2025 Stallion Selections Results

2025 Horse Sport Ireland Stallion Selections

The 2025 Horse Sport Ireland Stallion Selections took place over two days, the 20^th and 21^st of March, in Cavan Equestrian Centre. These selections are supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Equine Technical Support fund.

Across the two days, a total of 51 stallions were presented for inspection, 11 Irish Sport Horse stallions, 14 stallions from other studbooks, 1 Thoroughbred stallions, 3 pony stallions and 24 Irish Draught stallions.

In the Irish Draught stallion selections 24 stallions were presented for inspection and ten achieved Class 1 status.

Four stallions were Approved in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook, two of which were high-performance stallions presented for linear profiling that met all the veterinary requirements, and a further three stallions were approved in the Irish Sport Pony studbook.

Of the 14 stallions presented for Stage 1 assessment in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook, five of these met the requirements.
Two of these stallions, including one returning from his Stage 1 assessment in 2022, went on to present for Stage 2 and met the requirements to be classified as Preliminary Approved.

“We were very pleased to see 24 young stallions come forward, and delighted to see 10 of them achieve Class 1 status. There was diverse group of stallions from high end performance to the very traditional and wonderful to see such a range of colours and types presented. The standard of those who met the requirements was higher than in previous years. Some of the horses forward could have done with more time to mature and develop.” – Liam Cotter, Irish Draught Studbook selection panel Chairperson.

“Year on year the quality of stallions being presented improves. This year there were some very impressive young stallions accepted and the panel were pleased with the stallions that met the requirements for Approved, Preliminary Approved and Stage 1. We’d also like to acknowledge the standard of presentation for the horses that were brought forward to the selections” – Jack Doyle, Irish Sport Horse Studbook selection panel Chairperson.

Commenting on the 2025 inspections, Sonja Egan, HSI Head of Breeding, Innovation and Development, stated “We had a bumper year in terms of applications and indeed, presentations at this year’s studbook inspections. There was a great display of stallions over the two days from rare Irish Draught bloodlines to more performance focused Irish Draughts, to young sport horse stallions starting their assessment at Stage 1 and high-performance stallions from well-related families that had already proven themselves in sport coming forward for linear profiling, and one Irish Draught stallion being approved within the Irish Sport Horse Studbook based on his own showjumping performance. We had a fantastic group of stallions come forward for selection this year.

We were also delighted to be joined again this year, as we were in 2024, by Stephen O’Dwyer of TrojanTrack, who has done a brilliant job to date in the thoroughbred sector. His research into the use of motion analysis data is ongoing, see what support it could provide us in the sport horse industry, and what kind of metrics we might be able to look at in sport horses, sport ponies and Irish Draughts.

I wish to congratulate stallion owners and breeders on the success of their breeding decisions across the selections and wish them the very best of luck in the 2025 breeding season.”

Among the stallions awarded full approval were four high-performance horses including Aristoteles V (KWPN) who was ridden by Jonathan McCrea internationally for the USA.
His career saw him claim victory in the 1.60m Grand Prix classes at the 2018 CSI3* show in Bromont, Canada and the CSI5* in Saugerties, New York in that same year.
His own showjumping results earned him the 5* SJ OP merit.

Jonathan McCrea (USA) and Aristoteles V (KWPN) competing in the Spruce Meadows Masters (CAN). Photocredit – SportFot

The 15-year-old Oldenburg stallion My Way was also presented for Linear Profiling in Cavan. Formerly ridden by Brazil’s Luis Francisco de Azevedo, My Way was third in the 1.60m CSI5* Grand Prix of Valkenswaard, Netherlands 2021 as well as sixth in both the CSI3* 1.60m Grand Prix in Tryon and the 1.50m Grand Prix at the CSI4* show in Traverse City, USA in 2020.
His showjumping results earned him the 4* SJ OP merit.

My Way (OS) & Luis Francisco de Azevedo competing for Brazil in Wellington (FL), USA. Photocredit – SportFot

The third high-performance stallion approved was the 2015 Belgian Warmblood stallion Phenomene Bleu VDM. Owned and ridden by Sven Hadley of Hadley Sport Horses in Co. Galway, Phenomene Bleu VDM represented the BWP in the 9-Year-Old and Over division at the 2024 WBFSH Studbooks Jumping Global Champions Trophy in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands and had competed in the Sires Of The World Championship at the 2024 edition at the FEI World Young Horse Jumping Championships in Lanaken, Belgium. His competition record earned him the 3* SJ OP merit.

Phenomene Bleu VDM (BWP) and Sven Hadley competing in the 2024 Sires Of The World in Lanaken (BEL). Photocredit – SportFot

Also getting his approval in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook in Cavan was the traditionally-bred stallion Sir Jim Jim for owner, breeder and rider Liam O’Meara.
A multiple winner on the National circuit at 1.35m level, Sir Jim Jim is by the CSIO5* Grand Prix winner of Barcelona, Boherdeal Clover (ISH)[TIH] and out of Glenaguile Flight (ISH)[TIH] by Errigal Flight (ISH)[TIH], who is herself a sister to Cisero (ISH)[TIH] who won the Puissance at the RDS Dublin Horse Show CSIO5* in 2012 for Liam O’Meara and 2016 for Shane Breen.
For his performances on the National 1.40m circuit, Sir Jim Jim was awarded the 1* SJ OP merit.

Sir Jim Jim (ISH)[TIH] & Liam O’Meara competing in Galway EC. Photocredit – JumpInAction.net

Carrabis Z (ZANG) 5 Star Stallion & Michael Hutchinson of Ballyquirke Stud with Sonja Egan PhD., Head of Breeding, Innovation & Development in Horse Sport Ireland and Conor Sheridan (HSI)

Sligo Candy Boy (ISH) 5 Star Stallion & Padraig Howley of Sligo West Stud with Sonja Egan PhD., Head of Breeding, Innovation & Development in Horse Sport Ireland

This year, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook made a formal presentation to both Sligo Candy Boy (ISH) and Carrabis Z (ZANG) for achieving a 5* Merit in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook, as well as Button Sitte (SBS) who was awarded for his 4* SJ OP merit.
Both Carrabis Z and Button Sitte were ridden for Ireland by Richie Moloney.

There was also a presentation made on behalf of the Irish Draught Horse Studbook to Moylough Supremacy (IDC1) for his newly awarded Gold Merit status.

Moylough Supremacy (IDC1) being paraded by Stephen Finn after being awarded his Gold Merit

Irish Sport Horse Studbook Stallion Inspection Results 2024

For stallions who achieve Preliminary Approved ISP status, they must re-present at 8 years of age to be measured. Provided they do not exceed 148cms at that Studbook measuring, they achieve the Approved classification.

Additional Stallions Approved in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook

Ashfield Bouncer (IDC1) has a silver merit for show jumping.

Irish Draught Horse Studbook Stallion Inspection Results 2025

Horse Sport Ireland Studbook inspections are supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Equine Technical Support fund.