I GREW up in Dublin and learned to ride firstly in Iris Kellet’s famous establishment on Mespil Road and then spent my teenage years in Hollywell Riding School with Ena de Lacey Staunton.

After qualifying as a vet from UCD, I moved to Kildare, where I have been ever since. I spent almost 20 years working at the National Stud, but later joined GreyAbbey Vets, which became Troytown GreyAbbey. I have been semi-retired for the last few years, giving me more time to spend with my horses.

Coffee break: Bridget McGing enjoys following the careers of her third-generation eventers Inquisitor and Master Point \ Susan Finnerty

1. Your first broodmare?

The first horse I bought, who I guess is now my foundation mare, was Sheeva, a small grey, old-fashioned sort by Macrocket. I bought her from a lovely gentleman, Sean McCarthy, in Lombardstown, Co Cork, with the help of my great friend, the late Noel Cawley.

I enjoyed many years of fun in amateur show jumping with Sheeva, before breeding her first foal, Shaina, another grey, by John Henry. She is the dam of Hyjak (2* eventer, by Jack of Diamonds) and Diamond Fleck (by Coolcorran Cool Diamond), who evented to 3* and is the dam of Inquisitor.

Sheeva’s last foal was another grey; Chikari, by King’s Master, who is the dam of my 5* horse, Master Point, by Pointilliste. Chikari is now in honourable retirement, but is the dam of another grey yearling filly by Gibeon, to hopefully continue the line!

2. Tell us more about the family of Inquisitor, one of the Irish Sport Horse team at the WBFSH championships at Le Lion d’Angers in 2024.

Inquisitor is by the now-deceased Thoroughbred, Coroner, who is also the sire of Harry Meade’s Annaghmore Valoner, winner of Bramham 4*-L in 2024. I picked this sire as he was by Mtoto, from the great Busted/Crepello line, which has produced so many good sport horses in the past. Like Master Point, he is a blood type of TIH sport horse, and has enjoyed great success with Ian Cassells.

3. Proudest breeder moment?

My proudest moments as a breeder have probably been at Master Point’s 5* debut at Pau in 2023, his 16th place last year at Luhmuhlen and the completion of his first Burghley in September.

Inquisitor’s 10th place in Le Lion D’Angers is certainly up there, after a fabulous clear on a testing cross-country day. When the two boys won their respective EI 115 classes at Loughanmore in August was another special moment as an owner-breeder!

As can be seen from above, I am a great fan of Traditional Irish breeding. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to continue. When breeding a competition mare, who is already perhaps 80% TB, what do you cover her with? There are very few successful ISH options with traditional credentials.

I also recognise that the TIH type is usually a late developer and may not show much ability before six or seven years old, making them difficult to sell as young horses and expensive to produce. While the sport of eventing has changed considerably in recent years and definitely favours the warmblood types at the lower levels, I firmly believe the TIH is still the best option at five-star level.

There is no doubt that Ireland still produces the best event horses in the world, even if the modern ones mostly contain a warmblood percentage.

4. Traditional breeding - how do we retain it?

In order to preserve these valuable bloodlines, we need to retain Thoroughbred stallions in our breeding pool, but it is easy to see why there are now so few traditional stallion owners, such as Barbara Hatton of Slyguff Stud, when breeders are flocking to the more commercial, crowd-pleasing continental types.

The widespread availability of AI has encouraged, in my opinion, the overuse of certain warmblood stallions, in order to produce whatever is most fashionable at the sales, thus resulting in continuous dilution of the traditional Irish bloodlines and overuse of certain sires.

5. Famous horse you would like to have bred?

King Of Diamonds has been one of the most influential sires in traditional Irish pedigrees for the last 50 years or so. While described as RID, his dam was actually half TB and he crossed successfully with most damlines of the time.

I suppose he was a victim of his own success, in that many modern Draught lines are inbred to him, but I still love to see him in the damline of eventers.

6. Go-to website?

My go-to website is probably the Eventing Ireland website. I would spend every weekend from March to October scrutinising entries and results!

It’s a great resource and usually allows live following of results, as the day’s competition unfolds. It would be great to see more live feed from national events, as has been occasionally provided by the likes of Bit-Media, at some of our home internationals.

7. It takes a team, who’s on yours?

My team consists of my fantastic rider, Ian Cassells and his groom, Leanne Foster. Also, my great friend and helper Eimear Murphy, who has been a part of all our eventing adventures.

My brother Brian is another vital part of the team, having bought in to Master Point as a young horse, in order to prevent him being sold abroad. As a totally non-horsey member of the team, he does still enjoy the big days at Blenheim, Burghley etc.

The final member of the team is my faithful canine companion, Gus, who I fear is better known than me!

8. Best advice you ever got?

More wisdom than advice, but a very respected Professor of Veterinary Medicine used to tell us students that “Common things are common”. It didn’t seem very profound at the time, but it has kept me right over the years!

I often think that the one thing that is not common is common sense…

9. Favourite event?

Burghley International was probably my favourite this year, but Le Lion d’Angers would be a close second.

10. Favourite holiday destination?

I’m lucky to share a small holiday house outside Westport in Co Mayo with my brother and we like to spend as much time there as possible. Our dad was born and raised in Westport, so we have been visiting for more than 50 years.