Billy Twomey represented Ireland in the individual show jumping at the 2012 London Olympic Games – his first Olympic selection – riding Tinka’s Serenade, a chestnut mare owned by Sue and Ed Davies.

Twomey grew up near Ballincollig, Co. Cork, where his mother Jill and aunt ran a riding school and his wider family had deep equestrian connections: his uncle Kelvin Hitchmough was a leading National Hunt trainer, his aunt Avril was a renowned show jumping trainer, and his grandmother served on appeals committees at major shows.

After winning national pony titles at multiple heights, he trained with Olympic medallist Albert Voorn in Holland before crossing to England to become stable jockey to Michael Whitaker. He established himself as one of Ireland’s leading show jumpers through partnerships with the stallions Luidam and Je T’aime Flamenco, winning Nations Cup victories for Ireland at St Gallen and Aachen, and Grand Prix events at Barcelona, Valencia, Zurich and the Grand Palais in Paris.

He won the prestigious Rolex IJRC Top Ten Final at the Gucci Masters in Paris in 2011 with Tinka’s Serenade and was named Irish International Rider of the Year in both 2011 and 2012. He has represented Ireland on more than 36 Nations Cup teams throughout his career and is based at Springfield Farm in Nottingham.