Biography
Sam first rode at Badminton in 2009 on his Young Rider horse Horseware Bushman; they completed four times, their best result being 13th in 2010.
He bought Ballyneety Rocketman, his ride this year, as a four-year-old from the Goresbridge Go for Gold sale in 2018 from Chris and Sue Ryan. The pair completed Badminton last year in 40th place plus Burghley in 13th, and won the CCI4*-L at Millstreet, Ireland, in 2024.
Sam’s father, John, rode at Badminton the 1970s and won the individual silver medal at the 1978 world championships in Kentucky on his best-known horse Cambridge Blue. Sam himself has represented Ireland 14 times since Junior level. He was a member of the Irish team at the Tokyo Olympics and of the silver medal team at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, USA.
He read information technology at Trinity College, Dublin and, with business partner Diarmuid Byrne, founded EquiRatings, a data analyst company for equestrian sport which produces statistics for Badminton, and the Eventing Podcast.
He is married to Hannah (‘Sparkles’), who previously worked for Pippa Funnell; they produce competition horses and racehorses at Ballybolger Stud Farm in Co Carlow and have two sons, Archie and Toby.
Sam is trained by Tracie Robinson and the 2014 Badminton winner Sam Griffiths.
Entries
Ballyneety Rocketman
ISH,
Ireland,
2014
16.3hh , bay , gelding
Sire Diamond Discovery
Dam Ballyneety Macrocket (Errigal Flight)
Breeder James Hickey
Owned Hannah Watson
- Sam Watson has contested 18 CCI5* competitions and completed 17 of them. His 94% completion rate is the highest of any rider in the field with a comparable sample size (8+ runs).
- Sam is one of 10 riders in the Badminton field this year who have made the cross-country time at the venue more than once. He did it in 2010 and 2013, on both occasions he was riding Horseware Bushman.