‘A hugely kind and fun character loved by all’: farewell to Olympic rider and chef d’equipe

The Olympic and five-star event rider Lord Patrick Thomas Conolly-Carew has died peacefully aged 86, surrounded by his family.

The seventh Baron Carew represented Ireland in eventing at the 1968 and 1972 Games and was on the Irish team that won silver at the 1962 European Championships. He completed Badminton eight times.

Lord Carew was born in London to William, the sixth Baron Carew, and Lady Sylvia. He and his brother and two sisters grew up in Kildare, where horses and ponies were a huge part of their lives.

He was educated at Harrow, then commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards, The Blues. He served in Cyprus and Germany, then in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. During his time at Sandhurst, Lord Carew started eventing with Ballyhoo, who had started life as a barge horse in Dublin, and with whom he completed Badminton five times and won the European silver.

After Lord Carew left the Army, he returned to Ireland with his wife Celia, neé Cubitt, and their daughter, to live in Co Kildare. He bought Tawny Port, with whom he represented Ireland in the 1968 and 1972 Olympic eventing. He also showjumped on Irish Nations Cup teams.

Lord Carew went on to become chef d’equipe of the Irish eventing team at the 1976 Olympics, and chairman of the ground jury at the 1992 and 1996 Games. He was president of Horse Sport Ireland from 1979 to 1985 and was chair of the FEI eventing committee, and member of the FEI bureau, between 1979 and 1985. He served as field master for the Kildare Foxhounds for some seasons.

Lord Carew, who also sat in the House of Lords, is described as a family man, passionate about sport and Ireland.
“There was never a dull moment with Pat around,” said his younger brother Bunny Maitland-Carew. “He was a hugely kind and fun character who was loved by all.”

He is survived by Celia, their daughters Virginia, Nicola and Camilla, and son William.