FROM Clohass, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, my first pony was a gift from our neighbour and family friend, the well-known horse trainer Paul Nolan.

Snowy was a bit of a challenge and wasn’t exactly built for speed, so it was a career in Pony Club games for him. I was then loaned a lovely pony named Pebbles from John Carney, our local hunt master, which sparked my original interest in pursuing a career in horses.

Now I’m an enthusiastic breeder and relatively newly-established stallion owner.

1. Congratulations, like your sister Sarah, you’ve been selected on the Young Breeders’ team for the world championships in Denmark next month.

Yes, it’s a great achievement to get the nod, along with my sister Sarah. I must give a lot of credit to her for pushing me.

The Young Breeders’ programme has been instrumental in sharpening my overall knowledge of the horse industry.

It covers conformation, athleticism, handling, breeding, and more, much of which I had pre-training in from my longest-serving mentor, my grandfather Jim Mernagh, a veteran horseman.

Being included in the Irish team is a fantastic opportunity, but the real benefit is always the enjoyment of meeting the interesting characters the sport attracts.

Young Breeders’ team member and young stallion owner, Ben with his grandad Jim, who has helped out with grazing and stabling

2. As well as your studies, you’re both busy young producers of Connemaras too. Tell us more about your enterprise.

We’ve always been busy producing ponies, even more so lately, with 85% of what we handle now supplying the exploding foreign market. Our goal is to buy top-quality youngstock that we can mature and break.

Sarah and I have been fortunate to have the support of our grandad Jim and our great-aunt Ann Mernagh, who have provided us with the grassland and shed space to rapidly grow our business.

Over time, I’ve become more aware of what the market looks for in terms of temperament and size, thanks to more age and experience.

3. Not only breeding and producing Connemaras, but you’ve now become one of the youngest stallion owners in the country?

Yes, a strong interest in breeding has been particularly beneficial. My grandfather Ned Kavanagh famously said, “An ounce of breeding is worth a ton of feeding,” and he was right.

My deep interest in breeding led to acquiring Connemara stallions:

Gurteen Otto (Glencarrig Knight x Linsfort Barney), Callowfeenish King (Glencarrig Knight x Laerkens Cascade Dawn) and Cityview Dexter Lad (Dexter Leam Pondi x Kingstown Cavalier).

As well as this promising line-up, a Class 2 stallion called Abbeyfield Comet (Monaghanstown Pat x Milford Hard Times) was very kindly entrusted to me by Derek Noctor of Tara Hill Stud.

He’s been monumental in establishing me in the stallion game, as Comet has a reputation for producing quality, consistent stock, which has helped us attract clients. This has provided a crucial foot in the door and hopefully will translate into more mares being brought to all our stallions.

4. What are the best qualities of a Connemara pony?

Connemara ponies are world-renowned for their durability and temperament. They’re very intelligent and versatile, suitable for both adults and children. The Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society deserves great credit for promoting and protecting this breed.

I love that each pony is true to its breeding, with each stallion stamping its own characteristics on their offspring.

Ben pictured with his grandad, Jim, who has been a great help to him with grazing and stabling

5. Favourite website?

I’ve gotten fantastic value from watching YouTube in the past, but the very highly valuable Connemara Ponies Breeders’ website is my favourite. It allows me to instantly look up generations of breeding in seconds, which has been a game changer for me.

6. Paris Olympics - any medal predictions?

I’d say keep an eye on Sweden - they crushed it at the last World Championships and have some seriously talented riders like Henrik von Eckermann. But, as a proud Wexford local, I’ve got my hopes pinned on Bertram Allen and the Irish team.

They put on a stellar performance at the World Championships to qualify early, and with a bit of luck, I think they might just snag a medal in Paris.

As a Wexford local, Ben has his hopes pinned on Bertram Allen and the Irish team doing well at the Olympics \ Susan Finnerty

7. If you could have bred any famous horse/pony?

Dexter Leam Pondi for obvious reasons and Josie Jump, because of his local connections. I’m lucky to have a mare bred by Josie, who is currently in foal to Abbeyfield Comet, with hopes of producing something high quality.

8. Best advice you ever got?

The best advice would be from my older brother Mark: “It’s not about the grades you make; it’s about the hands you shake.” Self-explanatory, I suppose.

I’ve been lucky to meet many kind people, especially those who go out of their way to give a young lad starting out a leg-up.

9. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

My dad, Tom, is the team manager, and along with our mam, Hilda, they allow Sarah, Mark, and I to follow our individual passions. My grandad Jim and his sister Ann Mernagh deserve special mentions, as does our uncle Jim, who is always quick to lend his big horsebox whenever there’s a load to be transported from Clifden back to the sunny south-east.

10. The latest addition?

I’m particularly happy with my ownership of the Dexter Leam Pondi stallion we’ll be standing soon. As readers might know, having anything bred by Dexter is rare, but thanks to a high-risk frozen semen transfer by his original breeder, Aidan Jones, Dexter has now produced a pure roan-coloured foal.