CAROLINE and Paul Byrne’s home-bred Hallowberry Cruz, formerly on lease to Army Equitation School, has officially retired.

“I would like to thank everyone who was involved in his career, it was a brilliant journey and we have some fantastic memories,” Caroline told The Irish Field this week. The traditionally-bred performance stallion is now based at David Molloy’s Hazel Arch Farm in Mountrath.

By Cruising out of Calcutta Clover, the Clover Hill-Ceredigion mare competed by Caroline, Hallowberry Cruz is fully approved by Horse Sport Ireland and gained a four-star rating for his international jumping career.

He competed up to 1.60m level, recording 39 top-10 placings in FEI classes with riders Alexander Butler, Shane Breen and Capt. Geoff Curran and also appeared on several Irish Nations Cup teams with Butler, including Sopot, Lisbon and a victory at Drammen three years ago.

He won at Vejer de la Frontera, Bonheiden, Carmona and Oliva and was well placed at the Horse of the Year Show, Dublin, Millstreet and Odense. At home, he enjoyed a purple run on the national circuit, having won the TRM/Horse Sport Ireland New Heights Champion Series 1.50m Grand Prix at Ballinasloe in 2018.

Hallowberry Cruz was the leading horse in the 2015 Premier Grand Prix series, with wins that year at Louth County and Tattersalls in 2016.

He joins a small band of approved traditional-breds in the Irish Horse Register available to breeders, a fact his breeder was keen to emphasise, saying: “I can’t express enough the importance going forward as a breeding nation the use of more thoroughbred and Traditional Irish horses. It’s time we use them or lose them. We are delighted he is standing at Hazel Arch Farm with David.”

“He’s the finest, settled in very well and is a lovely, easy horse to have around. I’m just delighted that the Byrnes are giving me a go standing him,” said David, who also stands Portlaoise First Tuch, Radolin and Udancer Hero.

“We can generate traditional breeding but it’s important to generate traditional performance breeding while the genetics are there. Use them now,” he added, pointing out that Hallowberry Cruz is from the same damline as Cruiseline, Point Blank and the four-star event horse, Loughehoe Legend.