Irish On Grand

Twomey sets his sights on Olympic glory in London

BILLY TWOMEY is a horseman to his finger tips. His late father, also Billy, used to commentate at point-to-points throughout Munster, while his uncle Kelvin trained Brittany Boy to win the Irish Grand National in 1987.

But it was his aunt Avril who guided her clearly talented nephew as he blazed a trail through the pony show jumping scene. Avril and Billy's mother, Jill, ran a business in training and producing ponies for sale from their mother's well-known riding school, Hitchmoughs, in Monkstown, Cork. Jill did most of the work at home, with Avril taking the show on the road.

Most people remember Avril as a savvy, charming, smiling blonde woman but Twomey grins as he describes her as "very black and white, tough as nails -- someone you wouldn't want to cross."

He tells a story about riding a pony called Eartha Kitt in a 128cm competition -- the smallest on the circuit -- when he was about 10 years of age.

"I stayed on the ground after being jumped off going through a combination fence and acted like I was hurt, but Avril roared at me, 'Get up you little fecker, there's nothing wrong with you, get back on that pony.'

"I did so pretty quick. She wouldn't be slow about giving me a clip on the ear if I needed one and I often did."

It was Avril who persuaded Billy to train with Albert Voorn, Olympic silver medallist in Sydney , at his base in the Netherlands.

"I was 17, completely green and a bit spoiled," Twomey says. "I got a serious shock when I arrived. Albert was extremely disciplined and I spent the first few weeks being put back in my box, polishing brass door-handles and scrubbing concrete yards. It was a while before he let me on a horse.

"It was a lonely place and it suddenly dawned on me how much the family had done for me at home."

But Twomey never lost sight of where he was trying to go. "I'd been going to the RDS since I was 10 or 11. I used to sit in the trees at the corner of the arena and watch Eddie Macken and Gerry Mullins. I swore to myself that some day it would be me in there, and that I would ride in the Aga Khan Cup. I always thought I would get there in the end."

Twomey moved on to work in England for trainers Jason and Katrina Moore but his big ambition was to train with Michael Whitaker, who was world No 1 at the time.

Yorkshireman Whitaker, who like his legendary brother John is not the most communicative person on the planet, wasn't that keen.

"I begged him to take me on," Twomey explains. "I didn't care what I got paid. I just wanted to learn everything I could from him.

Wounded Iraq Veteran To Go On Grand Slam Hunt : The Hunting ...

The Wounded Warrior Project is helping retired Army Sgt . Eric Edmundson fulfill his life dreams. Dreams that were put on hold after being injured in Iraq. Sgt. Edmundson suffered a traumatic and anoxic brain injury. His family, especially wife and father Ed, have been by his side helping him recover from the moment he came home. He has made amazing strides and now this fall with Ed by his side he is going on an amazing hunt through the United States .

Eric and Ed are planning on a 9,000 round trip hunting experience. They will hit 8 states, Florida, Montana, Texas, Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho and Wyoming and hunt for alligator and bison to black bear and antelope. The Wounded Warrior ‘s facebook page will have pictures of the grand slam trip.

“Eric’s dreams for his life have not gone away. We have just had to modify how he can reach them,” said Ed. “We think this is an important message for anyone who may be struggling with a severe injury or illness. We hope our story will inspire those folks to change their own philosophy from ‘I can’t’, to ‘I can and I will.”

Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director Steve Nardizzi stated, “We know the public will be as inspired by Eric as we are and come away with the knowledge that despite the physical and neurological challenges many wounded warriors face, their passion for what they love remains strong. More than anything Eric’s story is one of perseverance. He is a symbol of the strength and resiliency of the human spirit.

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