Grace Kelly is keeping her mom’s legacy alive

by Victoria Howard

Born in Dublin, Ireland, 41-year-old Grace Kelly is doing her best to keep her mom’s legacy alive.

Kelly’s mother Bernie Kelly was very much involved in the sport of harness racing, working as an administrator, overlooking breeding records and producing studbooks to register standardbreds in Ireland.

Bernie was also track secretary at Whitehouse, Collon, Annaghmore, and Portmarnock Raceways before her passing in 2019.

Although the name Bernie Kelly may not be familiar to some horsepeople here in the States, across the pond in Ireland she is well-known and highly respected in the sport.

Bernie helped develop the renowned Vincent Delaney Memorial with brothers Derek and James Delaney from the beginning. This annual celebration has become one of the sports finest memorial races in the history of harness racing.

Grace’s father, Paul Kelly, has always been heavily involved in the sport as a trainer, owner, driver, and breeder.

When she was a young girl, Paul took his daughter Grace to the barn to help him with the horses, teaching her the care and attention needed for the equine athletes.

It didn’t take little Grace long before she decided that working with these amazing animals was what she wanted to do. Today, Grace carries on her mother’s love and tradition of working with standardbreds, along with her father, for she is also a trainer and driver.

“We are a small breeding, training, and racing family that love what we do, so in our eyes we are never really working,” Grace said. “We currently have a total of 12 horses on the farm — two that I own. I’ve raced at all three hard tracks in Ireland, north and south.

“I’ve competed in the international ladies race in Solvalla, Sweden, and also in the first Bernie Kelly International Ladies Race at the Vincent Delaney Memorial event at Wolverhampton, UK; but have not driven since I won the Bernie Kelly International Ladies Race at the VDM in 2024. What a thrill that was! Currently, I’m doing a lot of riding some of the off-track horses and retraining them under saddle.

“I’m very excited because in Ireland we recently opened a new track in Lyre, County Cork, and I’m looking forward to driving some up-and-coming young horses my father has bred.

“Retraining after racing is something I’m very passionate about. I love racing, the sport, and above all I love the breed and want to expose standardbreds more and show how versatile they are.”

How is racing in Ireland different than in America?

“In Ireland we do not race for huge purses as they do in the States, but still, we race just as hard as they do in other countries. The community is really involved, and the people absolutely love horse racing. Harness racing in Ireland is a sport anyone with an interest in horses and driving can join and get involved in, although it is still quite a small unknown sport.

“Some people have negative perceptions of standardbreds and more education and marketing is needed to improve the public’s opinion, which may create more fans and interest in the sport. For those interested in learning more and possibly to compete in [by driving, training, breeding, or owning] we need to better express how they can do that and provide clear pathways to jump onboard.”

Is there one special horse that holds a piece of your heart?

“I love all my horses. When I first started apprentice driving, it was a horse named Sands Cam Ocean. Wellfield Gary was another super-fast horse I won my first open class with. Both horses are very special to me.

“I also owned, trained, and drove a horse named Lyons Super Nova who was the one that got me recognition. With his wins it catapulted my being invited to compete in Sweden at Solvalla where they hold the famous Elitlopp.

“My current favorite is a horse named The Storeman. He was not training down as quickly as our other horses, so we gave him a break and put a saddle on him. He makes me smile every day and has opened a whole new world by showing me the importance of aftercare after the track.

“I am on a personal mission to get The Storeman to mainstream compete here in Ireland. He competed in the ReBrand Initiative Online Series last year — a competition specific to showcase the standardbred breed in America.

“Luckily, they accepted international competitors, as nothing like this exists in Ireland. Unfortunately, there are no specific shows for the standardbred breed as of yet, but hopefully that will change.”

Today, there are more women competing in the sport and doing well. Is there anyone in particular you admire?

“Yes, we have many women that have competed in my mom’s race, such as Lauren Tritton, Lauren Harmon, Jazmin Arnold, and Chrissy Johnson. It makes it very special to see the distance these women will go to have a chance to compete in mom’s race [the Bernie Kelly International Ladies Race].

“The race has connected a lot of countries, promotes the females, and it couldn’t be more fitting for my amazing mom.”

What has been your most exciting time in the sport so far?

“It was definitely being the first winner of the Bernie Kelly International Race. It was the most emotional experience I ever had racing. It was unbelievably hard not to be emotional about competing in my mom’s race, as fitting as it was for an ‘all-female’ race. She would have loved it!

“It still chokes me up just to talk about it. Growing up in the business you never think about losing a parent. It’s doubly hard for us as a family as we all shared the passion for the sport and were always together on race day.

“To compete in a race that is dedicated for my mom definitely stirred up a lot of emotion and pressure, and to say it was a fairytale is an understatement.

“It was and will always be my most memorable moment. When I crossed the line first, with tears in my eyes, and a little heartache, I looked up and thanked my mom for teaching me to drive to the line!”