Meghan O’Donoghue: Thankful For the Gift of Horses

By Kimberly Gatto

Portraits by Kacy Brown

While many riders spend decades searching for their “horse of a lifetime,” Meghan O’Donoghue considers herself doubly blessed. At only 35 years of age, the international five-star event rider has already had two such horses. Pirate’s Gold Star and Palm Crescent—both bay OTTB geldings—achieved remarkable success at eventing’s highest peak, guided by Meghan’s unwavering love and respect for them.

“I have always had big goals and I enjoy competing. It’s a thrill to represent our country overseas and of course, the Olympics and senior championships one day would be the ultimate dream,” Meghan said. “But, for me, the relationship with the horse has always been the most important—and most rewarding—part of it all. First and foremost, this journey is not about winning or losing. It’s about the love of the horse.”

 

Meghan’s passion for equines has been the driving factor in her life from the time she was a small child. Born into an equestrian family, Meghan could usually be found in the barn, grooming her pony to perfection from the time she was a toddler. “I’m told that I took things very seriously, even as early as 3 years old,” Meghan said. “I just loved being around the horses and caring for them, right from the beginning. And that hasn’t changed.”

 

Early Years

 

Meghan was the fourth of five children born to equestrian professionals Mark and Jill O’Donoghue, both successful event riders. Prior to starting a family, Jill competed to Intermediate and Mark rode at the five-star level, completing the Kentucky Three-Day Event in 1987.

 

Along with her three older brothers and younger sister, Meghan was raised in Carbondale, Illinois, at the family farm, Le Cheval de Boskydell. That name translates to “the horse at Boskydell”—the street on which the farm is situated. The O’Donoghues have owned and operated the equestrian center for over 40 years, bringing countless students up through the levels in eventing.

 

“My parents have introduced so many people to horses over the years,” Meghan said. “They work with riders of all ages and levels—from the toddler just getting on a pony to the middle-aged person who wants to finally learn to ride, all the way up to the serious event rider. The only prerequisites are a willingness to learn and a love of horses.”

 

Growing up at the barn offered many perks for Meghan. On her 5th birthday, she became the proud owner of Over The Rainbow, a small paint pony mare with a larger-than-life attitude. “She really taught me to ride,” Meghan said. “She loved to jump, but like many ponies, she could be quite feisty.” It was with this pony that Meghan had her first taste of the eventing life. “It was in my blood from the very beginning, and I just loved everything about it,” Meghan said. “I never had any desire to try another discipline.”

 

Young Meghan spent nearly all her free time at the barn, schooling a variety of horses from her parents’ program. “I rode whatever I could. I usually worked with the horses that were green or uneducated or had a hole in their training that made them quirky,” she said. “We didn’t have a lot of money to buy made horses, so we trained them ourselves. That taught me so much about how to work with all different types of horses and to try to bring out the best in each one.”

 

A Very Special Pirate

When she was 15 years old, Meghan accompanied her mom on an excursion to a nearby race training facility in search of a potential horse for a client. There she set eyes on a 3-year-old bay OTTB called Pirate’s Gold Star (Pirate Stronghold—Stars Heir, Risen Star) aka Pirate. “I noticed him right away, even though he was not one of the horses being shown to us,” Meghan said. “Pirate was under Western tack and was being used to pony some of the other horses. He immediately caught my eye—there was just something very special about him. I fell in love with him right there and begged my mom to take him home.”

 

Despite Meghan’s pleas, the O’Donoghues did not purchase the gelding that day. Meghan already had a horse that she was campaigning, and the barn was almost full. “But I eventually got my wish,” Meghan said. “A few weeks later, the trainer called my parents and told them that Pirate was still available. We ended up taking him on as a resale project.”

 

As fate would have it, the horse that Meghan was competing at that time sustained a minor injury and needed some time off. Pirate soon became her main priority, and, as she worked with him, Meghan became even more enamored with the handsome bay. Like many ex-racehorses, Pirate had a strong work ethic, which, when coupled with his rhythmic canter, won Meghan’s heart.

 

As Pirate progressed in his training, he soon drew interest from prospective buyers. “Luckily for me, my dad noticed how well Pirate and I were working together,” Meghan said. “He was very keen on keeping Pirate with me rather than selling him.”

 

It turned out to be the right decision. Meghan and Pirate eventually began competing and quickly moved up the levels, bolstered by the strong partnership they had forged. “In our early show days, Pirate could be a menace on the ground—very anxious, spinning in circles,” Meghan said. “But as soon as I got on his back, he was a completely different animal. He always wanted to please me.”

 

In 2011, the pair qualified for the FEI North America Young Rider Championships, though they were unable to compete after Pirate sustained a stone bruise. But they made up for lost time the following season. Among other impressive performances, the pair finished seventh at the Jersey Fresh CIC3* in the spring of 2012, jumping clear in both stadium and cross-country. In 2013, they completed the Rolex Kentucky CCI4*, placing 12th overall, with Meghan finishing as the highest-placed Rolex “rookie” rider. Meghan and Pirate were subsequently named to the 2013 Summer/Fall training list and made their first overseas trip together to compete at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials CCI3* in England, where they finished in 11th place.

 

“As I worked up the levels with Pirate, so many doors seemed to open up along my path,” Meghan said. “I actually put my college career on hold, as I felt that I had this incredible horse and didn’t want to miss any opportunities that came our way. I wanted to savor every moment.”

 

Meghan credits much of Pirate’s success to his strong work ethic and his great heart. “Like many OTTBs, he really loved to work. He just seemed to want it more than any other horse,” Meghan said. “Here was this little OTTB and he took me all the way to the five-star level and we were short-listed for the World Equestrian Games. I could not ask for more than that.”

 

Now 23 and happily retired in Meghan’s backyard, Pirate continues to live his best life. “He has not missed a beat and is always happy to see me—and he still has that great heart. I always joke that he looks at me as if to dare me to put some shoes back on him and he would be ready to go eventing again,” Meghan said. “I am so grateful to have had him as my first horse for everything. Our partnership was so incredibly special.”

 

Enter Palmer

 

On a summer day in 2011, Meghan first set eyes on another bay OTTB gelding who would forever change her life. The horse, Palm Crescent (Quiet American—Edey’s Village, Silver Deputy), aka Palmer, was at the Virginia farm of noted eventer Jan Byyny, for whom Meghan was working at the time. Jan had acquired Palmer from CANTER MidAtlantic as a sales horse and, after starting his eventing career, sold the horse to the Shipka family as an event prospect for their daughter, Chase.

 

By the summer of 2013, Meghan was renting some stalls from the Shipka family as she started her own training business. It was then that she again crossed paths with Palmer. “He kind of came into my life through happenstance,” Meghan said. “I like to say that Palmer found me. Chase had done a phenomenal job with him, even going to Young Riders, but at that time she had decided to turn her focus to dressage—so Palmer was in need of a job.”

 

The Shipkas asked Meghan if she would help get the gelding back into shape. She obliged, and the pair clicked so well that the Shipkas later asked her to start competing him. They began their career with a bang, placing fifth in the CIC* division at the 2015 Plantation Field Horse Trials in Pennsylvania. That fall, they finished seventh in the CCI2* division at the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International in Maryland. In 2017, they were named to the High Performance Training List and continued to move up the levels.

 

Over the years, the Shipkas had developed a strong affection for Palmer and originally didn’t intend to sell him. Around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, their situation changed and they agreed to sell Palmer to Meghan and her fiancé, Will. Meghan was thrilled. “Palmer and I formed an incredible partnership,” she said. “It was very different for me, as this was a horse that I did not produce from the beginning of his career, which had typically been the case. But he was willing to let me in and form a relationship with him.”

 

In the years that followed, Meghan and Palmer achieved incredible success. They represented the U.S. at prestigious international competitions such as Aachen, Burghley and Badminton, among others, as well as at numerous five-star U.S. events. “I like to think that he has thoroughly enjoyed his career and our bond,” Meghan said. “We traveled the world together. This horse has done it all for me.

 

“Palmer has a different personality than Pirate, though they share that great heart for which Thoroughbreds are known,” Meghan said. “But Palmer is more laid back and cautious, where Pirate was always on alert. I always joke that Pirate would be a horse that you could ride into battle, but if I needed to outsmart an enemy, I would pick Palmer for the job.”

 

Now 19 years of age, Palmer’s legendary career is winding down. “Right now I have no serious plans for him,” Meghan said. “Perhaps he will teach some riders at the lower levels. But he will always stay with me. He owes me absolutely nothing.”

 

Looking Ahead

 

As Meghan looks forward to developing a partnership with her next “horse of a lifetime”—whomever that may be—she is excited to be bringing along several young prospects. One such horse is Eros, a German-bred gelding with whom she has been working with for the past three years. “Eros is another bay—I clearly have an affinity for bay geldings,” she said. “He is an amazing horse—one that I am very excited about.” In addition to her current mounts, Meghan is currently looking to grow a string of competition horses with a group of supporters.

 

When she is not producing horses, Meghan maintains a busy teaching schedule at her boutique facility, Enduhring Farm. The operation is based in Virginia’s Piedmont Hunt Country in the warmer weather and moves to Ocala, Florida, for the winter months. Its name is a homage to fiancé Will Duhring, an entrepreneur Meghan met through mutual friends in 2017. “Will is not a horse person, which may be a good thing,” Meghan said. “He is the most incredible, supportive partner I could ask for and I am so grateful for him every day.”

Any spare time that the couple has is spent with family, which includes their two beloved dogs, Willow and Spruce. “We don’t have a lot of time outside of horses,” Meghan said. “But we do make sure to spend time with our family—besides our parents and siblings, we have many nieces and nephews that we absolutely adore.”

 

Speaking of family, Meghan considers herself lucky to be able to work each day alongside her younger sister, Kelty, an accomplished event rider in her own right. “It is very special being able to live this dream with my sister by my side,” Meghan said. “And I make sure to remind myself of that often. We get to work with horses for a living and we get to do it together. Having a family that understands the highs and lows of the horse world is such an advantage.”

In her work as both a rider and a teacher, Meghan draws inspiration from her longtime trainer and mentor, Olympian Will Coleman. “Will is an amazing horseman who has such a nice way of communicating with horses. He taught me that working with horses is a privilege and that we have a great opportunity to learn from them rather than simply train them. I have based my program off of that principle.”

While Meghan continues to have lofty goals that include representing the U.S. in international competition—and even the Olympics someday—she believes that the relationship with the horse is paramount to any success.

“Every day I think about how lucky I am to have had horses like Pirate and Palmer, and all the others who have touched my life,” Meghan said. “It’s important to me to recognize the opportunity that each horse gives us to create incredible relationships with them. I always try to remember that I am their voice in a teaching setting or a management setting. As much as I’m responsible to train these horses, I am just as responsible to listen to them. It’s a real privilege to be in that position and it’s something that should never be taken for granted. Regardless of how little or big a victory is, they should all be celebrated because it is a true gift to us to be able to work with horses.

“Just to be able to do what I love, with these incredible animals who give us their all—that is what success means to me.”

 

Folllow Meghan on Facebook at Meghan O’Donoghue Eventing, on Instagram at meghan_odonoghue_eventing and visit her website at moeventing.com

 

Photos by Kacy Brown, kacybrownphotography.com