Cian O'Connor returned home to Ireland today to a hero's welcome - he returns being Ireland's ONLY Olympic medallist and it is a GOLD one which recognises him as the Individual - Showjumping Gold medallist and could anything be more fitting for a country so well known for it's horses and horsemanship - I think not!

No doubt for many weeks and months to come the media will flood it's viewers, readers and listeners with stories, pictures, footage and interviews with people who want to feel a part of this young man's life - and there may be some who will say that they are being "overloaded with Cian" - but his achievement is too enormous to go unnoticed and without great fanfare!

His story is one which may well inspire many other young riders out there who wonder whether they will ever make it - it is a story which proves that you can make it with hard work and dedication and this should inspire many and show just how much hard work is involved in being an Olympic Gold medallist.

Cian began riding at 14 years of age - so just ten short years ago - it took longer than this to breed and produce his Gold medal horse, Waterford Crystal. Cian showed dedication to his riding from when he first began to ride at John Floody's, then moving to Kill International Equestrian Centre which already a huge number of the most successful riders in the world to its credit from the days when Miss Iris Kellet owned and operated Kill. His first mount which he brought with him to Kill was his father Taidgh's hunter Radiman, the Irish Draught gelding by the King of Diamonds where the horse lived on livery and it was here that a young Cian formed a lifelong friendship with Alison Thorne who has had Radiman since his retirement, 3 years ago and in 2003 Cian gave her another of his very special horses, Normandy - would he trust anyone else with the care of these two most special horses in their twilight years - I think not!

The 14 year old school boy would turn up before school to ride and would return after school to again ride and tend to his horse showing a dedication which was more usual to see in the girls of that age - not the boys, who usually preferred to be out playing "boy type games" such as football or hurling.

Cian comes from a family of achievers and his grandfather, Karl Mullen was an Irish sporting hero himself in rugby and took Ireland to International success so it should come as no surprise that Cian is hungry to excell for himself and his country - and the obvious family support came through in all the interviews immediately following his win but his rise to the top has been incredibly fast when you consider that just four years after he began to ride he competed on his first Nations Cup team for Ireland - an extraordinary feat considering most have just mastered the rising trot and may have begun to jump 1m tracks after four years!

So how did a young man go from hunting with his father to an Olympic Gold medal - simple tenacity and a touch of cheek - he used to watch the registered jumping shows to see if he could learn how the top riders worked their horses and it was here he introduced himself to Gerry Mullins and asked "how do I get started in this showjumping game?" Gerry's answer was simple "get yourself an experienced horse" and Gerry saw something in this young man and took on his training and today Gerry is not just Cian's trainer but also his mentor and close friend.

And today, Monday August 30th, 2004 he arrived at Dublin airport the nation's hero, bringing with him the gold medal - and what a crowd awaited Cian and girlfriend Rachel Wyse as they came through the doors - the waiting throngs screamed wildly for their hero!

Both Cian and Rachel looked stunned and when chatting later with Rachel we understood why - since winning the medal they had seen no papers and had no clue as to what was going on at home so even though they had "done the press conference" prior to coming through the doors, they expected family and a few friends on the other side of the glass doors - they did not expect what awaited them!

The signs around the airport ranged from carefully planned and made with great love through to the impromptu - but all were after the same thing - to applaud their newest hero and perhaps get his autograph on their chosen item.

The young lady below was delighted when Cian stopped for a quick chat and autogrpahed her copy of the newspaper featuring Cian and Waterford Crystal!

the signs were.............

left, very clever and.........

below, very pointed at the impact a hero has!

The point of the sign pictured right is very much evidence of the effect of role models!

It was around 4 years ago, after the Sydney Olympic Games that Cian appeared at a show in Ireland with some new sign writing on his lorry - it read quite simply "working towards the summer games 2004"!

At this stage Cian had been riding for around 6 years and had already competed in a Nations Cup for Ireland - but still many thought he was a "presumptuous upstart" - but perhaps Cian used this signage as a daily reminder of his goal and to remind himself of just why he was working 7 days per week from crack of dawn till evening riding as many horses as could be fitted into the day - whatever the reason for this signage appearing on his lorry - he proved those who thought he was "full of it" to be very very wrong - he has the Gold medal to prove that he worked hard enough!

Cian and Rachel were the first of the equestrian contingent to come through the doors - but it was to a rousing cheer of support that Kevin Babington came into view - showjumping is a simple sport in it's format but it is such a complex sport in the playing of it!

And Kevin will not be forgotten by the Irish fans for his incredible performance in Athens on board the only Irish horse on the team, Carling King, coming in at 5th place missing a medal by one fence only - a super performance by a gentleman.

It was great to also see the current World Champion, Irishman Dermott Lennon, above left. Dermott won the title World Champion in 2002 in Jerez after a thrilling final round, which sees the top 4 riders swapping horses - they each get three warm up fences on each of the other three horses and then jump an 8 fence track - a test of riders ability - and Dermott came through the test with flying colours to earn the title World Champion which he holds until 2006, when he will hopefully have a horse to defend his title with. His World Championships mare, Liscalgot is, we believe, in foal and with motherhood comes responsibility - to perhaps breed Dermott an Olympic horse!

What an achievement for such a small country with a population numbering around 3 million to have the current World Champion in Showjumping and the current Olympic Showjumping Individual Gold medallist -plus exceptional Samsung Super League results - and let's not forget that in 2002 Cian won the Samsung Nations Cup Leading Rider.