Eddie Macken competed in the individual and team showjumping at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games as part of the first all-civilian Irish showjumping team, riding Welfenkrone.
The Irish team of Macken, Peter Charles (Kruger), Paul Darragh (Killylea) and James Kernan (Touchdown) finished 14th of the 19 competing teams with 66.75 faults over the two rounds. As a top-50 finisher after the two team rounds, Macken qualified for the individual third round but was eliminated.
From Granard, Co. Longford, Macken is one of the most celebrated show jumpers Ireland has ever produced - a four-time winner of the Hickstead Derby, winner of the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome, and a former world number two.
His Olympic appearance in Barcelona was the culmination of a career that spanned decades at the elite level of international showjumping. He is also notable for having mentored Peter Charles, who spotted him from a young age and became one of the great careers in subsequent international showjumping.
Equestrian
