I GREW up on a small dairy farm in Kilmovee, on the Mayo/Roscommon border, where some of the best Irish Draughts in the country are now bred. My family had no interest in horses but I’ve always been obsessed! My father gave in when I was about 10 and bought Beauty, a two-year-old pony, at Ballaghaderreen fair.
I had no fear whatsoever and broke her in myself. I loved riding Beauty around the roads and fields, jumping over barrels and bales, dreaming that I would be famous someday!
The summer highlight was my late father taking me to Ballina and Claremorris shows. I loved watching the show jumping stars of the 70s - Eddie Macken, Paul Darragh, James Kernan and the Army riders, competing there. Another brilliant show was Strokestown in September where the main prize was a car; I remember David Broome and Harvey Smith there one year.
After joining An Garda Síochána and stints in Dublin and Manorhamilton, I settled in Sligo. My love of horses hadn’t waned and it wasn’t long before I got an Irish Draught mare for hacking around. On a trip to Spancil Hill with my good friend Sandra Stuart, I bought a beautiful yearling pony from Mai Collins and her daughter Marie as a companion for my mare.
This started both my journey with Welsh and part-bred ponies and a great friendship over the years with Mai, from Templemore. The following year, after Sandra showed this pony Blazing Albert (Pendley Moonshine) to win his class at Ballymote, I was hooked on showing!
Ironically, his breeder was Sean Maher of Goldengrove Stud. His grandchildren, Claire and Sarah, are amongst my closest friends today.
By now, I did lead rein classes with my two young children Michelle and Sarah at local shows. One day, after her pony stood on Michelle’s toe at Manorhamilton, she duly handed me the reins and announced her retirement from showing!
Sarah continued to compete up to Intermediate level. We enjoyed many happy days all over the country with Celton Liza Jane, Strinesdale Emerald and Every Last Drop
1. Tell us about the Waterglades line.
It started after Sarah outgrew Celton Liza Jane and we decided to breed from this 128cms mare. She produced some beautiful foals, one went to top UK driving enthusiast Jeff Osborne.
I covered another pony, Penwood Oria, also sourced from Mai Collins, with Holyoake Czar. Waterglades Japan, born in 2002, the year the World Cup was held in Japan, was the result.
Japan has the most amazing temperament, which she has passed on to all of her progeny, all true children ponies. I aim to breed a foal every year.
2. Proudest moment?
When I see a pony that I’ve nurtured from a tiny foal coming out under saddle, behaving perfectly and taking care of their riders at the big shows.
3. Favourite broodmare?
Waterglades Japan’s coloured part-bred Welsh daughter, Waterglades Gemini. She’s won show hunter pony championships all over with a variety of riders and was never out of the RDS or Balmoral ribbons in five visits.
I say Gemini is the gift that keeps on giving, as she has now bred three lovely foals who’ve all inherited her wonderful temperament.
Her oldest progeny Waterglades Over The Moon (Derwent Rainbow Bandit) finished third at Dublin with Anna Rose Scott in his first season under saddle and had some good placings at the BSPS championships in Grantham. Anna Rose works so hard and rides ‘Oscar’ so well.
Gemini returned to the show ring this year with her beautiful coloured foal Waterglade Dance With The Stars (Wycroft Rainbow Dancer), taking the in-hand supreme at Claremorris and reserve champion at Ballinamore. This foal won the HSI pony foal eventing regional qualifier at Tubberbride.
4. Breeding ponies – labour of love or profitable?
A labour of love. I love springtime when the foals are born and especially when I’m lucky enough to have two foals, I just love to watch the pair playing together. I’m very slow to part with my stock and finding the right home is of paramount importance.
5. Describe your winter regime for keeping broodmares/youngstock.
My broodmares live out in a herd all year-round on a good ground. Very good doers, they’re fed ad-lib hay from January onwards and concentrates two months before foaling. I rug up the older girls but, unless the weather is very wet, the smaller native ponies go unrugged.
In mild winters, I’ve left foals out, rugged and fed concentrates, until after Christmas, but like to get them in at some stage for one-to-one handling.
6. Do breeders get enough recognition?
I love looking at pedigrees and different bloodlines. However, I find that if I spot a nice pony at a show or showjumping and ask the owner how it’s bred, they usually say, “I haven’t a clue, take a look at the book!” People don’t mind how it’s bred as long as it does its job or jumps.
I feel strongly that all pony breeders owe it to themselves and their ponies to register a prefix and their stock with full breeding. It is very disrespectful to breeders to change a pony’s name or remove a prefix.
It’s the only way a breeder can keep track of their animals and a good way of promoting their breeding programme.
Another bugbear is failing to include the animal’s breeding on entry forms.
7. Beneficial incentives for pony breeders?
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) have pony foal evaluations for potential eventing and show jumping foals. I think these are good competitions to enter. Ponies must be registered before they can enter and any prizemoney paid out.
Still in their infancy, I hope that HSI will continue to track the progress of the finalists in the years to come, as it’s early yet to judge the evaluation’s usefulness.
8. If you could have bred any horse?
It would have to be the great mare Honeysuckle. I love my National Hunt racing and have been lucky to be present for many of her big wins here and Cheltenham.
Naturally I was disappointed to see her beaten last week but she was beaten by two very good horses and I think the heavy ground just blunted her speed.
9. It takes a team - who’s on yours?
I’ve great friends and neighbours, who are always willing to help, whether it’s a foal who is slow to suckle or a reluctant loader.
I’m eternally grateful to fellow breeders, Claire and Sarah of Goldengrove Stud, Jean Campbell, Creevelea Stud and Catherine Boylan.
New to the team is Alayne Wells, who led the mare in broodmare classes. It’s very important that my ponies are started properly and Cherie and Megan Devanney, from Enniscrone, have always done an excellent job. I’m so grateful to all the riders, too many to single out, who have ridden my ponies through the years.
10. How did you start breeding coloured ponies?
I aim to breed quality coloured ponies that can hold their own against solid colour ponies. Coloured classes are huge in the UK; Lady Nesta Fitzgerald was instrumental in introducing them into the Irish Pony Society (IPS) and they’re gaining in popularity since.
I loved going to Ballinasloe in October and always admired the lovely quality coloured progeny of stallions like Mohill Gypsy, The Traveller and The Artist. The first coloured pony I bred was Waterglades Gemini, by Village Lad, a homozogyous pony stallion who stood in Boyle with Pat Nicholson.
Some years ago I purchased the part-bred Welsh homozoygous mare Havenbeech Pretty Woman, who is always guaranteed to breed a coloured foal. Her third foal, the palomino and white colt Waterglades Bailey’s On Ice (Janet Iceman), was supreme champion at the IPS foal show recently in Thurles. That was a very proud day for me as a breeder.