I get on some days and I feel like my legs are everywhere and I can’t sit. But we all have days like that,” she says.

To hear more from Abi Lyle, tune in to episode 131 of The Horse & Hound Podcast – listen here or search “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your favourite podcast app.

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The Horse & Hound Podcast 131: International dressage rider Abi Lyle | Teaching horses to stand still | News round-up

Gemma Redrup — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:45:37 +0000

Our 131st weekly episode of The Horse & Hound Podcast features an exclusive interview with Irish international dressage rider Abi Lyle. She talks about making her championship debut at the World Championships this year and looks ahead to the London International Horse Show. Our news team then discuss new studies in equine flu vaccinations and attitudes to obesity in horses as well as a change in competition clothing rules. Finally, veterinary equine behaviourist Dr Gemma Pearson talks about training horses who that don’t like to stand still. We hope you will enjoy listening.

Episode 131 of The Horse & Hound Podcast, our popular audio service, is available every Thursday morning, is now live.

Each episode is available for H&H fans to listen to via your favourite podcast app, as well as here on the website. Search for “The Horse & Hound Podcast” in your preferred podcast app and click subscribe to be notified about each new episode. This will allow more listeners to make The Horse & Hound Podcast an essential part of their week every Thursday morning.

View all episodes of The Horse & Hound Podcast

“This is a really big one for me because I always said that riding there is one of my ultimate dreams – Olympics kind of vibes” – Abi Lyle on what riding at the London International Horse Show means to her

Our news team then discuss new studies in equine flu vaccinations and attitudes to obesity in horses as well as a change in competition clothing rules.

“Owners must be encouraged to vaccinate their horses every six months” – H&H’s Eleanor Jones on the findings of new studies in equine flu vaccinations

Finally, veterinary equine behaviourist Dr Gemma Pearson talks about training horses who that don’t like to stand still.

“It’s really useful to go and stop from pressure on a lead rope – a horse that stands still as a habit, is calm as a habit” – Dr Gemma Pearson

We would love to hear your feedback on all our podcasts, so please do send your thoughts to pippa.roome@futurenet.com

Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 131

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‘He’s the love of my life’: Ireland’s Abi Lyle sheds tears of pride for defining horse of her career on World Championship debut

Lucy Elder — Sun, 07 Aug 2022 12:57:36 +0000

Ireland’s Abi Lyle was filled with pride for the “love of my life” Giraldo after their team test at the Ecco FEI World Championships. Their grand prix performance was rewarded with 65.71% in the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championships results.

Herning marks the first senior championship for Northumberland-based Abi, 37, and her own “Arty”, who she has produced from a four-year-old.

The pair showed some lovely work, including a smart halt and rein-back, a flowing canter zig-zag and a real boldness in their extensions. There were a few mistakes – Arty jumped together behind in the penultimate change of their otherwise classy line of two-times and it was not their day in the one-time changes. But Abi could not have been prouder of the 11-year-old gelding, who made his international grand prix debut less than a year ago.

“I’m really happy with him. I can’t ask for any more,” said Abi, who threw her arms around Arty’s neck in a huge hug after cantering out of the arena following the final salute.

“He’s young, I’m not experienced at this, so yes – it would have been nice to come and get more like a score like we’ve been getting the rest of the season. But he’s never been anywhere like that, I’ve never been anywhere like this, so it’s just going to take time for us. And I love him more than anything in the world. I just adore him, he’s the love of my life. So to be able to do that….” she added, tears overwhelming her voice.

“I felt I had the perfect warm up, you just don’t know until you go in what it’s going to be like,” said Abi.

“I felt him sucking back a bit, and then everything was fine – I felt that all the trot was okay. The piaffe wasn’t so good but I was like, that’s fine, we will do our best. I had a late two-time change and then I missed my ones, but other than that I can’t really complain about anything.”

Abi, who hails from Bangor, County Down, was a “riding club rider” when she moved to England aged 24 and decided she wanted to have a crack at riding professionally. She has been training with Carl Hester for 11 years, who she credits as being a “massive influence”.

“He’s taken such good care of me,” she said.

Arty, a Rousseau son, out of a Flemmingh mare, was one of Abi’s first “proper” rides and the partnership has progressed through the levels together.

“He came to me as a four year old, then I bought him when he was six because the owner wanted to sell him. I was like,’ Well, he’s not going anywhere!’” she said.

“He was just backed when he came, so [he has been with me for] everything. I’m pretty lucky that the first horse I’ve trained, here we are. He’s so talented, light and reactive and easy in every way, but he has so much power – that’s the only thing that’s hard, is keeping it all in balance in the right places. Weirdly, I find riding him around the grand prix easier than I ever found riding at advanced medium.”

The final Irish rider, Anna Merveldt, will enter the arena at 5.46pm local time (4.46pm UK time), hoping to achieve a strong position among the World Dressage Championships results with the 13-year-old Pagao son Esporim, owned by Eleonore and Michael Higgins. This will be a counting score following Sorrell Klatzko and Turbo’s elimination yesterday.

Abi added that her thoughts, and those of the Irish squad, are with Sorrell.

“My heart goes out for her,” she said. There’s nothing you can say to make it better. It’s a bitter, bitter disappointment, but she’ll fight another day because that’s the kind of person that she is.”

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Abi points out that the sport of dressage in particular brings with it a sense of perfection, which can have a negative impact on up-and-coming riders in particular, or indeed any rider aspiring to be more like those at the very top of the sport.

“I get on some days and I feel like my legs are everywhere and I can’t sit. But we all have days like that,” she says.

“The one thing I think most people need to do in their own training is to be more consistent and to keep going, and so I think in that way social media can be a good support for people.”

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“I’m really happy with him. I can’t ask for any more,” said Abi, who threw her arms around Arty’s neck in a huge hug after cantering out of the arena following the final salute.