'I'm ready to work' - Nina Carberry wins a seat in the European parliament after successful election campaign

Multiple Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Nina Carberry, who spectacularly switched to politics earlier this year, has been elected to the European parliament by the Midlands-North-West constituency. 

Carberry represented the Fine Gael party, who also won a second seat in the constituency thanks to the 2014 Rose of Tralee winner Maria Walsh. 

Ireland has three EU constituencies which send 14 MEPs to Brussels and Carberry will be among them for the next five years after winning over voters in some style. Indeed, she was assured of her seat long before the counting concluded on Friday. 

After being elected as an MEP, Carberry said: "I wouldn’t be here without the voters. Thank you for believing in me. I am ready to work."

She added: "My whole campaign has been all about getting about and meeting new people and I'm standing here because of them, because of the work I've put in meeting people and hearing their issues. I've put a lot of work into that. My priority is to work really hard for the next five years and deliver for my constituency. 

"I live in a commuter belt and I want to make sure that they have facilities and amenities. I'm from a farming background and I will be a strong voice for them in Europe. I see a skill shortage there and I know Europe can help people to reskill and upskill, and that's something I really want to do and prioritise."

Carberry is one of Ireland's most successful female riders. The former champion amateur retired from race-riding in 2018 after winning on the Enda Bolger-trained Josies Orders at the Punchestown festival and went on to win the hit TV show Dancing With The Stars in 2022, proving she remained as popular as ever with the public. She also appeared as a coach on the RTE sports show, Ireland's Fittest Family.

Carberry, who rode seven winners at the Cheltenham Festival, is now set to represent Ireland in Europe for the next five years as her new career has soared.

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