MY five sisters and I grew up in Whiterock, Co Longford, on a livestock farm. My father Michael Gannon always had a keen eye for a good horse. He bought his first broodmare, Kates Clover (Clover Hill), with John Clancy, from a Mrs Power in Co Limerick many moons ago. She was a very lucky mare for us and everything off her was very athletic and could jump.

She was the dam of my five-star pedigree mare, Whiterock Touch. She also bred another broodmare of mine, AHG Whiterock Copper Miller and AHG Whiterock Luis, who won the Irish Studbook Series six-year olds and is jumping at CSI3* level.

I’m a pharmacist and very fortunate to run my own shop here in Longford. My hobby and passion is breeding sport horses.

I have such a love of the older Irish breeds and I am a firm believer in the foundation of good breeding goes back to Irish Sport Horses, namely Cruising, Clover Hill and Diamond Serpent, among others. This was a big consideration for us when buying CSF James Kann Cruz at the time. His dam was Cruising and my father thought he was a very fine, athletic foal.

1. You’re closely associated with James Kann Cruz, bred by Patrick Connolly and owned by yourselves in his early years. What’s your own proudest moment as a breeder?

I was very proud watching AHG Whiterock Cruise Down winning gold at the European Junior Championships with Kate Derwin. It was an honour to have received a presentation by Horse Sport Ireland in Tattersalls recognising his dam Whiterock Touch, as a five-star pedigree mare.

As both a producer and breeder of young horses, it’s nice to be recognised, as the road is long from the start financially.

Although I’d love to produce them all, it’s important to sell them to the right people, who will bring them to their full potential. Nothing gives me more pleasure than watching someone produce a horse I bred.

Anne and her 97-year-old father Michael Gannon with the now Swedish-based AHG Whiterock Luis (Luidam) who has jumped up to 1.50m level \ Susan Finnerty

2. Longford - birthplace of Eddie Macken and yet another county with a proud equestrian heritage and more horse people?

Brian and Anne Gormley are great campaigners for show jumping, especially in the midlands. Every weekend, we’d load up the lorry and head off, you felt invincible having a clear round around one of Brian’s tracks at Granard Show, as there would always be something challenging to face on the round. In his own quiet way, Brian was a great advocate for the Irish Sport Horse.

Harold McGahern will never be forgotten, as his horses to this day are still jumping on the circuit. Rincoola lives on! He had to have been very proud of his breeding.

It’s great to see young talent coming up the ranks, with young riders like Jordan Kilkenny, John Mulligan, Dereck McCoppin and Shauna Heslin, who all started their careers at the Midland Cub Hunters’ shows.

3. How many broodmares do you have?

I currently have five broodmares, which all go back to either Cruising or Clover Hill.

I have a young mare AHG Whiterock Copper Miller (Ard VDL Douglas), whose dam is Kates Clover. I have some very exciting Diamant de Semilly youngstock out of her, which I’m looking forward to seeing compete.

AHG Whiterock My Dam (Guidam), is out of a Cruising dam and she has bred very well to Comme Il Faut and Faultic HP.

CSF Whiterock Cruise was produced to the seven-year old stage and, at that age, won both the Bourn Sport Horses seven-year-olds at the Emerald International show and at Cavan. It was very tempting to have sold her at the time, but I wanted to keep the best to try to breed the best. By Cruising, she’s out of a Diamond Serpent mare and I bought her from Patrick Connolly, as a foal in Goresbridge, to breed off.

Her eldest offspring, AHG Whiterock Cornet Cruise is currently jumping with Francis Connors in the seven-year-old classes in Oliva, Spain. Her sire is Cornet Obolensky, and I am breeding off her full-sister AHG Whiterock Starcruise, who had her first foal last year by Conthargos.

AHG Whiterock Diamant Touch (Diamant de Semilly), is out of my Whiterock Touch mare. She’s a young mare, who had her first foal last year by Faultic HP.

4. Describe your regime for broodmares and youngstock?

We like to foal our mares outside as much as possible and we keep them in small paddocks. We really do try to interfere with them as little as possible during foaling. We train them to lead as foals, there’s regular worming and paring of their feet carried out, with the help of Andrew Gardiner. We group them by age and leave them out with the run of the land until they’re three-year-olds.

5. AHG is your prefix. What’s your view on prefixes?

AHG stands for Andrew Hannah Gannon, and I really hope my three children all continue on my love of breeding. We need to encourage our youth into breeding, as without breeders, there are no horses.

I do think prefixes are valuable and should be kept. It’s a great way to follow young horses. It’s like the trademark of the yard.

Francis Derwin Jnr and AHG Whiterock Cruise won the 1.45m Plusvital/Friends of HHS Grand Prix \ Justin Black Millstreet Horse Photography

6. Your go-to website/app/newspaper?

Of course, I am an avid reader of The Irish Field. I also find YouTube to be a handy website to look up stallions I’m interested in breeding to.

7. If you could have bred any horse?

I have to commend Mary McCann in breeding, producing and keeping Cruising at stud in Ireland. He was a magnificent stallion and bred some of Ireland’s finest sport horses.

8. It takes a team. Who’s on yours?

I am very fortunate to have a very close family. I have five sisters here in Longford, but it is myself and my sister Mary, who carried on the interest in horses from my father, Michael. My sons are of great help to me when managing youngstock.

9. 2024 - Paris Olympics medal predictions?

I’ve great faith in Michael Blake to pick the best team to go and hopefully win a medal in the Olympics. Of course, it would be wonderful to see James Kann Cruz on such a stage.

10. Favourite holiday?

Believe it or not, my favourite holiday is the two weeks I take off every August to go to the RDS Horse Show, and then down to Co Cork for Millstreet. Having our own business, it is very difficult to get time off, but Mary and I will always make the effort to get to these shows.

Up until recent years, my father would join us in Millstreet, where he enjoyed the chats with Gregory Collins and Liam Kenneally, who was a true genuine breeder of the Irish horse. We have great memories from the shows all down the years.