Horse Sport Ireland Breeders Awards 2014
- 22 November 2014, 16:40
THE HSI 2014 Breeders Awards took place this week in the Horse & Jockey Hotel, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The Breeders Awards, which were held following the Irish Horse Board Co-Op AGM, highlighted the best of Irish breeding and honoured the breeders of top class Irish Sport Horses and Irish Draught Horses.
Among the recipients of the 2014 Breeders Awards were Paula Cullen and Bryan Maguire, breeders of the Irish Sport Horses Paulank Brockagh (ISH) and Bay My Hero (ISH), who were both winners of CCI4* at Badminton Horse Trials and Rolex, Kentucky respectively. Paula and Bryan try to breed traditional Irish horses as they feel that the international market particularly for eventing will continue to source Irish horses.
Breeder of the Top International event horse went to Kilkenny’s Patrick Fenlon for the Ghareeb gelding Kilronan (ISH). Kilronan ridden by Australian rider Paul Tapner recorded a fourth place finish at Badminton CCI4* and individual fifteenth at the World Equestrian Games 2014. He is the highest placed ISH in the WBFSH eventing rankings finishing in ninth place.
Frank Gordon from Crossmolina, Co Mayo breeder of Irish Sport Horse Cooley Dream Extreme (ISH) received an award as the highest placed ISH at Le Lion d’Angers. Cooley Dream Extreme, ridden by Piggy French (GBR), claimed the bronze medal in the 6 year-old division at the 2014 FEI WBFSH Eventing Championships for Young Horses.
Margaret Kinsella, Galway received an award as the owner and breeder of the most successful young event horse Rioghan Rua (ISH). Cathal Daniels and Rioghan Rua were on the gold medal winning team at Jardy in 2013 and on the Gold medal team at the European Junior Championships 2014 in Bishop Burton. They also won Individual Silver at this championship. Rioghan Rua and Cathal competed at Le Lion d’Angers where she finished best of the Irish in the 7YO division.
Breeder of the highest placed showjumping rookie in the WBFSH rankings was Des and Seamus Judge, from Bonniconlon, Co. Mayo for the Lux Z gelding Special Lux (ISH). American rider Jonathan McCrea recorded a 2nd place in Spruce Meadows CSI5* $400,000 GP and recorded a solid performance to help team USA take second place in the CSIO4* Nations Cup of Mexico.
Joanne and Finbar Mulligan received the award for the breeder utilising modern breeding technologies with success for the ISH Pembrook Milenia, who with Stacey Babes (GBR) finished in fourth place in the 5 year old final at the WBFSH jumping championships for young horses, Lanaken 2014. Both Joanne and Finbar believe that breeding sport horses is a science not an art and are committed to the full and proper application of quantitative genetic techniques in their breeding programme.
The breeder of the highest placed ISH at the FEI WBFSH jumping championships for young horses, Lanaken was Navan born Heather Dean Wright for her Luidam mare Ard Ginger Pop (ISH). This mare was virtually impossible to beat this year as five year old, winning the ISH 5YO Studbook league, the Millstreet Ruby 5YO final, and the 5yo silver medal at Lanaken.
The winning GBR Nations Cup Team at Odense this year consisted of Holly Gillott (Dougie Douglas bred by John O’Brien, Co. Limerick), Jessie Drea (Touchable bred by Dr. Noel Cawley, Co. Kildare), Harriett Nuttall (A Touch Imperious bred by Leo Rice, Co. Monaghan) and Tim Page (Santa Cruise II bred by Hartwell Stud, Co. Kildare).
John O’ Brien stays in contact with Holly Gillott, the rider of Dougie Douglas and has enjoyed their progression through the ranks together. Mary McCann accepted the award for Santa Cruise II. The dam Tamerarra by Cruising has also bred Judge N Jury who is currently jumping with William Funnell and Bloomfield Excelsior who was the overall hunter champion at the RDS 2014. A Touch Imperious bred by Leo Rice from Armagh, keeps a select group of well-bred mares by stallions such as Cavalier Royale and Cruising. Noel Cawley the breeder of Touchable has had many homebred successes in 2014 including Solerina (ISH) –two international wins in Wellington, Cruise on Clover (ISH) – 1st 1m45 speed Lummen CSIO5*, Rincarina (ISH) – three international wins in Arezzo, one in Lummen and one in Mullingar, Mullaghdrin Gold Rain (ISH) – Winner of the Buenos Aires (Argentina) Derby under Carla Monaco (ARG) and Golden Exchange (ISH) – 3rd Mullingar CSI3* GP.
Breeder of the Top ISH Showing Mare 2014 was awarded to Thomas Smyth from Inistioge, Kilkenny for his Ghareeb mare Inistioge Best Betty. The mare was champion and TIHA Perpetual Challenge Trophy winner at Limerick Show and TIHA Best Filly foal champion at Limerick. She was also the winner of the Middle/Heavy weight Mare class in the RDS.
Raymond Sloyan from Ballyhaunis Co Mayo received the award for the Breeder of the top Irish Draught showing mare, for the second year in a row. Elm View (ID C1) scored a rare hat-trick in the RDS Irish Draught broodmare championship when she added this year to her 2013 and 2010 titles.
The breeder of the Irish Sport Horse that achieved the highest scores at inspection 2014 went to Richard Power, Co Waterford for his mare Cillbhrid April (ISH). The 5 year old Lux Z mare is currently being campaigned by Irish Showjumper Paddy O’Donnell and won the 5YO final at the Emerald Equestrian centre last weekend.
The breeder of the Irish Draught horse that achieved the highest scores at inspection 2014 went to Charmaine Kee from Donegal. Her mare Gweebarra Genesis (ID C1) was the first foal that Charmaine bred. Charmaine bought her dam Gweebarra Gen as a yearling from Jennie Harte Lavin.
An award was presented to Slyguff stud Barbara Hatton on behalf of the late Loftus O’Neill. Long-time leader Heraldik has been overtaken by Master Imp to become the leading event horse stallion in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse (WBFSH) sire rankings. The highest-ranked of Master Imp’s offspring is Improvise, the 2014 Burghley and Luhmühlen prizewinner, ridden by Australian rider Bill Levett.
The next biggest points earner is High Kingdom, bred by William Micklem, after his silver medal team performance at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with Zara Phillips. Not since 2008, when Cavalier Royale headed the WBFSH’s inaugural sire rankings, has an Irish-based stallion achieved this accolade.
The 2014 Outstanding Contribution Award was awarded to Mary McCann. Mary McCann has been breeding Irish sport horses for twenty-five years, based at the Hartwell Stud in Kildare- a property which has been in her husband’s family since the last century. Hartwell Stud has concentrated on breeding performance horses for the world equestrian market of Show Jumping and Eventing. Through selective breeding of the Irish Sport Horse, they have combined the Irish Draught (renowned worldwide as a foundation cross for top-class performers) with the three-quarter bred and thoroughbred, to produce some of the best young horses jumping and eventing in the world today.
The stud started with Ashfield Bobby Sparrow and Abbeyleix Cypress, who both won European Championships and are both registered Connemara ponies. They progressed from here to have Sea Crest who was the first performance tested registered Irish Draught and was subsequently a grade A showjumper. They had up to 28 horses and ponies competing at any one time in the RDS that were bred at Hartwell Stud which is extraordinary.
Hartwell Stud was the first stud to be approved by the Department of Agriculture for the collection and export of frozen and chilled semen and embryo transfers.
Cruising is the only stallion in Ireland to have three 5* ratings for his performance and the performance of his offspring in both showjumping and eventing. Among his successful offspring are Mr Medicott, Mr Cruise Control and Electric Cruise but also Flexible, winner of the World Cup final 2012 in s’Hertogenbosch, Grand Prix winner Mo Chroi, Irish team horse World Cruise, Nations Cup winner Larkhill Cruiser and Grand Prix winner Solerina.
A total of 15 awards were presented at the HSI Breeders Awards, the details of which are outlined below.
2014 HSI Breeders Awards Recipients:
Breeder of the Top International Event Horse 2014
Kilronan (ISH)
Breeder: Pat Fenlon, Co Kilkenny
- Breeder of the winner of the CCI4* at Badminton Horse Trials 2014
Paulank Brockagh (ISH)
Breeder: Paula Cullen, Wicklow
- Breeder of the winner of the CCI4* at Rolex, Kentucky 2014
Bay My Hero (ISH)
Breeder: Bryan Maguire, Wexford - Highest Placed ISH at the World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses, Le Lion d’Angers 2014
Cooley Dream Extreme (ISH)
Breeder: Frank Gordon, Co Mayo - Owner and breeder of the most successful young event horse 2014
Rioghan Rua (ISH)
Breeder: Margaret Kinsella, Galway - Highest placed showjumping rookie in the WBFSH rankings 2014
Special Lux (ISH)
Breeder: Des and Seamus Judge, Co Mayo - Breeder utilising modern breeding technologies with success
Pembrook Milenia (ISH)
Breeder: Finbarr & Joanne Mulligan, Wicklow - Highest Placed ISH at the FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses, Lanaken 2014
Ard Ginger Pop (ISH)
Breeder: Heather Dean Wright, Meath - Breeders of the winning Nations Cup Team Odense
Dougie Douglas (ISH) – 2005 gelding by Ard VDL Douglas (KWPN) out of Neills Girl (ISH), by High Roller (ISH). Bred by John O’Brien, Co. Limerick.
Santa Cruise II (ISH) – 2004 gelding by Randi (HANN) out of Tamerarra (ISH), by Cruising (ISH). Bred by Hartwell Stud, Co. Kildare.
A Touch Imperious (ISH) – 2004 gelding by Touchdown (ISH) out of Cavimperius (ISH), by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Bred by Leo Rice, Co. Monaghan.
Touchable (ISH) – 2001 mare by Touchdown (ISH) out of Irco Rain (ISH), by Irco Mena (SWB). Bred by Dr. Noel Cawley, Co. Kildare.
- Breeder of Top ISH Showing Mare 2014
Inistioge Best Betty (ISH)
Breeder: Thomas Smyth, Co. Kilkenny - Breeder of Top Irish Draught Showing Mare 2014
Elm View (ID)
Breeder: Raymond Sloyan, Mayo - Irish Sport Horse mare that achieved highest scores at inspection 2014
Cillbhrid April (ISH)
Breeder: Richard Power, Co. Waterford. - Irish Draught Horse mare that achieved highest scores at inspection 2014
Gweebarra Genesis (ID)
Breeder: Charmaine Kee, Co. Donegal - Leading event horse stallion in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse (WBFSH) sire rankings
Master Imp (TB)
Breeder: Barbara Hatton accepting award on behalf of the late Loftus O’Neill, Slyguff Stud, Co. Carlow
- Outstanding Contribution Award to ISH Breeding
Mary McCann, Co Kildare
Mary McCann, Hartwell Stud, Co. Kildare, receives the Outstanding Contribution Award to ISH Breeding award from Pat Wall, Chairman HSI, during the HSI Annual Breeder Awards.
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