Billy Ringrose

A native of County Limerick, Billy Ringrose emerged from the Irish Army’s Equitation School to become one of Ireland’s top riders through the fifties and sixties. Although his Olympic appearances brought little success other than a seventh place in the team event in Stockholm 1956, he was a valuable member of an Irish team whose reputation was on the rise.

As an individual, Ringrose won the Grand Prix events in Nice and Rome in 1961 and claimed victories at all four major North American events of time – Washington DC, Harrisburg, New York and Toronto. Along with his Irish team he twice won the prestigious Aga Khan Trophy, which is held as part of the Dublin Horse Show.

He became Commandant of Army Equitation School and chef d’equipe of his country’s national team where he oversaw another brace of Aga Khan Trophy wins in 1978 and 1979. After retiring with the rank of Colonel from the Army, Ringrose became President of the Royal Dublin Society. He died, after a long illness, at his home in Dublin just short of his ninetieth birthday.

The name of Ringrose remains well known in Irish sport through his great-nephew Garry, who has become a regular fixture in the Irish national rugby team since his debut in 2016.