Kevin Babington

Kevin Babington was educated at CBS Carrick, and at 17 he spent a year at Iris Kellett’s Riding School in Kill, County Kildare doing BHS [British Horse Society] riding instructor exams before going to the United States to take up what proved to be a very successful professional show jumping career.

He first worked as a riding instructor at a Vermont summer camp, but then in 1990 set up his own business in New Jersey teaching lessons, training and showing young horses, and selling horses. Some of his most notable successes in his career were when he was part of the 2001 Irish gold medal team at the European Championships in Holland, was eighth individually at the 2002 World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain and joint fourth in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Initially he finished joint fifth at the 2004 Olympics on Carling King, and the Olympic gold medalist was Ireland’s Cian O’Connor – but his horse Waterford Crystal failed a drug test taken during the Olympics, and subsequently lost his Olympic title. Babington competed in his first Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany in 2000 when Eddie Macken had to withdraw. One month later, after producing a double clear round, he helped his team win the Nations Cup at Hickstead, in England, the first victory for Ireland there since 1937. Kevin Babington later ran a state-of-the-art equestrian training centre at Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania.

On 30 August 2019, Babington’s life changed dramatically when he was jumping aboard Vera at the Hampton Classic in Bridgehampton, New York, when they hit a rail and threw Babington to the ground. He landed on his head and neck, paralyzing him from the chest down. Babington underwent a five-hour surgery to stabilize his neck, and spent months at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, New Jersey, but remained paralyzed. Amazingly, he continued to train horses and coach riders from his wheelchair, inspiring all who knew him.