Cathal Daniels
Equestrian
BIOGRAPHY
Cathal Daniels was selected to represent Ireland in the eventing team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games alongside Sam Watson and Sarah Ennis, with his mare Rioghan Rua. Less than 24 hours before the start of the dressage phase, Rioghan Rua was withdrawn on veterinary grounds and Daniels reverted to P Alternate status, with Austin O’Connor taking his place in the competition. Ireland’s eventing team finished 8th.
Daniels grew up in a horsemanship family in Galway – his sister runs a riding school and his father is an enthusiastic horseman – and began competing in eventing as a child. He shot to prominence at the 2012 European Pony Championships, winning both team and individual gold medals. He went on to win medals at the European Junior and Young Rider Championships before establishing himself at senior level, where his long-term partner was Rioghan Rua, an Irish Sport Horse bred by Margaret Kinsella in Co. Galway. The pair won team silver at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, helping Ireland beat Germany by one fence to second place behind Great Britain.
In 2019 Daniels won individual bronze at the European Eventing Championships in Luhmühlen. At the time of his Tokyo selection he was Ireland’s highest-ranked eventing rider in the FEI world standings.
OTHER EQUESTRIAN ATHLETES
EQUESTRIAN NEWS
In The News – May 5th 2026
Athletics Irish Women’s 4x400m Team Qualify for 2027 World Athletics Championships The Irish Women’s 4x400m relay team produced a hugely impressive performance on Day Two of the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, securing qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. The quartet of Rachel McCann (North Down AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock [...]
In The News – 23 March 2026
Athletics 2026 World Indoor Championships Kate O’Connor delivered another landmark moment for Irish athletics, securing bronze in the pentathlon at the 2026 World Indoor Championships and further cementing her place among the country’s most consistent championship performers. Her 4,820-point total represented a significant step forward, 97 points higher than her silver-medal performance the previous year, [...]
Olympic medal winner Sam Griffiths announced as Ireland’s new High Performance Manager
Former Badminton Trials winner and team medal winner takes reins as HSI High Performance Manager Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to announce the appointment of Sam Griffiths as its new High Performance Eventing Manager ahead of the FEI World Championships in Aachen this summer and in the lead-up to the LA Olympic Games in [...]
KÜRTEN TAKES REINS AS IRELAND’S NEW JUMPING BOSS
Legendary rider excited to work with team ahead of World Championships and LA28 Olympics Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to announce the appointment of legendary rider Jessica Kürten as the organisation’s new High Performance Jumping Manager following a comprehensive Request for Tender (RFT) and interview process for the role, as Ireland enters an exciting [...]
IN THE NEWS – AUGUST 11th
New Kids on the Block – Ireland’s Rising Stars Shine This Summer This summer has been a defining moment for Team Ireland’s rising stars. From the pool to the river and the track to the showjumping arena, our junior athletes have charged into finals, stood proudly on podiums and achieved remarkable milestones on both European [...]
In The News – July 7th
Equestrian – Spruce Meadows, Canada Daniel Coyle Won the $1 million ATCO Queen Elizabeth II Cup, producing two flawless rounds with Incredible and winning the jump-off in 35.21 seconds. He edged out USA’s Kyle King by just 0.08 seconds to take his first-ever 5★ Grand Prix win at Spruce Meadows. “It only took 10 years,” Coyle [...]