WATCH: Sisters swap habits for saddles to take part Nun Run pony race

Noelle Finegan

Published: Tue 29 May 2018, 1:10 PM

Last updated: Tue 29 May 2018, 2:16 PM

Thirty years ago today, Sister Anne Neylon galloped to victory on Sweet Divine in the world's first Nun Run at the Trim Pony Races.

Thousands of people came to see nuns from all over their world swap their habits for riding breeches to try their hand at being jockeys at the local pony races.

An anonymous donor has given £1000 prize money for the first nun past the post in the one and a half mile flat race, with proceeding going to local charities and a Dublin inner city youth programme.

The race was won by bookies favourite Daughter of Charity Sister Anne Neylon, from Raheny in Dublin. She galloped across the finishing line on her pony Sweet Divine to win the Nun Run Perpetual Trophy.

Before entering her community, Sister Anne worked as a stable girl in the Captain Stone stables in Ashtown, County Meath.

Click HERE to see the clip from the RTE Archives broadcast on 29th May 1988.