Do you know who's teaching your children horse-riding? A shocking lack of regulation means that anyone can set up a riding school without any oversight or Garda vetting...

Published: 01:24, 24 May 2026 | Updated: 01:24, 24 May 2026 The case was enough to cause concern for every parent with a pony-loving child. William Connolly of Greenlands, Rathcoursey, Midleton, Co Cork, a horse-riding coach in his 60s, was jailed for nine years for the rape of a 14-year-old girl. His victim had waited six years for Connolly to go on trial for his four-month abuse of her in 2019. A unanimous jury found him guilty of three counts of rape, one count of oral rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of exploitation of a child for the purpose of sexual activity in December 2025. He was sentenced to nine years in prison in February. Describing Connolly’s actions towards the victim, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford said: ‘She was a young woman who was very enamoured with horse-riding. He exploited her love of horses and relied on her passion for horse-riding. He clearly took advantage of her love of horse-riding and her desire to do well in competitions.’ In her victim impact statement, the now young woman told how she had been groomed and sexually assaulted to the point that she felt guilty when his abuse was brought to light. ‘I believed there was no harm being done if the only harm being done was to me,’ she said. ‘I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt that I had told his secret.’ By the time the trial came around, the victim realised what had happened to her was an abuse of power at the high end of the scale, especially when Connolly’s defence team accused her of coming on to the man who was old enough to be her grandfather. ‘I saw him as a rapist and a man who abused me because he knew he had power over me,’ she said. To many with knowledge of the equestrian industry, this case is not surprising. It is just another example of the abuse of young women by older and more powerful men within equestrian circles, something which has only recently come to light because of the shocking murder of Katie Simpson by Jonathan Creswell. Co Armagh teenager Katie Simpson was killed by Jonathan Creswell The Co Armagh teenager was raped and beaten by Creswell – then 32 and the partner of her older sister Christina – before he called 999, claiming Katie had tried to take her own life. Katie, just 21 at the time of her death, had lived for horses and it was through this love that Jonathan Creswell gained access to her and her sister. Christina met him at the age of 16 when she was brought to meet him in prison while he was serving a sentence for assaulting his former girlfriend Abigail Lyle. The Olympic dressage rider and horse trainer, originally from Bangor, Co Down, was in a relationship with Creswell for just under a year, between 2008 and 2009. During that time he abused Abigail physically and mentally, to the point where she feared for her life. In 2010, Creswell, from Greysteel, Co Derry, was jailed for six months for multiple vicious and prolonged assaults on Abigail. But when he was released from prison, members of the equestrian community threw him a large party in a local pub in Armagh to celebrate. It is this kind of worrying behaviour that an independent report says must be addressed by all those working within the equestrian industry. An independent review into Katie’s murder found systemic failures in policing and safeguarding in terms of the PSNI investigation and how Creswell was treated. But what should be a cause for concern for parents whose children love equestrian sport is what Dr Jan Melia said about Creswell’s involvement in the equestrian community. ‘The absence of regulation and oversight that allowed Jonathan Creswell to exploit the equestrian community as his hunting ground must be addressed,’ the former chief executive of Women’s Aid Federation NI wrote in an independent report for the Department of Justice in the North. ‘He manipulated trust, authority and social ties to groom and abuse children, operating in environments where no AccessNI or Garda checks or safeguarding protocols were in place. Katie’s death is a devastating reminder of what happens when safeguarding is treated as optional and this review calls attention to the critical gaps in safeguarding in some sections of the equestrian industry,’ the report said, pointing out an ‘urgent need for standardised, enforceable safeguarding protocols across all equestrian environments’. The report also stated that harmful behaviours were frequently excused in the pursuit of excellence, a factor that ‘enables perpetrators to operate without challenge, under the guise of high standards or rigorous training. Addressing these misconceptions requires a cultural shift.’ Former PSNI detective sergeant James Brannigan, who solved Katie’s murder It is one of the issues that horrified former PSNI detective sergeant James Brannigan, who solved Katie’s murder, bringing Creswell to court before the abuser took his own life. He has since left the force and set up The Katie Trust in an effort to support families and friends who have lost a loved one in circumstances initially classified as suicide, accident or disappearance but where concerns and unanswered questions later emerge. One of the areas the Katie Trust is working to address is domestic violence and coercive control, and what stunned James was the lack of safeguarding in the equine industry. He is now working with organisations in the industry to bring about the Katie Pledge, a document that confirms each equine business has safeguarding policies in place and has gone through safeguarding training. As the Trust is made up of former members from a number of different police forces including An Garda Síochána, part of taking the pledge means the trust will vet staff members and business owners as he says there are concerns also for women coming from outside Ireland to work in the industry here. ‘We also want to provide advocacy for females who are being harmed in the industry at the moment,’ says James, whose Trust has already held its first safety talk in the North. ‘How much the equine community want this in place is palpable. When you hear some of the women talking openly about what’s happened to them in the sport, it is shocking. ‘Anyone can set up a livery yard here tomorrow and get kids to come down. That’s scary in this day and age. We’ve reports from some places on the island where there’s serious offending taking place and they’re being leveraged not to say anything because you lose your job. In some cases you could lose your visa. You could also lose access to your horse, the horse you love so much.’ He has heard first-hand stories of abuse within the industry and as an All-Ireland sport, it is not confined to the North as the case in Midleton confirmed. Dr Melia pointed out the good work being done by regulatory bodies in Ireland with regards to robust safeguarding. The issue is that it is not required to be a member of these organisations. Like livery yards, anyone can, in effect, set themselves up as an equine coach as, unlike the GAA or rugby, where volunteers must be vetted, there is an economic dimension to the equine industry as schools and yards are a business. That creates the unregulated sectors referred to in the review. There is no compulsion either north or south of the border on a riding school to register with any authority. Not being registered doesn’t necessarily mean the businesses aren’t compliant with the law – there are other laws regarding working with children outside of sport rules that they should be adhering to, including child safeguarding. Many places in the unregulated sector operate within the rules but there are those that are falling through the cracks. Riding schools can register with the Association of Irish Riding Establishments (AIRE), while coaches affiliated to Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) are vetted and go through safeguarding training – but there is no legal requirement for them to do that. Plus there are a number of different organisations involved – Horse Sport Ireland, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) to name but three. In many areas of the sport, Garda vetting is not required. It was through these cracks that William Connolly operated as, though he was teaching children, he was not registered with any organisation or vetted by An Garda Síochána. In a statement, HRI said: ‘The Irish Horse Racing & Breeding Child Safeguarding Policy outlines the expectation that workplaces involving under-18s should have an identified designated liaison person [DLP] and appropriate safeguarding procedures in place.’ But it added: ‘Responsibility for implementation rests with the relevant employer. HRI and the IHRB support this through guidance, training, policy templates and safeguarding education initiatives across the industry.’ The situation in the North is even more problematic as although equestrian sport stretches across the island, there people can affiliate with both the Irish sector or the British sector. More cooperation between these bodies is something that Dr Melia recommended in her review and, this week, HSI set forward its strategy document, in which it addressed the issue of safeguarding. The body has had issues in the past, including intervening on behalf of a showjumper facing a charge of defilement of a minor, after he was blocked from competing at an international event. Michael Murphy, from Barrybeg, Athlone, Co Roscommon, a successful jockey, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison and placed on the sex offenders register after being convicted of defilement of a minor in 2025. HSI said it made the intervention after being contacted by the rider’s solicitor, but was not aware he was facing charges at the time, until four days later when Showjumping Ireland’s child protection officer sought a meeting with the HSI child protection officer. Minister of State with special responsibility for Sport and Postal Policy Charlie McConalogue, HSI chair Dr Pamela Byrne and HSI chief executive officer Denis Duggan at the launch of the HSI safeguarding strategy this week So the strategy the HSI unveiled this week is an important one to ensure its members and those working under its umbrella have the right training to protect those in the sport. ‘Safeguarding culture is a leadership culture,’ says HSI chief executive Denis Duggan. ‘It is hugely important and first of all there is a suite of rules and regulations and laws around the requirements to have people involved in working with children and young and vulnerable adults to have them safeguarded and trained and police or Garda vetted. That is a given. ‘But part of the strategy that we have adopted here is a broader level of compliance.’ The body is taking action to ensure anyone to whom it is administering a grant has the correct safeguarding in place and the correct procedures, whether these are venues, show organisers or applicants. Over time, they will be building up a data bank. ‘Initially the first step is identifying those who don’t have these things and making sure they do become compliant and to support them in the journey of becoming compliant,’ says Duggan. Dr Melia’s report recommended more co-operation between Irish organisations and those based in Britain for the north of the island, something Mr Duggan says HSI is already working on. ‘Long before this report was published, we have been having discussions with and engagements with the British Equestrian Federation around this subject with a view to putting together a data- sharing agreement,’ he says. ‘A memorandum of understanding as part of that is one of the biggest hurdles.’ On an international level, this already happens with the Fédération Équestre Internationale (the International Equestrian Federation) but as yet this is only for those competing on an international level. ‘Both of us have obligations to report issues of safeguarding into our governing body,’ says Duggan. Every affiliate in HSI has a child safeguarding officer in place and disclosures can be made to them. HRI also has an appointed DLP for the reporting and management of safeguarding concerns in accordance with policy. These have also been appointed and trained by IHRB to act as the first point of contact for child- welfare concerns. ‘They support IHRB staff, raceday officials and others in recognising potential risks and ensuring immediate referral to Tusla or An Garda Síochána, as appropriate. Standardised reporting protocols are in place for all race meetings, including point-to-points,’ HRI said. It added that it operates Equuip, an education, training and people welfare department that will be delivering a ‘programme of safeguarding awareness initiatives including workshops, education and training sessions, educational resources and toolkit, and guidance and support for employers and staff across the industry’. But unlike other sports in which Garda vetting is standard, parents whose children are keen to saddle up must check the credentials of those they are employing themselves if they are to be certain of safety measures. ‘As a parent, if you desire to have your children involved in equestrian coaching you absolutely should be looking to make sure the riding school that you are taking your children to is an accredited centre either with the British Equestrian Society or AIRE,’ says Duggan. ‘You should also be looking to make sure the coach has their safeguarding training done and is Garda vetted. ‘We at HSI maintain a list of accredited coaches and the BES maintains a similar list. That way you are assured that the coach is Garda vetted or PSNI vetted and has done their safeguarding training even if the school is not an AIRE affiliate. ‘Notwithstanding the fact that Dr Melia’s report highlighted some specific issues in the unregulated sector, there remains more to be done across the entire industry in relation to safeguarding, and HSI is committed to continuing to work closely with affiliates and its peer organisations across the island of Ireland in relation to this issue. ‘At Horse Sport Ireland, safeguarding is not an administrative or compliance exercise. ‘An appropriate safeguarding culture is a key element of our overall leadership culture. ‘Safeguarding is ultimately about trust. The trust of a child entering sport, the trust of a parent handing over that child to an environment that they believe is safe and the trust of participants, all of whom deserve dignity, respect and protection. ‘Leadership means ensuring those expectations are met not just occasionally, but consistently. That is why safeguarding is embedded in how HSI educates, how it supports affiliates, how we accredit and how we operate on a daily basis. ‘Safety is never optional in sport.’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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