How many 13 year old's start riding on event horses? Perhaps you guessed that would be that fearless lass from Cork, Ireland. She jumped right in under the guidance of one of Ireland’s greats, Robert Splain, Ireland’s Show Jumping Team’s Chef d’equipe. Her first job as a professional rider was schooling green horses for Allan and Aoife McSweeny, who specialize in developing young horses for International Competitions. Gisele O’Grady is an experienced international rider and competitor.

At the age of 19 she packed up and moved to New Zealand. It was supposed to be a gap year to see what she wanted to do with her life. “I was young and bold,” she laughs. “I wanted to broaden my experiences.” There she rode for Claire and Simon Wilson, who are FEI Jumper Competitors. In her spare time she discovered Hare Hunting there. “It was a lot like foxhunting as far as tradition goes; impeccable turnout with riders in traditional attire and horses perfectly groomed, only the hounds were a bit smaller than those I had fox hunted with in Ireland. We would hunt wide open in Hawks Bay for 4-5 hours. It was wild.”

Her gap year turned into 4 years when she received word that her grandfather had died. Her grandparents had retired to Hendersonville, NC from Upstate NY some years before. Gisele returned with the intention of helping her family. Her mother’s family knew Beth Perkins, an international eventer who lived in the area. Gisele was introduced to her and Beth hired her to help her get ready for The Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event and live at her farm. Gisele fell in love with the area. She went to the Tryon International Equestrian Center and watched a Hunter competition. She decided that was something she could do. She became an active rider competing in the Hunter and Jumper rings at horse shows on the Local level through the A Circuit. She set up her business at Clearview Farms in Landrum, SC where, in addition to her riding duties, she also shared her experience working as a ground person and trainer helping other riders improve their skill sets.

Since she had fox hunted in Ireland, she started capping a few times with the Tryon Hounds which led them to offer her a scholarship membership for two years. The following year she joined as a professional member and Board Member. “They are so well organized,” she explained. “They valued their members and their land owners. Their staff is great especially Beth Blackwell, the Huntsman. I loved the social aspect too.” She admits that being an active member was good for her business. She recently showed long time TH riding member Lisa Spriggs' new show horse Riley, an Irish Sport Horse bred in Ireland with French and Dutch Warmblood in his lineage, in the National Derby. They came in first place! “I was super proud of Lisa’s horse. It was his first one and he could not have been better.” Gisele’s ideal hunt horse is “one agreeable to the aids, educated to have confidence to do the job, aware of their surroundings, careful on their feet and balance for the rider.”

“Hunting with the Tryon Hounds is so refreshing,” said Gisele. “The show ring is all about competing against others. The Tryon Hounds is all about the hounds not who’s the best rider. There is no animosity that runs through the hunt. Everyone gets along old and young alike. I love learning from my elders. I am also excited that we are getting more young people in the mix. We even have an expanding group of children joining our ranks.”

Indeed, the future looks bright. Please join Gisele and all the members of the Tryon Hounds in our Centennial Celebrations including our Centennial Hunt Weekend March 4 – 7, 2026.