West Cork Horse Breeders

August Bank Holiday weekend proved very successful for our members in "All Ireland Finals". 2010 Chairman and member Kieran O'Gorman came 2nd in the Kildysart 2yr old Filly Final on Saturday with his filly Brookfield Miss Lux. On Sunday, member Seamus Lehane came third in the Yearling Colt/Gelding Final at Ennis with his gelding Ballard Windy Ridge and member P. J. Lehane with Happy Lux was placed 5th in this same Class. Seamus also went on to win the de Valera Cup with Ballard Eagle. On Bank Holiday Monday, Seamus was again to the fore in winning the Red Mills 2yr old championship final at Tinahely Show with Ballard Play Boy. All these horses are now heading for Dublin for more honours and we wish them the very best of luck. Keep an eye on the R. D. S. Website for more info!

In the Galway Crystal/ Belleek China 3 Year Old Horse All Ireland Championship at Bannow & Rathangan Show yesterday (Thursday) Seamus Lehane from West Cork and his gelding Ballard Eagle (Master Imp x Carrigroe Princess) took first place, while David Kirkpatrick from Co. Down with the gelding Redwood Lachain Clover (French Buffet x Laughton's Clover) was runner up. The 3 Year Old Horse Championship at Bannow & Rathangan Show in County Wexford has been recognised as one of the premier showing classes in Ireland by being included in Horse Sport Ireland's new National Showing Championship Series, in association with the Irish Shows Association. Only ten Championships around Ireland have been included in the Series, which will see €20,000 being injected into showing in 2011. Beginning with yesterday's All Ireland Three Year Old Horse final in Bannow & Rathangan, the Series will end with the Irish Draught Filly Foal Championship in Ballinasloe, County Galway in October. There will be a total of 206 qualifying classes run around the country in the lead up to the finals. HSI CEO Damian McDonald, said “Horses came from huge distances to the All Ireland final, which was excellently organised by the Committee of Bannow- Rathangan show and the Irish Shows Association. I want to congratulate Seamus Lehane on his win and also thank Galway Crystal /Belleek China for their continued support of this Championship,”. We would also like to congratulate our other members, Brian Daly with Newmarket Rare Jewel who came third. Seamus Lehane had another successful day out with Ballard Windy Ridge won the Cork County Yearling Championship at Carbery Show on July 21st. Christine O'Connor with her filly, bred by John Hickey was third.

Our first big event will be our Performance Show to be held on Saturday July 23rd by kind permission of Wayne & Geri Santry at their West Cork Equine Centre venue. Each year, we have a growing number of compeitiors with promising youngstock on display, all with the ability to perform. Thanks to our kind sponsors at Horse Sport Ireland, we have in total a Prize Fund of €4,500. Closing Date for Entries is Tuesday July 19th. No late entries will be accepted. The running of classes will focus on Loose Jumping first beginning with Ponies – 3 & 4yr olds, followed by Young Horses – 3yr olds. As we like to include our upcoming young riders, there will be our much loved Ridden Jumping class for 4year olds; 5year olds; & Young Riders – 1.10m to be judged by a Former Irish International Showjumper! Entry forms will be available here shortly.

There was a large attendance at the Parkway Hotel Dunmanway on Monday February 7th for the A.G.M. of the West Cork Horse Breeders Co.Op Society. For some years now we have been running competitions for young horses – Loose Jumping for three year olds and jumping for four and five year olds also all West Cork Shows now have qualifying competitions for The Mare and Foal Championship the final of which is held at Crannmore, Clonakilty each year. Many participants from these events have gone on to bigger and better things in Eventing, Show Jumping and Showing rings. Last year a new competition was added to the list, the All Ireland Mare and Foal Championship for Mares under seven years. This competition is very generously sponsored by Pegus Horse Feeds. At the meeting the outgoing Chairman Kieran O'Gorman said that while we have a very healthy membership now we need bigger numbers to strengthen our voice as a group and be in a better position to influence decisions effecting the breeding of sport horses. He said now that the industry is experiencing recession it is vital that breeders look at their breeding programme and cull their stock from the bottom up. The new Chairman, Dan Caverley, in his address agreed that increased membership was vital to Breeders becoming a stronger voice in the industry. He said we have a very busy schedule again this year and dates and venues are being finalized at present for the various competitions. It is hoped to run a sale again in September. All horse owners in the region have much to gain by joining the group and their support for competitions and events is vital for the continued success of the Co.Op. He said it was a great asset to have two members of the Irish Horse Board, Tristan Kingston and Paddy McCarthy among our members. West Cork has produced some very good horses over the years and he hoped that H.S.I. would continue its support to the Breeders to help them maintain and improve the standard of Sport Horses in the country. The Committee would like to wish Kieran O'Gorman well and to thank him for his contribution for the past two years. As we move ahead into the new year, please join us in welcoming Dan as our new Chairman for 2011!

Chairman: Dan Caverley Vice Chairman: Paddy McCarthy President: John Verling Secretary: Rosemarie Deasy Assistant Secretary: Kitty Cotter PRO: Yana Verling Assistant PRO: Ger O'Sullivan

Pallas Digion (1989) was bred by John McCarthy, Drinagh, was sold to Willie McDonnell, Nenagh and won the Irish Grade E Show Jumping Championship as a 4 year old in Ireland. In late 1995 Pallas Digion was sold to the U.S.A. and now stands at Acorn Hill Farm, Madison, Virginia. Though primarily purchased as a breeding stallion, he was put into training in 1996. He was shown lightly in schooling jumper classes at West Palm Beach in early 1997 by Debbie Stephens, a former member of the United States Equestrian Team. He advanced to the International Speed Classes under Debbie, consistently placing in the ribbons at shows in West Palm Beach, Upperville and Kentucky. Pallas Digion has sired several advanced eventers including: Spring Along who was on the Bronze Medal winning team for Great Britain in the 2008 Olympics. Kristen Bond’s Three Wishes who has been sold to Oliver Townend of Great Britain. Read more >>

The Young Breeders Programme is aimed at young people, aged between 14 and 25 years that have an interest in horses. Participants come from various equine backgrounds and do not have to be breeders or horse owners to become involved. Young Breeders training and competitions provide an important knowledge foundation for young people involved in the horse industry, especially in the areas of purchasing/selling horses or ponies, making decisions in relation to mating of mares and stallions and presenting horses for sale, shows/competitions and inspection. So if you are interested in representing the Irish Sport Horse Studbook at the 2011 WBFSH Young Breeders World Championships, see the following Upcoming Training Days. To book a place and for more information contact Wendy Conlon 087 9879083 / Email: wendy.conlon@teagasc.ie

Last Saturday’s horse sale at the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, the West Cork Horse Breeders (WCHB), said the only disappointment was at the prices fetched. It was noted, though, in a press release issued by WCHB chairman Kieran O’Gorman breeders took a pragmatic view, driven by the fact breeders were "overstocked heading into a long winter". The WCHB were pleased with the entry of 110 horses and said the general feeling was that the sale was a wise move and that the Green Glens had "huge potential for the horse fraternity in the south of Ireland". The early morning foal show class was very successful, with Patrick Barry’s colt foal by West Coast Cavalier taking the Red Ribbon and the filly foal class going to Donal Coomey’s foal By Floating Clover. Photos from the Horse Sale can be purchased here.

West Cork horses stamped their authority on the hallowed turf of the RDS last week when sweeping the board at Dublin Horse Show. Clonakilty exhibitor Seamus Lehane celebrated success when landing the supreme championship with his two-year-old gelding Ballard Eagle. Seamus, a carpenter, from Ballard House, Ballymacowen, went forward into the championship with two horses. Ballard Eagle, a gelding by Master Imp, which was bred by Denis Collins from Skibbereen and had won his two-year-old class and championship on Thursday, while Seamus’ homebred yearling by Ghareeb, Ballard Playboy, had also landed his class and then the yearling title. Another member, auctioneer Kieran O’Gorman made history when taking the coveted Breeders’ Championship for the second year running with his Cavalier Royale mare Kildysert Royale and her colt foal by Lux Z. Kieran also took second place in the two-year-old filly class with Brookfield Miss Lux, the Lux Z foal which won the breeders’ title last year with her dam Kildysert Royale. Raymond Cahalane also placed with his mare, Krystal Rath and her foal by his own thoroughbred stallion 'Painters Row' won the filly foal class.

Bandon-based Michael Ryan was best of the Irish at the close of the hotly-contested Eventing World Cup Qualifier at Tattersalls, Co Meath, claiming a third place with the Irish-bred 'Ballylynch Adventure'. And it was a triumphant day for Irish-bred horses, with seven in the top ten, including the Cruising gelding 'Ashdale Cruise Master', ridden to victory this afternoon by British star Oliver Townend. A total of six Irish riders made it through to the top ten after four days of gruelling competition that left only 16 international combinations to contest the final show jumping phase. Britain took the top two places, with veteran Mary King and 'Apache Sauce' just seven points adrift of winner Townend, while last year's defending champion, Patricia Ryan with 'Fernhill Clover Mist' had to settle for 14th overall. Husband Michael, however, who finished second in 2009, led an Irish assault on the leaderboard that saw Aoife Clarke and the Irish-bred 'Master Crusoe' in fifth, with Irish horses and riders accounting for four other places in the top ten finishers. In the two-star event at Tattersalls, which was won by New Zealand's Andrew Nicholson on 'Quimbo', Carlow's Sam Watson was best of the Irish with a fourth place on the Irish-bred 'Hoyo'.

At a recent meeting in Leap West Cork Horse Breeders launched The All Ireland Breeders Championship. This competition is being run in conjunction with The Irish Shows Association and is very generously sponsored by Pegus Horse Feed. This is an Irish Company set up by the Stone family and now being run by David Stone and his son.David's father came from Portlaw in Waterford. He worked as a Horse Trainer in The Far East and recognised the value of grass in the diet of the horse. He returned to Ireland to try to develop a grass cube and so the Company Pegus was born. This company now supplies many varities of Horse Feed and is available at Co Op Stores and other Feed Stuff Suppliers throughout the Country. West Cork Horse Breeders are very happy to announce they are now the generous sponsors of The Breeders Championship. The competition will be confined to Mares seven years old and younger with foal at foot. The aim of the class is to give recognition to Breeders who breed suitable mares to produce top quality foals with performance potential. Qualifiers will be held at Shows throughout the country including three shows in County Cork. The overall winner will receive €1000 and Sash. It is hoped that this very attractive class will incourage breeders to showcase their young mares and foals. Progeny must be by an Approved Stallion and each Mare and Foal will be judged as a unit. All Ireland Breeders Championship Rules & Conditions

West Cork Horse Breeders had a full house for their Seminar held in The Parkway Hotel, Dunmanway last week. The theme for the Seminar was: “Sport Horse Breeding – The Way Forward” and there was an impressive panel of speakers. Dr Jack Murphy dwelt on how to breed the “Showjumper of the Future”. He spoke that Ireland is no longer a world leader in this field we have moved well down the rankings in Show Jumping in recent years and to regain our position we need a Breeding Programme which is science based and performance driven. The genetic improvement of the horse population is important he said and we must breed the animal with the genetic make up to compete at the highest level in Show Jumping. Dr Donagh Berry followed up by emphising the importance of research in animal breeding. He said the achievements in the Dairy Herd could be replicated in the horse population. If we're serious about a breeding programme we need funding for research he said..Ms.Alison Corbally H.S.I.Director of Breeding and Programmes travelled from Dublin for the seminar. She outlined the New Breeding Programme which has just been launched by H.S.I. has two seperate Breeding Policies, one for The Draft Horse and one for The Sport Horse. The Draft Objective is to breed a horse with confirmation,movement and temperament that conform to the breed standard which will make a good sound and versatile horse she said and the Goal of the I.S.H. Is to produce a horse that is sound, athletic with good paces and suitable temperament to be competative at the highest level in F.E.I. Disciplines.