Paul Darragh (28 April 1953 – 3 January 2005) was an Irish

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

who competed in the sport of

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

. He was on the winning team in the Aga Khan Trophy three years in a row from 1977 to 1979 with the

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equidae, equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more th ...

Heather Honey. He was also on the winning team in 1997. In an international career that spanned a quarter of a century, he joined with Eddie Macken, and James Kernan in an Irish team that captured the public imagination as they won the Aga Khan Trophy three years in a row from 1977 to 1979. A full 20 years after the first of those successes, Darragh was on the team that won the trophy again in 1997, his last major win on an Irish team. Other highlights included wins in the Hickstead Derby on Pele and the Dublin Grand Prix on Carrolls Trigger. In total, he represented Ireland 54 times in Nations Cups.

Personal life

Paul Darragh was born to Austin Darragh and Terry Roddy on 28 April 1953. His father was known for founding the

Irish Cancer Society The Irish Cancer Society (formerly known as the Conquer Cancer Campaign) is the national charity in Ireland dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem, and improving the lives of those who have cancer. History Foundation of th ...

, formerly known as the Conquer Cancer Campaign. Paul Darragh died suddenly at his home in Meath aged 51.RTÉ - Death of equestrian legend Darragh - 4 January 2005
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References

1953 births 2005 deaths Equestrians at the 1988 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1992 Summer Olympics Irish show jumping riders Olympic equestrians for Ireland Irish male equestrians Equestrians from County Dublin People from Killiney 20th-century Irish sportsmen {{Ireland-equestrian-bio-stub