I live in Stokane near Enniscrone in County Sligo and am the middle child of a family of five. I’m a college student in St Angela’s College in Sligo, studying Home Economics and Irish.

My dad, Stephen was a dairy farmer. We bought our first mare Galway Queen, a Mister Lord mare in foal to Wareed, a son of Sadler’s Wells, in 2007, and that’s where our passion for horses began.

We have a busy summer calendar with shows each weekend; some local and some further afield. The last two weekends have been local, as we competed at both Enniscrone and Ballina shows.

The sun shone for Enniscrone and it was lovely to see the show jumping competitions taking place on the showgrounds of the Castleconnor Sports Complex on show day for the first time in years.

We especially enjoyed the Jack Dodd Memorial class at the Ballina Show, with its challenging 1.30m joker fence, a great display of skill and horsemanship. Next, we’re looking forward to competing at the Bonniconlon Show, which is the week prior to Dublin!

We’ve attended the RDS Dublin Horse Show every year since I was a child as spectators and it has always been a dream of ours to compete. We still can’t believe we’re going to do just that next month!

1. Congratulations, you qualified for The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship show jumping section at West Clare. Tell us more about your mare/foal.

Fidachta Tulip is a grey mare by Cougar out of a Welcome Diamond mare. I got her when I was 14 and had outgrown my 138cm pony. Instead of a 148cm pony, my Dad got me a 17-hand mare and I brought her on up to 1.20m, until I injured my knee. That kick-started our breeding journey with Tulip.

We decided to cover her with Glynnwood Cornet, as we already have a lovely three-year-old filly by him, out of a Gentle Diamond mare. Tulip foaled in late April and we are absolutely delighted with the super colt foal she produced.

A friend of ours sent us a video of Greg Broderick’s fanatastic young stallion, Verbier De Muze, loose jumping at their stallion parade day. Upon seeing him in the flesh, our decision was easily made and Tulip has been successfully scanned in foal to him.

2. What’s your aim as a breeder?

As a newcomer to the breeding circle, my goal would be to breed good, straight, top class show jumping and eventing horses.

3. Favourite bloodlines?

I am a fan of Cornet Obolensky.

4. What’s your view on prefixes?

I think prefixes are a great way of knowing where your horses go, and being able to follow their success. Nothing gives a breeder greater satisfaction than seeing horses they have bred doing well.

Laura at one of her local shows - Ballina - last summer, with judge John Aherne and ’Tulip’ \ Susan Finnerty

5. How many mares/foals do you currently have?

We have three mares foaled this year:

  • Tulip and her Glynnwood Cornet colt.
  • Foody’s Emerald by Captain Clover out of a Mister Lord mare had a smashing filly foal by Imnotafraid Fortuna and is in foal again to the stallion Another Pleasure.
  • We have an Irish Draught mare by Kilmovee White Hero. She has a striking colt foal by Sligo Cavalier Candy and is in foal again to him.
  • We have also covered two other mares this year: our Gentle Diamond mare to Imnotafraid Fortuna and an O.B.O.S. Quality 004 mare to Glynnwood Cornet.

    • 6. If you could have bred any horse?

    My Dad grew up watching Eddie Macken and Paul Darragh and would love to have bred either Heather Honey or Boomerang and, from the stories he tells me, I would have to agree.

    Aga Khan day during Horse Show week was when we all watched the TV to cheer on the Irish team at Dublin. It’s still surreal to think that, after we’ll have finished in the Breeders’ Championship on the Friday, we then get to see this year’s Nations Cup competition in real time on the other side of the Anglesea Stand from the showring!

    7. Paris Olympics coming up - medal predictions?

    Of course I would love to see our Irish team bringing home the gold from Paris. They are displaying great form in recent competitions and I hope they carry it on to the Olympics.

    8. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

    It’s a huge family effort. My Dad is a great adviser and advocate. My three sisters, Mary, Lily and Ruth, are fantastic help and my brother William is always there when the extra help is required! My mother Frances is the overseer, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

    9. Best advice you ever got?

    Always expect the unexpected.

    10. Who do you see as the up-and-coming show jumper?

    I would have to say a neighbour, Richard Howley, originally from Enniscrone, Co Sligo, is doing remarkably well competing at the highest level.

    Up Sligo!