Emma Golding

Emma Golding

Country of Residence: Ireland
Discipline: Irish Para Carriage Driver
IG:  @emma_para_carriage_driving
FB:  @EmmaGoldingParaCarriageDriver

I'm a para carriage driver from Ireland and have been using Zilco harness for over 15 years. I have represented Ireland at 6 FEI World Championships for Drivers with Disabilities and am (currently - I am working to change that!) Ireland's only international disabled carriage driver. My driving partner is a one-eyed (yep, disabled driver and half-blind pony!) 12-year old Lipizzaner pony called Mossy - he's a very sweet pony who loves strawberry flavour pony cookies and eye socket scritches and hates bananas and puddles.
Together, our aim is to promote driving as a sport in Ireland and abroad and to show that disabled people belong in the equestrian world. We are based in a wonderfully supportive non-driving yard and have started to have people come to the yard who are interested in driving trials to teach them harnessing and let them come out of the carriage with us - two of the most recent ones are planning to start competing together as driver and backstepper!

Highlight of career so far?
Either the 2014 World Championships at Sandringham because there was such a big Irish contingent there or the British Para Championships in 2018 because we performed the best we could in all three phases but hadn’t expected beforehand to come anywhere near the top. I finished as the 2018 British Carriage Driving reserve para champion.

What keeps you motivated?
I have particular events that I look forward to and they’re the goal points that I’m aiming for with the day-to-day work. I also try to remember that driving has given me a second chance at a competitive equestrian life – I was paralysed in a riding accident when I was 18 – so I want to make the most of it that I can.

Whats your favourite Zilco product?
Definitely Zilco harness. I was recommended Zilco harness when I first started driving. It's so long lasting and the interchangeability of different parts has meant I have been able to customise it to fit each of my ponies (all different shapes!) comfortably. I especially like the empathy collar for the marathon as it gives great freedom when making tight turns. Added to that how easy it is to clean and how good it looks in competition and I literally wouldn't consider using another make of harness. A definite 5 stars for sure!