Susan Finnerty

THERE’s an element of the dreamer in any breeder and that dream of breeding a ‘good one’ sustains many breeders along the way. Perhaps the longest route of all is for those hoping to breed a four-star event horse and so last week’s news that the Irish Sport Horse studbook has again topped the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) rankings is a timely accolade for the half dozen breeders who provided the winning horsepower.

PAT FENLON

Breeder of Kilronan (by Ghareeb out of Ramble Way, by Diamond Lad). WBFSH individual ranking: ninth).

Breeding a four-star eventer is often compared to breeding a potential Gold Cup horse and both prospects are found on the Fenlon family’s farm in St Mullins. Jim Fenlon has already bred one Cheltenham winner in Same Difference, while his son Pat has the honour this year of breeding the leading Irish-bred points scorer in the 2104 WBFSH rankings; Kilronan.

The distinctive fleabitten grey’s best season to date with Paul Tapner began when they threw down their bid for a World Equestrian Games team space when finishing fourth to Paulank Brockagh at the Mitsubishi Motors Horse Trials in May. Fenton wasn’t amongst the spectators as Kilronan’s dam, the 19-year-old Ramble Way, was being covered that same weekend by Golden Master.

“I’ve seen some nice types by him [Golden Master] in Goresbridge,” said Fenlon, a familiar sight at the Kilkenny sales venue, explaining this year’s sire choice.

“I always wanted a Diamond Lad mare. She’s the last of them and I bought her at Goresbridge,” said Fenlon. Kilronan, her first foal, was one of several by the thoroughbred sire Ghareeb. Jay Bowe’s late stallion was by the brilliant 1986 Prix De l’Arc de Triomphe winner Dancing Brave and that inherited turn of foot has proved an asset for both Kilronan and his very promising full-brother Strike Smartly.

A number of Ramble Way’s progeny are still on the farm, including a “smashing two-year-old full-sister” of Kilronan and their three-year-old Je T’aime Flamenco half-sister, who is in foal to the thoroughbred sire, Road To Happiness.

“You need a generation of blood after Diamond Lad and Flamenco. The nice old-fashioned mare needed blood and you need to add more blood after putting power on power,” reasoned Fenlon who keeps in regular contact with Penny Barker, who co-owns Kilronan with husband Fred and Tapner.

Fenlon became an eventing fan after a visit to the European eventing championships hosted at Punchestown.

“I went around the course and when you walk into the fences those horse have to jump – they really do have to jump,” said the breeder of this year’s leading Irish-bred eventer.

FRANK & PAULA CULLEN

Breeders of Paulank Brockagh (by Touchdown out of Calendar Girl, by Trigerrero). WBFSH ranking: 17th)

Paulank Brockagh’s win at one of the toughest Badminton in recent history secured the Touchdown mare’s selection for Australia’s WEG team and made 2014 a landmark year for Wicklow breeding.

It was also a fitting reward for Paula Cullen’s years of breeding every type of equine from Welsh ponies to Irish Draughts and Badminton winning event horses. She and her husband Frank were in Kenya as part of a fundraising effort for charities helping Nairobi street children when the rankings were released.

“Her performance at Badminton was testament to her wonderful attitude. Brockagh was always a very honest, brave mare who tried her heart out. Her cross-country record speaks for itself as she has jumped clear since her very first event. I hope that when she retires I may have the opportunity of a foal from her,” said her proud breeder, who was in Normandy to watch her at the World Equestrian Games.

Her 23-year-old Triggerero dam, Calendar Girl, is another covered by Slyguff Stud’s Golden Master this year and was originally spotted by Paula as a yearling at the Tattersalls sporthorse sale. Also on their Newtownmountkennedy farm is her Ghareeb daughter Paulank Calla Lily, another produced through the FEHL system by Heidi Hamilton.

Not only is Brockagh’s half-sister by Kilronan’s sire but Lily’s beautifully-bred filly foal is by Jumbo, the sire of Avebury who then went into the record books in September with three consecutive Burghley wins.

SYLVESTER CULLEN

Breeder of Ballynoecastle RM (by Ramiro B out of Ballyvaldon Natalie, by Blue Laser). WBFSH ranking: 21st

Ballynoecastle RM is one of Buck Davidson’s favourite horses and the pair’s main WBFSH points came through their fourth place at the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** in May. Although their luck ran out on a gruelling cross-country day at the World Equestrian Games in August, “Reggie” has continued to be another consistent points earner at four-star level.

The 14-year-old was bred in Blackwater, Co Wexford by Sylvester Cullen, who is currently recovering after surgery and the news of Ballynoecastle RM’s inclusion in the victorious Irish team was a welcome tonic.

“We’re so proud of the horse,” said his wife Chrissie, who receives updates and Rolex videos from the horse’s ‘biggest fan’, her brother Cyril Behan who works out in Kentucky.

Although now retired from breeding, Ballyvaldon Natalie, who is by the 1978 Croker Cup champion Blue Laser, is a permanent fixture on their farm. The couple also have Reggie’s four-year-old full-sister Ballyvaldon Romy, who they plan to sell in the future and both are also full-siblings to Denise O’Brien’s good two-star performer Tommy B Good.

BRYAN MAGUIRE

Breeder of Bay My Hero (by Cult Hero out of Bing Power, by Tomgar Power Crest). WBFSH ranking: 22nd

Another Wexford breeder is Bryan Maguire, whose Bay My Hero did him proud this year by winning the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** and whose fourth place at Burghley helped secure the WBFSH studbook title.

The 15-year-old Bing Power takes pride of place amongst the 20 horses on the Maguire farm in Ballycanew, outside Gorey, and had a colt foal this year by the Berney’s thoroughbred Superior Premium.

Described by Bryan as “a real old-fashioned 16.1 mare with a short shin. You don’t need that great big mare, the nice round-y mare can do the job,” Bing Power is by the Irish Sport Horse sire Tomgar Power Crest, who is by Cruising and Lenamore’s sire, Sea Crest.

“I’d say he got about 20 mares in his lifetime,” said Maguire about the stallion, who following the dispersal of his late owner and neighbour Heinz Suremann’s stock, began a new career on the continent as a vaulting horse. “He ended up in Switzerland with four ladies doing gymnastics and everyone admires this lovely white Irish stallion going around!”

He is pragmatic about Bay My Hero’s success saying: “He got a great chance between Catherine Witt as his owner and one of the best riders in the world, William Fox-Pitt. Catherine is a great woman, the horse wasn’t out of the arena in Kentucky for two seconds when she phoned with the news.”

“That’s the things about horses. I could milk 20 cows and do without all the kicks and all else that goes with keeping horses but it’s the great people you meet, either in Ballycanew or all over the world, that makes it worthwhile.”

PATRICK & ANASTASIA LAWLOR

Breeders of Improvise (by Master Imp out of Diamond Wood, by Marwood.) WBFSH ranking: 23rd).

Although their parents have since passed away, the progress of the exciting prospect Improvise is followed closely by their sons Pascal and John.

The family are steeped in sport horse history, having previously stood the Bord na gCapall stallion Marwood; Blue Boy, a rare Blue Cliff son and General Ironside, leased for three years from the late Paul Darragh.

John works at Ballylinch Stud, where he has won their stud groom of the year award, and has just returned from the stud’s successful consignment at the Newmarket sales.

“It’s a long road, especially for sport horses compared to thoroughbreds, but buyers are always fighting for the right one,” he commented.

The 10-year-old Improvise is the third of the ISH studbook’s team competed by an Australian rider and placed sixth at Burghley last month with Bill Levett to leapfrog into the WBFSH top 30.

Sold as a three-year-old at Goresbridge, there is only one of Improvise’s relatives remaining on the family’s Tullogher farm, “a stylish Ghareeb six-year-old. He’s the last of the mare’s family.”

Diamond Wood, a Marwood-King Of Diamonds cross, also produced Improvise’s full-brother Highest Offer sold to America after a successful FEHL campaign.

“I’d like the Master Imps, they’re fighters which is what you’d need for that level,” added John. “A timid horse won’t make it to four-star.”

JAMES J. RYAN

Breeder of Electric Cruise (Cruising – Kilnamac Sally, by Clover Hill). WBFSH ranking: 42nd

The sole Irish-campaigned horse in this year’s group, Electric Cruise has now added competing at World Equestrian Games level to his and Joseph Murphy’s Irish team record. The pair first competed internationally at Necarne Castle in 2009 and were also selected for last year’s European eventing championships and the 2012 London Olympics, where they finished 14th.

They got their 2014 WBFSH points tally off to a good start last October – the start of the WBFSH rankings calendar year – with eighth place at Pau CCI**** and were also second at Hopetoun CIC*** to other team stalwarts in Nicola Wilson and Opposition Buzz.

Bred outside Clonmel by national school principal James ‘Jimmy’ Ryan, he is the fifth of the group to have a living dam. Like Kilronan’s dam Ramble Way, Kilnamac Sally is another from a stallion’s final crop as she is one of the last of the Clover Hill daughters and in another link, her Lux Z colt foal was bought by Pat Fenlon.

Her 2013 Lux Z colt and a couple of others out of Electric Cruise’s full-sisters, retained by Ryan, were sold last year to Oranmore man Pat Finn. He also has Kilnamac Stiletto, a three-year-old Lux Z filly out of Kilnamac Sue entered for The Monart Sale.

“The first time I loose jumped her, she reminded me of Electric Cruise, she’s the very same,” said their breeder, who plans to cover Kilnamac Sally early next year.

He hasn’t decided yet on a covering sire and regrets the loss of Cruising and past thoroughbred stallions such as Coevers and Sky Boy, asking: “Where are their replacements now?”