Background
She was born at Castle Grace, County Tipperary, the estate of her father Samuel Grubb, a member of the local gentry.
She was born at Castle Grace, County Tipperary, the estate of her father Samuel Grubb, a member of the local gentry.
She was one of the early luminaries of show jumping. Early Life & As Joan Grubb, she first came to public attention by abandoning the convention of riding sidesaddle, as was expected of women. She was the first woman to ride astride at the Olympia London International Horse Show, where her "gentleman"s" style of riding caused controversy, she persisted in doing so at other international competitions.
Mark Bence-Jones in his book Twilight of the Ascendancy, described the then Joan Grubb as one of the "fast women" who was viewed with suspicion for their contempt for the traditional role of women.
Her riding career was cut short at the outbreak of World War One, where she served as an ambulance driver with the Red Cross. Colonel F.J.B. de Sales Louisiana Terriere, a Scotsman.
Colonel de Sales Louisiana Terriere dissolved through a private members bill. The marriage was duly dissolved.
This was to be the last dissolution of an Irish marriage for over 70 years, until divorce again became legal in Ireland after its 1995 Referendum on Divorce.
She had two children with Louisiana Terriere, Tadhg and Rory (Rory named after Rory O"Connor). As she was a woman without religion she was buried in the grounds of her home, Kiltinan Castle in 1968.