Nina Carberry coming to County Roscommon
Nina Carberry will be the special guest at next month's Roscommon Herald/SuperValu Sportstar of the Year awards banquet. Picture: INPHO/Dan Sheridan
One of the country’s most famous female sporting personalities will be the special guest at next month’s Roscommon Herald/SuperValu Sportstar of the Year awards.
Former jockey Nina Carberry has been confirmed as the guest of honour for the gala evening in the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon Town, on Friday, March 8th.
Nina has been a regular on RTÉ television in recent years, winning Dancing with the Stars and becoming a coach on Ireland’s Fittest Family.
However, it was in the world of horse racing where the County Meath native made a name for herself.
In 2005, she rode her first winner, Dabiroun, at the Cheltenham Festival, becoming the first female jockey in 18 years to win a race at Prestbury Park.
She won the cross-country chase four times at the famous festival — on Heads On the Ground in 2007, Garde Champetre in 2008 and 2009, and Josies Orders in 2016 when first-past-the-post Any Currency was later disqualified.
She also won the Foxhunter Chase aboard On The Fringe in 2015 and 2016, and the Fox Hunters' Chase at Aintree on the same horse in 2015.
In 2011, she won the Irish Grand National on Organisedconfusion. She competed in the Aintree Grand National six times, finishing seventh on Character Building in 2010.
On April 28th, 2018 — on the final day of the Punchestown Festival — Nina announced her retirement after she won on Josies Orders for trainer Enda Bolger and owner JP McManus.
Overall, during a stellar career, she won 395 races in Ireland and 17 in Britain.
Nina’s late father Tommy Carberry was a former Irish champion jockey and Grand National-winning rider. Her older siblings, Philip and Paul, were also successful Irish riders. Her 2011 Irish Grand National winner, Organisedconfusion, was trained by her uncle, Arthur Moore.
Nina married Ted Walsh Junior in February 2012 — the son of former jockey and Aintree Grand National winning trainer Ted Walsh. Her brother in-law is former top jockey and racing pundit Ruby Walsh.
Nina will present 14 winners with their monthly awards at the gala evening next month — Rory Carthy (handball), Creggs junior rugby squad (rugby), Convent of Mercy senior ladies’ football panel (ladies’ football), Charles Nevin (soccer), Olivia Costello (golf), Roscommon minor camogie panel (camogie), St. Joseph’s U-15 boys’ soccer squad (soccer), Enda Smith (Gaelic football), Aoife O’Rourke (boxing), Richael Timothy (paracycling), Michael Glaveys intermediate men’s rounders team (rounders), Boyle senior ladies’ football panel (ladies’ football), Dara Bruen (Gaelic football) and Brian Stack (Gaelic football).
The late Marie McAleer will, posthumously, receive the Hall of Fame award. Details of the Special Achievement and Outstanding Achievement winners will be unveiled over the coming weeks.
For ticket information, contact Claire Morgan on 086 2395156.
