BORN and raised near Rosses Point in Co Sligo, much of my early equine experience and influences have their roots in the west of Ireland and the great breeders and horse people there.

In 2011, we purchased Brownstown Stud Farm on the Curragh in Co Kildare. With breeding activities recorded as far back as the 1700s, Brownstown is reputed to be the oldest continuous stud farm in the world, with a significant history and success in breeding and training thoroughbreds over the generations.

With a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we started the project to renovate Brownstown and have hopefully become custodians of this historic equine property for future generations.

There’s myself, my wife Gillian and our three children: Robyn, Emily and Archie. Gill picks up the majority of the workload for the day-to-day management of the horses, as I work as Head of External Manufacturing for a pharmaceutical company.

We breed Irish Draughts, Sport Horses, Connemaras and thoroughbreds. Luckily, Gill and all three of the kids are equine enthusiasts, which has also inducted me into the world of ponies over the last few years.

1. Why do you breed Irish Draughts?

I see a massive opportunity for the Irish Draught breed. We’re all aware that outside of the Irish Draught breed, the national herd bloodlines have changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Irish Draughts are now our only true Irish horse breed left.

Much of what made Irish horses great cannot be measured in centimetres jumped or competition stars, and getting the balance right between performance and not losing the Irish horse’s unique identity is the challenge. All breeders are proud of the fantastic reputation of Irish horses across the world and the only access to those traits and characteristics, which have made the Irish horse great, is from our pool of foundation stock.

The resurgence of the Irish Draught breed’s popularity has seen the highest-ever number of pure-bred Irish Draught foals born per year over the past two years. This is probably more as a result of what the marketplace requires as an end product and ever-increasing restrictions on access to the elite marketplace, than any national strategic plan for the Irish horse.

2. Proudest moment as a breeder?

I’m fortunate enough to have many proud moments as a breeder and, sometimes, it can be the smaller things that are most pleasing. A compliment from someone whose opinion you really respect, positive feedback from the owner of a horse you bred or seeing a horse you bred in a good home, can all give you a buzz.

In terms of success, breeding the Irish Draught stallion Sir Rivie (Sea Crest x Ginger Anne) is one of our high points. Seeing him progress, from a long journey with his dam from Sligo up to Mary McCann and Sea Crest, through to him jumping at the top level in Lanaken for Ireland, was extremely rewarding.

Another proud moment was seeing Rosses Captain (Captain Clover x Rosses Misty Seabird) competing on the British junior eventing team and progressing up to 4* international events.

Robert Draper with Brownstown's I'm So Fancy at Carnew Show \ Susan Finnerty

3. Your Draught template?

I have a slightly different personal view than some on an Irish Draught template. The breed has evolved over the years to meet the present needs and requirements of the end-user and the marketplace. We need to embrace this evolution, while maintaining the breed traits and characteristics that have allowed it to survive over the centuries.

It’s an incredibly versatile breed, with a temperament and athleticism that means Irish Draughts are and can be competitive across most equine disciplines, including show jumping, eventing, dressage, hunting, showing and endurance.

My template for the breed would not see Irish Draughts curtailed as a foundation breed and would allow for diversity within the breed, allowing veterinary sound animals that meet the breed standard to stay within the studbook and excel at their favoured discipline, or with their alternative value to the studbook.

4. The greatest challenges facing Irish Draught breeders?

I think the greatest challenge to Irish Draught breeders is ourselves and our lack of ambition for the breed. When many of the other European studbooks were starting off, these breeds had alternative, more functional uses, but through ambition, genetic selection and an aggressive long-term strategy, they’ve managed to surpass the Irish horse in many areas.

5. Thoughts on prefixes?

My father’s prefix is Rosses, and it is wonderful to see the legacy live on in back breeding. I now use Brownstown’s as my prefix. As with most things in my life, I like to try and stand on my own two feet. Ultimately, it’s the end-user that determines if a prefix is maintained.

Some people like to maintain the prefix of a breeder with a good reputation. Some will contact you and ask if they can change it and others, you can’t control.

What’s important is you will always know that you selected that stallion for that mare, and you were the one up at 4am delivering that foal into the world.

6. If you could have bred any famous horse?

It would have to be some of the legacy Irish Draught stallions that have left their mark on Irish Draught and Irish Sport Horse breeding.

Clover Hill, Sea Crest or Crosstown Dancer are just a few, who got the opportunity to show what the breed can contribute on a world stage.

7. Best advice you ever got?

The value of a good customer is a multiple of the price you might get for your animal.

8. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

Being involved in so many equine disciplines, our team is extensive, and I listen to a lot of advice. Vets, farriers, feed companies and young horse producers all get paid, but the core team starts and ends with Gill, myself and the kids.

The principal member of our team and my astute mentor is still my father, George. He supported my initial interest in horses and fuelled my addiction through the years, through hours of analysis and discussion on everything equine, while always making sure I kept my feet on the ground.

9. A long history of breeding Irish Draughts in the family, would you do it all over again?

Absolutely. My favourite horse of all time is Rosses Misty Sea Bird, a 27-year-old retired Irish Draught mare that I still have on the farm.

Again, we bred her, I saw her foaled, we broke her and I did thousands of miles with her in the trailer. She gave us both lots of successful foals (I have her daughter and granddaughter) and many great days out, and she is still the most intelligent and kindest horse we have on the farm.

It’s a relationship and a bond that is second to none and I would encourage more people to own an Irish Draught.

10. As someone who is involved at many facets of the various equine breeding disciplines, what do you think the industry needs to take it to the next level?

For me, as a breeder, I think we need an independent united breeders’ forum or platform, with proportional representation from the various breeders, including thoroughbred breeders, to have any chance of aligning to an all-island equine breeding strategy. We can then establish the correct breeder segmentation and implement specific plans for the national herd.

In short, we need to talk to each other…