WE met in 2006 at a show in Galway. Neither of us is from equestrian families, I’m from Claregalway and Fiona moved here from Derry in 2003. I’m an accountant and Fiona was a financial advisor, but is now mostly at home with the kids and at the stables. We were married in 2011 and have three children: James (11), Emma (nine) and Kate (eight). None of the kids are interested in riding, which results in the majority of our weekends standing at the side of a soccer, hurling or football pitch and the running track.

1. Congratulations, a great result for DPS Revere (Hermes de Reve – Celerina, by Cento) in last weekend’s Madrid World Cup qualifier with Marcus Ehning (GER). Tell us more about him.

We purchased Celerina from Joe Owens at Lissava Stud back in 2008. Our vet, Tina Roche, told us Joe had a few nice mares for sale. Myself and Fiona’s brother David made the journey to Co Tipperary and bought the mare.

There was a long-standing joke with Tina that we had bought the wrong mare, that there was a nicer mare, but we think she changed her mind as herself and husband Glenn McCullagh have since purchased one of Celerina’s fillies.

Revere was the second Hermes de Reve foal we bred from Celerina - he was quite an ugly foal! He was a chesnut/roan colour with a head which looked too big for his body. I always believed he would be a jumper, as he would jump the lines on the concrete as a foal. We liked him so much that we went back to Hermes the following year and bred a full-brother [DPS Revelry].

As a three-year-old, Revere was broken at the back end of the year by local man Kevin Keary and Fiona lightly campaigned him as a four-year-old. When he came in after his winter break, he was a much stronger horse as a five-year-old, a little sharper and very careful with his jump, so we made the decision to give him to Shane Goggins to produce for us.

Shane clicked with him very quickly and, within a few weeks, they qualified for the Dublin five-year-olds. He also quickly bonded with Niamh Quinn, Shane’s groom, who took such great care of him.

Revere finished fifth in the Dublin final and, the following week, was second in the Ruby final at Millstreet. Fiona joked with Shane after the RDS five-year-old final that there was no fear of jumping the wrong course, as some of the fences were set at 1.60m for the Grand Prix later that day. Shane laughed and said: “He’d jump them, no problem”.

Revere was produced slowly with Shane over the next few years up to national Grand Prix level and was purchased by Vinnie Duffy in December 2022. Vinnie told us he had plans to send him to his son Alex, but when Michael G came home for Christmas, he rode him and really liked him, so he went to Michael instead.

Michael brought him to the Global Champions Tours in Miami Beach and Mexico City, then back to Europe for Hamburg and it was after this, he was sold for Marcus Ehning to compete.

2. Proudest breeder moment?

There are a few, definitely. Hearing that Marcus would be riding one of our home-breds is one of them. There was a reel posted on the Global Champions Tour Instagram page in May this year of Revere and DPS Camelot walking around the collecting ring together at a 5* show in Shanghai with Marcus and Phillipp Weishaupt. It was quite unbelievable: that two half-brothers would end up at a show together on the other side of the world under two of the best German riders.

Another was a weekend when we were competing in Cavan in the HSI Studbook series and we had two full-brothers – DPS Dictator and DPS Orchestrator - from another dam, in the five and six-year-old classes. In the six-year-old class that weekend, there were three of our home-breds out of three different dams. Finally, DPS Dictator – another home-bred – is produced at home by Fiona. He has brought her to the RDS main arena, jumped clear and placed in both of their first National 1.40m Grands Prix.

Marcus Ehning and DPS Revere jumping at the World Cup show in Stuttgart \ Tomas Holcbecher

3. Celerina has bred a 1.60m show jumper and 5* eventer. Tell us more about her.

Revere’s dam was small, standing at 16hh. She bred Pfun, a 5* eventer before we purchased her. She is also the mother of DPS Camelot, who finished in the Hamburg Derby top-10 this year.

Revere’s full-brother Revelry finished second in Bramham Horse Trials CCI4* this year with Max Warburton - at nine years old, he is another one to look out for in the eventing world. We have one filly left from Celerina, by Grand Slam VDL. She was the winner of the HSI show jumping foal class, but unfortunately sustained an injury as a yearling. She may be a possible broodmare in the future.

4. Two Irish Sport Horses – HHS Los Angeles and DPS Revere – in the Madrid World Cup qualifier top-four. Is Irish show jumping breeding on the rise?

Yes, definitely on the rise. There are so many stallions to choose from now, in comparison to 10/15 years ago. James Kann Cruz was bred a few miles down the road with the Connollys and has quickly become one of the very best horses in the world. We’ve taken great enjoyment following his career to date.

5. Your favourite show?

Cavan, as the facilities are fabulous. We also have Hollypark quite close to us with fantastic facilities. We competed in Hickstead a few years ago and would love to go back again in the future.

6. DPS – Deerpairc Stables – is yours, thoughts on prefixes?

We like the idea of a prefix. It’s nice to have the recognition and great when you scroll down the startlist or results and see the prefix. We obviously would prefer if the prefix wasn’t dropped off a name.

7. Go-to website/app?

Clip My Horse would be the go-to app. It is a fantastic resource. We also enjoy when national shows are streamed on IrishSport.tv – particularly when the children were very small and it was difficult to get to shows. It’s nice for owners to watch their horse if they can’t get there.

8. Best advice you ever got?

Probably that every day is a learning day with horses. You never know it all.

9. It takes a team – who’s on yours?

We’ve had many people help us over the years, from Tina Roche (vet), Chris Corcoran (farrier) and Ger Kelly and his team in Fethard.

Olive and Ivor Broderick at Kylemore Stud are always so generous with their knowledge and advice. My father Padraic O’Malley and Fiona’s brother David Beirne, as well as Aisling Conneely, a neighbour and now friend who came to us five years ago when she was 14, looking for a Saturday job. She’s now in Wellington, Florida on a year out before university.

A special mention would have to go to Shane Goggins and his team at G Sport Horses. He did such a fantastic job with Revere and with any of our other horses. He has a special talent with young horses, always allowing them to reach their full potential and runs a very professional yard in Claremorris, Co Mayo.

10. Favourite holiday destination?

Probably skiing for me and definitely sun for Fiona!