Brennan on a roll in Switzerland

EQUESTRIAN Clonard woman enjoying a hectic schedule

The stunning, picturesque country of Switzerland is well known to Alison Brennan. Over the past year or so the young woman from the Clonard area has travelled to many locations around the country as well as neighbouring Italy.

It's all part of her job working as a groom located about 40 minutes from Zurich that is run by one of the top showjumpers in the world - Martin Fuchs.

A European champion and world silver medalist, Fuchs is due to appear in the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics, and his recent record suggests he'll be one of those who will have a realistic chance of claiming gold.

The high-ranking Swiss showjumper, who was briefly ranked the world's number one in January 2020, has plenty of experience to tap into as he chases Olympic glory.

He took part in the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 where he finished sixth in the team category and ninth in the individual rankings.

Brennan (21) has worked with horses for most of her life and she's happy to do so now, although the nature of her job can be highly demanding at times.

"It's not for everybody, it's a young person's job, it can be tiring and demanding physically but at the moment it's what I want to do. I'm always saying I'm living the dream and it's true but it can be hard," she told the Meath Chronicle.

"You have to clean the stables and the boxes, very physical work, lifting hay in and out of the trailer.

"The normal working day is from 7am to 5.30pm but it can be much longer in competition, you can't put an exact starting or finishing time to your day.

"You have to be hardy, resilient and like the work, love horses - and I do."

Brennan works closely with showjumper Emily Mason, a British rider who operates out of Fuchs' yard and while the young Meath woman is clearly fascinated by horses and the world she operates, in she has no ambitions to be a showjumper herself.

"I'm quite happy doing the job I do, I don't like the pressure that goes with jumping in big competitions.

"I get just as much of a thrill watching Emily going to jump. You work with the horses, look after them everyday and when you see them go well that is as fulfilling to me as showjumping myself.

"I am quite happy to watch.

"The main rider is Martin, but Emily is like a second rider and I'm the groom for her.

"I look after the horses, feed them, walk them, look after them and make sure they are ready to jump - and that they look the part."

Alison Brennan grew up in Clonard and went to school in Rochfortbridge and from an early age she developed a love of horses.

She had a pony at 12 and worked in various local stables. In addition she had a spell working in stables in Newbury, England as a 17-year-old.

She also went to Athlone IT to study toxicology and analytical science but after a while she knew it wasn't for her.

"It was a lot more lab-based than I realised and I knew I didn't want to work in a lab all my life," she says.

Her parents Christine and Ray Brennan live near Clonard and both work in Intel in Leixlip.

Anxious to gain more experience working with horses abroad, Alison put a message out on Facebook looking for openings and ended up going to Fuchs' yard in Switzerland for a few weeks initially.

She returned home before eventually going back to the Alpine country where she has clearly settled.

"I think the idea of being in the same place is not for me. I love that we got out and go to various showjumping competitions, meeting people, that's one of the favourite parts of the job," she adds.

While she is happy to work as a groom Brennan's long term ambition is to be an "equine physio," helping horses recover from injury.

She misses home from time to time, but is also content to be in Switzerland, where the countryside is as picturesque as a picture postcard.