ANNE Clancy is the woman behind the numerous successful Irish show jumpers which carry the Whiterock prefix.

After many years of watching horses compete and learning what it takes to breed an elite show jumper, the Longford native has experience in picking talented horses.

“We always had ponies at home when I was young. We were in the Pony Club and my Dad had an interest in breeding Irish horses,” Clancy explained to The Irish Field.

“He bought the Irish Draught mare Kates Clover who was by Clover Hill and out of Walk Tall 2. She was a full-sister to a horse that jumped internationally under James Kernan.

“She (Kates Clover) is really the origin of the line of good broodmares that I currently have. It all stems from her really. Through the years one of the things that I have learned that is definitely true is that when breeding it is 75% the mare.

“Years ago if you had a mare that couldn’t jump people would say ‘that’s okay just breed from her’. Now of course we know that should never be the case, the performance history is vitally important when choosing a mare to breed from.”

PASSION

Clancy has her day job, but says her passion lies with horses. “I am a pharmacist by profession, I rode at amateur level years ago but my real passion is breeding. To own a horse which you have bred and watched progress through the ranks, that’s the real joy for me. It is an expensive business. If you bred a foal and have to pay for the entire process from four years old all the way through to Grand Prix level, that costs a lot.

“Normally I would have five foals on the ground every year; as I have five good quality broodmares.

“It would be prohibitively expensive to hold on to all five every year so I sell some of them as youngsters,” she explained.

“At the moment I have the 10-year-old gelding AHG Whiterock Luis. He is by Luidam and out of Kates Clover. John Floody rides him and he is doing well at Grand Prix level. Myself and my sister also have a nice six-year-old with Francis Connors.

AHG Whiterock Luis, owned and bred by Anne Clancy, winning the six-year-old ISH Studbook series at The Meadows. He is now ridden at Grand Prix level by John Floody

“I sold a very nice four-year-old last year to Joe Sharkey – AHG Whiterock De Muse Of Cruise. He is by Cardento out of a Cruising mare of mine, Raheenwood Cruise. It’s nice to watch the progress of all the horses you have bred, even if you have sold them on. It’s still gratifying to watch them do well, and it also tells you more about the stock you have and what matches worked well.

“I sold Whiterock Lucky Lady, by Ard VDL Douglas out Whiterock Touch, a daughter of Kates Clover, to Dereck McCopppin and she went to Grand Prix level.

“I currently have a three-year-old who is her full-sister and I think that she could be great so it will be exciting to see how she turns out. I also have a very nice two-year-old from her by Diamant de Semilly. I really like that sire, as well as For Pleasure and Kannan.

“Kate Derwin’s Junior European championship mount last year, AGH Whiterock Cruise Down, is also out of Whiterock Cruise.”

BREEDING CHALLENGES

Clancy is constantly researching stallions, watching their progeny, assessing their traits and trying to choose the best mating for her mares. “It is a challenge at the moment when you are depending on straws coming from the continent. I research which sire would be the best match for my mare. Looking at the temperament, size, amount of blood and power.

“More and more these days it is essential that sport horses have enough power. It is a constant work-in-progress to find the ideal cross and a lot of it has been trial and error. After 12 years I think I have learned a lot about matching mares with the best sire.

Breeding is not without its setbacks, and 2018 was a particularly difficult year for her breeding programme. “That’s why it is so disappointing when you have done all your research and have spent quite a significant amount of money on straws that it doesn’t work. Last year I bought three straws from the same sire and none of them took. I had the vet look at all three mares and he is confident that there is no problem there. So now I have three mares that are not in foal this year.

“It is very disheartening when something like this happens. I have spoken to other breeders and vets who have had the same experience. You’d be inclined to breed less to keep the costs down which isn’t ideal at all.”

Clancy referenced the establishment of a grant to help some breeders who are trying to do good for the Irish breeding industry. “I don’t have the answer for what needs to be done to assist the small breeder, but maybe if there was a grant available it would help. What we are told is that sometimes there are ‘bad batches’ but I’m really starting to wonder.

“You have to go to the continent to get a lot of the elite stallions and you have absolutely no comeback if the straws don’t take. I’m really going to miss the foals from those three mares next year.

“It’s hard not to get disillusioned sometimes, especially when you’ve had a bad year. But I do have a good few youngsters coming up and I have high hopes for many of them,” said Anne.