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Louisburgh, Co. Mayo

Lydia Tamasin Day-Lewis, better known as Tamasin Day-Lewis, (born 17 September 1953 in Greenwich, London) is a television chef, daughter of the poet Cecil Day-Lewis and actress Jill Balcon, and sister of the actor Daniel Day-Lewis.

In part of an article in the UK Telegraph she recalls how her father reacted when she was asked to be the first girl to ride in these local Irish races, she felt as fearless as some children do before coming face to face with real danger.

She felt totally confident at the tender age of thirteen that she would be able to compete with the assorted assembly of tough West of Ireland farmers. She recalls having seen the film National Velvet and that she had been riding since the age of five.

  The annual races took place at low tide on the Carrowniskey Strand in Mayo (in the days before health and safety regulations destroyed such things).

  On the day in question she arrived to find a huge crowd of spectators.

   Her horse, Louisburgh Lass, was not spooked by anything, but she suddenly had that awful sick-to-the-pit-of-your-stomach feeling you get when you know you are out of your depth and there is no turning back. Her  mother appeared to be just as nervous as she was. However, her father had sensed that she could handle it. Her father’s trust was enough. Suddenly this was not about winning or losing; it was about proving she could live up to his  faith. She came in second, relieved at having stayed in the saddle, and vindicating his trust.