Three-time Aga Khan winner Capt Con Power dies aged 71

The Irish equestrian community has lost one of its greatest ever riders, with the death of Captain Con Power at the age of 71.

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted horsemen of his generation, Captain Power's first selection on an Aga Khan team at the Dublin Horse Show was in 1976 when he rode the mare Mullacrew who was later the dam of Cruising.

Cruising was ridden to worldwide success by Trevor Coyle, and went on to become one the most influential Irish sires of all time.

Captain Con Power was a member of the famous Aga Khan three-in-a-row winning Irish team from 1977 to 1979 along with James Kernan, Eddie Macken and the late Paul Darragh. Power was the only member of that team to ride three different Irish-bred horses - Coolronan (1977), Castlepark (1978) and Rockbarton (1979).

Power was leading rider at the RDS in 1976 and 1979 and was also named leading rider at North American shows in New York, Washington and Toronto in 1978 and at Aachen in 1979.

In 1979 Con won the puissance competition at Aachen and just days later was part of the Irish team that won the Aachen Nations Cup along with Captain John Roche, Macken and Darragh.

Also in 1979, Power and Rockbarton would win the puissance at the Dublin Horse Show and just two days later were part of the Irish team to win the Aga Khan outright following their three-in-a-row success.

Power retired from the military in 1979 and enjoyed further success as an individual, including the title of Irish showjumper of the year from 1983 to 1986. His riding career came to an abrupt end in 1988 when he suffered a freak accident that threatened his life.

While attending a horse trials where he was teaching a student, Con was struck in the head by a trailing stirrup iron from a loose