For James Mooney, horses have been part of life for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Ingleside on Sydney’s northern beaches, he would ride his bike down to the local riding school every afternoon, long before he ever dreamed of World Cup tracks or running a busy coaching business.

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“I’ve always loved horses,” James says. “I used to spend every afternoon riding my bike down there to spend time with horses.”

It wasn’t long before he convinced his dad he needed a horse of his own. One day, his father spotted a horse tethered on a neighbour’s property and asked if it was available. “They said, yeah, you can have it. From then, that was it for me.”

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James grew up riding at pony club, a place that produced an incredible group of riders who would go on to represent Australia. “There were so many of us there,” he says. “Shane Rose, Edwina Alexander, Tim Boland, Boyd Martin, Brooke Campbell, Jamie Winning. It was an amazing club.”

One memory still makes him laugh. “I had a really fast little pony. Before optimum time came in, I used to finish the whole course in under a minute. I think that’s why they brought optimum time in. I was way too dangerous.”

Showjumping soon took hold, thanks to coach Robert Stewart, who James credits for changing the course of his riding. “To be honest, he kind of made me,” he says. “Those lessons taught me a lot.”

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James has had several special horses, but JB Evolution ‘Blue’ holds a unique place in his heart. “What he did for me was learn to love the sport,” he says. “I enjoyed him more than any other horse I’ve produced.”

Blue wasn’t much to look at when he arrived , “everyone called him a fat pony,” but he went on to jump World Cups and later taught James’ daughter Molly.“They developed a relationship as good, if not better, than the one I had with him,” James says. “He’s done enough for us. He’ll have a paddock for the rest of his days with plenty of carrots and pats. We’re very lucky.”

James admits coaching Molly has opened his eyes to the emotions of horse parents everywhere.“Now I’m one of them,” he says. “It’s a whole new level of stress. You just want the best for them.” He laughs that Molly is already more mature than he was at her age.“To be honest, she tells me what’s going on more than I tell her. She watches everything. She’s obsessed with Jumping”

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His current top horse, KPH Cavatina, bred by the King family and co-owned with long-time supporter Jill Hawker, has taken him into the biggest tracks of his career. “She took a lot longer than I thought,” James says. “She’s spooky at birds and people but never at jumps.” Now, she gives him the confidence to take on the biggest questions. “I can’t tell you how much smaller the jumps look cantering in on her than they did on Blue. I’m having an awful lot of fun.”

James believes Jumping in Australia is in one of its strongest periods, with standout venues like Tamworth, Willinga Park and Stonewall lifting the level.

“The top end of the sport is better than I can remember,” he says. “The riding, the courses, the venues, it’s all improving.”

While the top end thrives, James is passionate about protecting the foundation of the sport. “The bigger the base, the higher the sport can go,” he says. “We can’t forget the amateurs jumping 80, 90, a metre, a metre ten. They’re the future owners, sponsors and supporters.”

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James now teaches up to 45 lessons a week from home and still feels the same thrill when his riders succeed. “I got as big a kick out of coming third in the World Cup at Tamworth as I did watching my niece win her first metre five at Stonewall. It’s genuine joy.”

His team, Belinda, the girls at home, and his students help keep everything running when shows get busy.

A reminder from Rod Brown shifted the way James approaches his biggest classes. “Rod said when you’re jumping those big classes, you have to switch off everything else for that moment,” James recalls. “It’s helped me stay focused and actually do a better job.”

James Mooney’s story is full of family, community and a deep love of a sport that he wants to see continue to grow.

Listen to James’s full story on the ‘All Clear’ Podcast:

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