Henry de Bromhead's son, Jack, dies after pony riding accident

The 13-year-old son of leading jumps trainer Henry de Bromhead has died after a tragic pony riding accident.

Jack de Bromhead sustained fatal injuries after suffering a fall in the fith race on Rossbeigh beach on the first day of the Glenbeigh Festival. It happened about 5.20pm.

Gardai and emergency services were called to the scene, where the young rider received treatment but was later pronounced dead. The rest of the Festival was cancelled.

Jack had shown great promise in pony races and had ridden a winner, one of several this summer, at Cahirciveen Races only days earlier.

The schoolboy would ride out regularly for his father, who made history last year when saddling the winners of the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season. Last season, he again landed the Champion Hurdle, via Honeysuckle, and had a one-two in the Gold Cup with A Plus Tard and Minella Indo.

"Our entire community is shocked," Cllr Michael Cahill told The Kerryman newspaper. "Our sympathies go out to the family. I saw him ride in Cahersiveen only last week. This is awful what’s after happening.

"It’s put a cloud of sadness over our meeting forever. People are here with tears rolling down their faces this evening. This is always a happy, joyous, family festival. Within a short few hours everything has changed. It’s impacting on everyone.”

Jack briefly became a TV celebrity in late April when interviewed by RTE before the stable’s unbeaten mare Honeysuckle extended her winning sequence to 16 at the Punchestown Festival.

“The best mare ever,” Jack told viewers. “She can be a bit angry sometimes. If you walk in her stable she can turn her bum to you or try and bite you, unless you give her carrots. She loves carrots.”

Suzanne Eade, CEO Horse Racing Ireland, issued a statement on Sunday morning which read: “Like everybody in the horse racing and pony racing community, I want to offer my deepest condolences to his parents Henry and Heather, his sisters Mia and Georgia and extended family, on the tragic loss of their beloved Jack.

"Jack may have been only 13 but he was already incredibly popular in the racing community. His family and friends, his pony racing colleagues and all those who lives he touched are in our thoughts today during this numbing, devastating tragedy.

She added: "Horse Racing Ireland’s equuip department through the Industry Assistance Programme will assist in offering counselling for Jack’s pony racing colleagues and friends. May he rest in peace.”

A spokesman on behalf of Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board CEO Darragh O’Loughlin said: “The directors and staff of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board extend their deepest sympathies to the De Bromhead family on the tragic loss of Jack yesterday. May he rest in peace.”

The British Horseracing Authority said in a tweet: “The BHA sends its deepest condolences to the family of Henry de Bromhead following the tragic death of his son Jack.”

Pony Racing Ireland tweeted: “We pass on our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jack de Bromhead who tragically died in Glenbeigh on Saturday. It’s impossible to put into words the since of grief and loss that is being felt by everyone involved so please give them time to mourn. RIP Jack.”

De Bromhead has been based at Knockeen, Co. Waterford for many years with the trainer taking it on from his father, Harry, in 2000. The 49-year-old is married to Heather and the couple have two other children, Mia and Georgia. Mia is Jack's twin.

The trainer’s amazing exploits during the 2020-21 season, via top horses such as Honeysuckle, Minella Indo, Put The Kettle On and Minella Times, enabled him to finish third in the British trainers’ championship. The record-breaking Rachael Blackmore is his stable jockey.

He was at Wexford on Saturday, where he won with Magical Zoe in the opening maiden hurdle.

Jack’s death at such a young age is the second to leave the racing community numb in little more than a year.

Last summer, Co Carlow teenager Tiggy Hancock, 15, a rising star in showjumping events, died after a riding accident. Later in the year, racegoers at Cheltenham were encouraged to wear yellow – her favourite colour - at a fixture to help celebrate her life.

Another leading Irish trainer, Gordon Elliott, was scheduled to have an Open Day on Sunday but cancelled the event.