Cian O'Connor

Cian O’Connor

Equestrian

BIOGRAPHY

Cian O’Connor has competed at four Olympic Games and is Ireland’s only equestrian medallist to date, winning a bronze medal on ‘Blue Loyd’ at London 2012.

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics he competed with his horse Kilkenny and finished seventh in individual jumping. He also finished 7th overall in the team event at the Paris Olympic Games.

O’Connor’s other notable achievements include securing a team gold medal and an individual bronze medal at the 2017 European Championships riding Good Luck and contributing to Ireland’s team bronze medal performance at the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

Cian O’Connor is involved in equestrian training and horse sales through his Karlswood Stables in County Meath.

Team Ireland Number

642

Gender

Male

Discipline

Show Jumping

Games

Paris 2024, Tokyo 2020, London 2012, Athens 2004

Olympic Medals

Bronze, London 2012

Date Of Birth

November 12, 1979

Hometown

Karlswood, Co Meath

OTHER EQUESTRIAN ATHLETES

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William ‘Bill’ Mullins

Mark Darley

Ian Hume-Dudgeon

Harry Freeman-Jackson

Thomas ‘Tommy’ Brennan

John Harty

Penelope ‘Penny’ Moreton

Juliet Jobling-Purser

Edward ‘Ned’ Campion

Diana Willson

Diana Conolly-Carew

Paul Darragh

John Watson

Jack Doyle

John Ledingham

James (Shea) Walsh

Norman van de Vater

Eric Horgan

Gerry Sinnott

Virginia McGrath

Jessica Chesney-Kürten

Damian Gardiner

Alfie Buller

Sarah Gordon

Margaret Tollerton

Gerard ‘Gerry’ Mullins

Fiona Wentges

David Foster

Peter Charles

Olivia ‘Polly’ Holohan

Melanie Duff

Máiread Curran

James Kernan

Eric Smiley

Eddie Macken

Anna Merveldt-Steffens

Trevor Smith

Susan Shortt

Patricia Donegan

Nicola Cassidy

Sasha Harrison

Niall Griffin

Marion Hughes

Kevin Babington

Edmond Gibney

Denis Lynch

Louise Lyons

EQUESTRIAN NEWS

In The News – May 18th 2026

Athletics Mark English made history with a landmark performance in the 800m, surging to victory in a meeting record time of 1:43.85 at the Shanghai Diamond League. The Donegal athlete becomes the first Irish male to win a Diamond League race, adding his name to a growing list of Irish winners on the circuit alongside [...]

LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026

ROAD TO LA ALREADY UNDERWAY! 2026 marks the beginning of the qualification journey for many sports as they look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Qualifying for the Games, which take place from 14–30 July 2028, is challenging across all disciplines. Most sports require either direct qualification through specific events, qualification via [...]

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 [...]

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