Meet Assistant Yard Manager Edel Maher
My name is Edel, and my family affectionately calls me Miss Doolittle due to my deep love for animals, especially horses, dogs, cats, or any other animal I encounter. I am proud to be from Cherry Orchard, where I have lived since birth. My passion for horses began with a school trip to a horse-riding event when I was around 6 or 7 years old. However, it wasn’t until I was 12, thanks to another school opportunity, that I truly reconnected with horse riding. Initially, I was extremely nervous and embarrassed about horse riding, but we all had to participate as a class. During this period, I attended weekly horse riding sessions at Cherry Orchard Equine Centre and quickly fell in love with the sport.
As a child, I was shy and often self-conscious, but the supportive environment at the Equine Centre helped me grow in confidence. One of the instructors, Joanne, approached me and a friend about joining the leader program, which allowed me to spend more time with the horses. This opportunity and joining the pony club deepened my love for horses and helped me form lifelong friendships. The friends I made at Cherry Orchard Equine Centre remain my best friends to this day, and I am grateful to the youth service team, Paula, Judith, Paul, Elaine, and the yard staff, for helping me believe in myself and find my inner strength.
At Cherry Orchard Equine Centre, I learned about equine exams and colleges, leading me to Kildalton College in Kilkenny. Prior to attending Kildalton College, I received my Pony Club qualifications, which fuelled my desire to succeed. Horses have become my therapy, my go-to place for comfort and joy. Despite initial doubts from others about my ability to succeed in a horse college as a girl from Cherry Orchard, I persevered and proved them wrong.
For three years, I attended Kildalton College, the largest Teagasc College and a leading training provider in Agriculture, Horticulture, and Equine studies in Ireland. During this time, I achieved my BHS Qualifications Stage 1, 2, 3 & PTT and subsequently my BHSAI certificate. Upon completion, I was asked to stay at the college as a Junior Yard Manager, working with top coaches and competitors. This experience provided a solid foundation and motivated me to pursue my BHS Stage 4 qualification. My time at Kildalton College was truly amazing.
After leaving college, I worked in a show jumping yard for six years while maintaining a full-time position there. Eventually, I returned to Cherry Orchard Equine Centre as a yard hand and began teaching lessons. When the Centre advertised for an Assistant Yard Manager, I eagerly applied, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to the community and inspire young people to pursue their dreams.
Currently, I am the Assistant Yard Manager and BHSAI Head Coach at Cherry Orchard Equine Centre. My role includes operating a successful leader’s program, delivering BHS training to working students and the public, managing the Equine Education Officer & Leasing Program, conducting private and group lessons, overseeing the CHR schedule, representing the Centre at educational and promotional events, and organizing in-house riding competitions. My primary focus is to guide the community’s young people to pursue their lifelong careers and help them find themselves through horses, just as I did. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing people succeed and leave with smiles on their faces.
One of my major goals is to achieve my BHSI certification. I firmly believe in continuous learning and upskilling to provide the highest standards of coaching and pass on my experiences and skills to others. My future development plan includes representing the BHS for my local community and the east and south of the country, particularly helping those from disadvantaged areas pursue their equine career pathways. Knowing that I have helped others get on the right career path and positively impact equine welfare is a great motivator for me.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michelle the Yard Manager at Cherry Orchard Equine Centre for giving me this opportunity to gain management skills in this sector and for supporting me through my current training.
In the long term, I aim to influence as many people as possible as a professional coach inspiring them to maintain high standards in the industry and strive to be the best they can be. One day, I hope to run my own yard, be a role model, and encourage others never to give up on their dreams.
