Nine Wins, One Title: The Making of a Champion
In a wonderful phone interview, Muireann chatted with Toni Quail, the newly crowned Champion Lady Rider for the 2024/25 point-to-point season.
From the first few minutes on the phone, it was clear Toni Quail wasn’t going to spin you a polished soundbite. She’s straight-talking, warm, and deeply loyal—to the people who helped her, to the sport that shaped her, and to the hard yards it took to get where she is now.
She grew up in the East Down Pony Club, hunting and playing mounted games. And it wasn’t just a passing phase—she made it to Windsor Castle twice, which in mounted games circles is no small feat. She was on board Polly Pineapple, a sharp, clever ex-showjumper turned games pony who taught her more than any textbook could. “She taught me everything,” Toni said, not as a throwaway line, but with clear respect. Polly made her think, made her sharp, and made her better.
Her mother, Donna, was Master of the East Down Foxhounds. Hunting was in the blood, and the Pony Club taught her everything else—teamwork, pressure, timing, instinct. Her father, Brian, had a huge interest in racing, but for Toni, it was the Pony Club and the hunting field that came first. The foundation was built there, solid and steady.
After she finished school, she started riding out with Brian Hamilton, just down the road, while continuing to event. She kept both going, which is no small task—early mornings in the yard, training for eventing, and balancing the mental load of both disciplines. She had two eventers at home and was part of the Irish Junior and Young Rider squads, training under Christine O’Donnell and Kevin McNab. When the Eventers Charity Race at DunDalk came up she was lucky enough to be training alongside Christine O Donnell. Her father, Kevin O Donnell had a lovely horse to ride. Toni went on to win the race and got her license soon after. Getting that licence wasn’t easy. The simulator was a struggle, and living in the North meant extra travel. Her dad drove her down to Kildare to use the simulator before going for her assessment. Those hours on the road meant something. So did the time, and the patience, and the belief.
Her first point-to-point ride was at Tyrella, on Puff My Pistons for Danny Fitzpatrick. After that, she rang around for rides, rode a tricky five-year-old filly for Caroline McCadden, and kept turning up. Her first fall came when she was upsides in front. “A bit of a bitter-sweet day,” she said. “But a proper learning curve.”
She worked her way through multiple yards—James Doyle, Colin Bowe, and current yard Sam Curling. She moved down South, kept riding out, took what she could get. She rode a hurdle winner at Sligo, and a bumper winner at Bellewstown. Every yard gave her something. Every ride made her sharper.
She doesn’t forget the people. Rob James. Barry O’Neill. Riders she looked up to, learned from. And Sam Curling, who has supported her for three seasons. That trust, that consistency, made a difference. So did the team at home.
“This is my third season with Sam. He’s had faith in me from the start—and I’m lucky. The team at home too. It takes a village. We all make it work.”
That village helped her win the title.
Toni ended the 2024/25 season as the Champion Lady Rider, with nine winners from just sixteen rides—an extraordinary strike rate in any context, let alone in a competitive season stacked with experienced riders. She finished second the year before, but this year, she doubled her tally and left no question about who’d earned it. She rode smart. Stayed consistent. And made every single ride count.
When asked what she’d say to younger girls coming up through the sport, she didn’t hesitate:
“Never give up. Follow your dreams. Being a girl, people might doubt you—but just keep going. Keep working hard. It pays off.”
Toni might be the one lifting the trophy, but she’s the first to say it doesn’t happen alone. Behind every winner are the hands that clipped, mucked out, loaded up, galloped, fed, brushed, and believed. There are more friends, horses, yards and family who could be named than space allows—but they know who they are. Every groom, every person on the ground in every yard she’s worked in—this title belongs to them too. The jockey gets to take the ride, but they ride for every set of hands that shaped the horse underneath them.
For the younger girls watching from the stands, wondering if they could ever do it—yes, you can. But it won’t come with shortcuts or filters. It comes with grit, setbacks, early mornings and the right people around you. Toni Quail shows what happens when hard work meets good backing. Her example isn’t about flash. It’s about staying power. And that’s exactly what this industry needs more of.
