My name is Gerard Clarke.

I live at Drishoge Stud, Robinstown, Ballivor, Co Meath.

I work full-time in the equine industry. Along with my dad, Gerry, we run Drishoge Stud, a livery and sales yard for sport horses. We also have Stewart Byrne from Navan working with us. We have 30 horses in the yard at the moment. We mainly buy in young horses at two or three years old, which I break in.

When we are looking for a horse, we place a lot of emphasis on the dam as well as the sire. It is very important to us that the dam has a performance record of her own. She needs to have jumped up to a high level or have produced horses that have jumped at this level.

My equine background stems from my father, who has been involved in horses all his life. I began riding at the age of 10 or 11 and have been involved full-time in horses since I was 15 years old. I had some good ponies and won some classes in Wales and Scotland. I also won the six- and seven-year-old pony competition in Dublin on a pony called Drishoge Khairo.

My greatest achievements must include competing at the European Young Rider Championships. There are many memorable moments. I was placed in the Hickstead Derby for three consecutive years – 2011, 2012 and 2013. I won some Grand Prix classes, including a Premier Series at Cavan, and I was second in the Puissance at Dublin in 2013 on Zanzibar V. That horse is owned by Andrew Doogue from Co Wicklow and was previously ridden by Eddie Moloney. Jumping at Olympia in London over Christmas was a special achievement.

(Gerard, at 22, was the youngest competitor and the only Irish representative in the Puissance at Olympia this year. Luck was not on his side when his nine-year-old gelding Zanzibar V refused at the warm-up fence.)

My biggest disappointment was not wining the Puissance in Dublin.

My biggest challenge is keeping good horse power. Everybody needs good owners and sponsors. I have fantastic owners in Pat and Clare Sutton but could always do with one or two more.

My favourite horse is Kellswater Crimson. He was my first good horse and recorded the fastest time ever in the Hickstead Derby in 2013. He is by the stallion Cruising and out of a Clover Hill mare. He also won the Grand Prix at Ravensdale and did well in some ranking classes in Portugal. He was the first horse I had to jump 1.60m and he finished fifth on our first time out.

My future will be in horses. The Suttons have a lovely Cruising mare who has a few good foals by Lux. I have four of them coming up and they look very good. I also have a three-year-old stallion by Cassini. He was the first foal out of a Grand Prix mare so I am looking forward to seeing what he can do too.

My ambition is to be chosen to ride on Nations Cup teams in 2014. I would also like to win the Hickstead Derby. I will aim for Hickstead and I also like the Eindhoven Show so will aim to travel there also. We were a little unlucky last year with the horses, in that they were never all on form at the one time but hopefully we will get there this year.

My advice to improve the sport is to give more recognition to owners. Awards are important and good owners are hard to find.