Local hero Cian O'Connor, was welcomed home to Broadmeadow Equestrian Centre, Ashbourne, Co Meath by over 300 enthusiastic fans yesterday afternoon.
Horse manure never smelt as sweet as it did in the presence of the 24-year-old Olympic champion who last Friday secured the only medal for Ireland.
The crowd, mostly members of pony clubs, came from Galway, Tipperary, Waterford and Northern Ireland as well as many local clubs, relived O'Connor's Olympic performance on a large TV screen.
When the medal ceremony was replayed a deafening roar lifted the roof of the equestrian centre, bringing a shy smile to O'Connor's face.
Friends, fans and family looked on as a tanned and relaxed O'Connor paid tribute to all those who had supported him. In particular, he singled out groom Ms Jane Doyle, who, he said, "doesn't get the credit she deserves".
"It has been a very emotional time, but I think it will settle down soon," he told the crowd but insisted that he plans to return to work today. "I have a lot of work to do."
He expressed his wish that his win would benefit the equestrian sport in Ireland. "Work hard," was his advice to the young showjumping enthusiasts hanging on his every word.
"You have to enjoy it. I always worked hard, but it's not so much hard work when you love it."
Presentations were made to the champion from Ashbourne Chamber of Commerce and Broadmeadow Equestrian
Centre and Karlswood Stable. Then he went to meet the
fans and smiled all the way through a bruising autograph-signing session.
Simone Dowling (10), of Ratoath, who has attended classes given by O'Connor, made the trip to see her hero because she "just wanted to see the smile on his face".
Patrick McCormack Jnr (14) travelled with his dad from Mullingar to see the Olympic champion. An opportunity he never thought he would get.
O'Connor's win is the "best thing to every happen to showjumping in Ireland", according to Ms Hazel O'Flynn, manager of Broadmeadow Equestrian Club, where O'Connor's Karlswood Stable is based.
"It is phenomenal. From the start we did expect him to win a medal, but then things didn't work out too well. We were on tenterhooks right to the end, and we have all been on a buzz since then.
"It is amazing that the only Irish medal was a gold for showjumping by someone from here."
Mr Dan Walsh, from Celbridge, who works for O'Connor in the Karlswood Stable, said although the stable has had its successes in the past, nothing compared to this. "It's a bit hard to take at the moment, but everyone here feels that they played a small part in it."
Proprietor of Broadmeadow Equestrian Centre, Mr Brian Duff, said that his win was good news all round. "As a friend of Cian I am so proud, he worked so hard for this. He set a goal and achieved it. From a business point of view it can only be positive to have a Olympic winner based in the yard."