LEESTONE Sport Horses was founded in March 2006 and we’re situated at the foot of the Mourne mountains in Kilkeel, Co Down, 19 miles from Newry and 40 miles from Belfast.

The Leestone name comes from the famous Leestone rock, which is on the beach beside my property, moved there by the Ice Age. My main business - Leestone Caravan Park, situated beside the sea, also takes this name.

Our goal is to breed from the best of Irish and European bloodlines for the show jumping market, often by introducing new stallion lines from the continent.

1. A great summer for Leestone Sport Horses, between Leestone Mylord Trumps (Mylord Carthago - Crosskeys Cavalier, by Cavalier Royale) now competing on the international circuit and Shane and Paraic Kenny’s Leestone Emeresky (Emerald van’t Ruytershof - Leestone Cavalenski, by Cornet Obolensky), the Broodmare Futurity reserve champion at Dublin this year. Tell us more about the pair.

Leestone Mylord Trumps I sold as a foal at the Irish Breeders’ Classic to Al Shira’aa Stables, via Brian Cassidy. Now an 11-year-old, he went on to win numerous competitions and lately won a 1.40m class in Paris on the Global Champions Tour with Humaid Abdulla Khalifa Al Muhairi (UAE).

Leestone Emeresky would be a niece of Mylord Trumps and was also sold at the Irish Breeders’ Classic. She was also third in the Mo Chroi four-year-old final at Dublin with Shane Kenny.

A few weeks ago, with repro vet John Haughey, we flushed a full-sibling to Leestone Emeresky which is reserved for Shane, who is a great rider and supporter of my breeding.

2. Proudest breeder moment?

Every foal born alive and healthy is a good moment for a breeder but when Leestone Blue Volvet (Plot Bleu - Ultiem V, by Voltaire) got placed in the WBFSH finals at Lanaken, it was a nice feeling.

3. How many broodmares do you have?

I only breed three to six foals a year, and mares I currently breed from are Leestone Heartbeat (Heartbreaker) and Leestone Cavalenski (Cornet Obolensky), two daughters of one of my foundation mares Crosskeys Cavalier (Cavalier Royale - Khan Diamonds, by Diamonds Are Trumps. Breeder: Matthew McBreen).

Crosskeys Cavalier is the dam of the Army Equitation School’s Grand Prix show jumper Loughall, competed by Capt Michael Kelly and from the family of Olympic Clover (Clover Hill - Kubla Khan, by Sky Boy. Breeder: Kieran Lennon), Westwinds Cirracruise and Newmarket Venture Clover.

Leestone Cavalenski’s Tangelo van de Zuuethoeve filly foal - Leestone Cheers Patricia - is amongst the entries for this year’s Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Show Jumping Foals auction today (Saturday), held in conjunction with the Irish Breeders’ Classic.

This year, I bought Patchina Van’t Merelsnest, a Kannan sister to Glasgow VDL. So hopefully she will start another good line as there are many top performers in the family and I also have a recipient mare carrying a Comme Il Faut embryo from Patchina.

Leestone Nicholas won the six-year-olds in Hickstead this year and I have retained two sisters by Cristello and Eldorado for breeding, who are daughters of Acajou van het Kloosterhof (Heartbreaker - Lisa, by Ramiro Z), another super family.

4. Favourite bloodlines?

I love researching families with potential to breed great things and have been extremely lucky in my decisions.

I started using Emerald over 10 years ago when few used him. I then acquired the agency from Axel Verlooy Eurohorse in Belgium, have used Emerald every year since and have three Emerald foals due in 2025.

Tangelo van de Zutherove is a popular blood stallion and De Semilly stud is also one of the studs I represent.

A few young stallions I like are Extreme 111 Z and Don Julio de Regor from the famous Centa de Muze, El Barone 111 is one of the stallions at Stud 111, who I also supply to Ireland.

5. How do you market Leestone Sport Horses?

I have the Leestone Sport Horses page on Facebook and people also contact me from my horses jumping in competition, via the Leestone prefix.

6. Leestone is yours, views on prefixes?

I think it is extremely important to have a prefix and under no circumstances would I give up a horse’s prefix when producers think it’s their right to change a prefix.

I think it’s an insult to a breeder to ask for a prefix to be removed.

7. Greatest challenge facing sport horse breeders?

Challenges currently facing breeders are well known, regarding Horse Sport Ireland passports which, last year, took six months and a change of ownership took 11 weeks. It’s just not good enough to have too many managers in Horse Sport Ireland, it just doesn’t work.

8. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

I do everything myself with the mares and foals which gives me great pleasure away from work and I’m blessed to have local vet John Haughey only one hour’s drive away, a total gentleman to deal with.

9. Best advice you ever got?

You will get much breeding advice on Facebook, it’s the fastest way for a nobody to become a vet and expert breeder in hours.

I rarely even comment now as there are too many self-proclaimed experts giving advice but what I did learn is do your own thing if you believe in it, as when you make a mistake, it’s your mistake.

10. Best advice you would give?

It’s important to know your market in what you are breeding and build up a customer base. I don’t listen to sweet talkers.

Marketing on Facebook, a Facebook page, even placing an advert on Donedeal with keywords,. i.e. the stallion or mare’s name which will show up on a Google search, will pay dividends.

Lastly, research your mare’s family as the more you know about the family the more appealing it is to buyers. Marcus O’Donnell ia a top man researching families worldwide.

Then all you can hope for is your choices made this year will come to fruition next year.