LOCATED in Coalpark, Clonbur, Co Galway, Coolin House Stud is the home of the Varley family, well known and regarded throughout the Irish sport horse industry.

John Varley and his daughter Niamh need little introduction, standing the 2015 RDS Croker Cup Champion Elusive Emir (TB) and Centennial (TB), both Approved through the Horse Sport Ireland inspection process.

Boasting an illustrious blacktype pedigree, the now 18-year-old bay Elusive Emir (Elusive Quality (USA) x Gone West (USA) - Alwaysinbloom (USA) x Unbridled (USA)) was approved here in 2014, obtaining top marks at the Inspections.

Noted for his exceptional temperament, Elusive Emir has proven a prolific sire of top show ring performers, fillies and colts. He has sired sport horse champions at foal, yearling, and young horse level with his progeny achieving top success nationwide including the circuit’s top shows including Dublin Horse Show, All Ireland Shows in Mountbellew and Kildysart to name but a few.

Elusive Emir’s three-parts brother Great Notion enjoyed a glittering track career, capturing multiple Grade 1 wins and going to to sire winners.

The HSI Inspection panel summary described Elusive Emir as “an attractive short coupled horse with good limbs. He has a good walk and shows lightness in his trot and canter. He shows good bascule with a good back end technique.”

Now 17, the grey Centennial (TB) (Dalakhani (IRE) (TB) x Darshaan (TB) out of Lurina (IRE) x Lure (USA) (TB)) has proven a firm favourite with sport horse breeders drawn from the eventing, showing and show jumping fraternity alike.

His popularity is hardly surprising given his impressive blacktype pedigree. He is by the legendary four-time Group 1 winner Dalakhani and Centennial himself went on to achieve multiple Group success on the flat.

Centenial was Approved following linear profiling at the HSI Stallion Inspections in 2018 where his effortless paces coupled with his light, elastic movement saw him achieve the highest marks ever awarded to a TB at the Inspections.

Centennial’s combination of speed and staying genes makes him a very attractive proposition for event horse breeders.

Last May 2021, top Wicklow sport horse breeders, Paula and Frank Cullen’s 2014 Badminton winner Paulank Brockagh (Touchdown x Triggerero) produced a lovely filly foal by Centennial. Both Elusive Emir and Centennial have proved popular among sport horse breeders, Connemara Pony breeders and Irish Draught breeders.