With some hard work, a few major international successes under her belt, and the guidance of the world’s best riders, that dream is coming true for Vanessa Mannix.
Mannix started out riding retired polo ponies on her family’s farm at a young age. After a short stint in a peewee polo league, she began riding competitively with Jonathan Asselin at the age of 12. In 2007, Mannix moved to Dublin, Ireland, to pursue her undergraduate degree in business and politics at Trinity College. It was at that point she began training with Barry O’Connor and Conor Swail, and subsequently brought two horses over from Calgary. “Ten years later I can firmly say Conor is one of the world’s best coaches,” she says. “I still keep horses with Barry, who helps us find prospects and keeps the European horses in great shape for me.
“The Irish have such a unique affinity for horses and are some of the world’s most talented riders. I didn’t anticipate becoming so attached to Ireland during my four-year degree, but now I wouldn’t feel right without visiting Ireland a few times a year. It has definitely become my second home. The Irish are also unique in the way they band together and support each other, and I’m grateful to be part of the Irish scene.”