Eric Smiley competed in the individual three-day eventing at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, finishing 27th individually – the highest-placed member of the Irish eventing team.

Riding Enterprise, he was part of the Irish team of Olivia Holohan (Rusticus), Melanie Duff (Rathlin Roe), Máiread Curran (Watercolour) and Smiley that finished 8th overall.

The team adopted a conservative tactical approach on the cross-country phase on the advice of Chef d’Equipe Ronnie MacMahon and the overall Chairman Patrick Conolly-Carew, who had instructed riders that ‘the welfare of the horse was paramount.’

The team moved up two positions to 9th after cross-country and finished 8th after show jumping.

Smiley also competed at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, finishing 11th in the Team Open.