JOHN AND SARAH CAREY run one of the most successful livery yards in Dublin. Situated a stone’s throw from Dublin Airport, their Kinsealy yard is also 30 minutes drive from the country’s major shipping ports and capital city.

Baskin Sport Horses ticks all the boxes for people who have a career but still want to own a horse, as well as being a perfect location for visiting foreign buyers.

The couple took some time out from their busy schedule to chat about the challenges involved in running a business while trying to produce and hold on to talented Irish-bred sport horses.

“We both grew up around horses with John competing up to Grand Prix level as well as producing and dealing. Over the years, he has worked with Jean Paul Musette and Enrico Pedroni as an agent to name just two.

“Sarah’s experience was more in working with youngstock in stud-work. We concentrate more on our breeding now under the Baskin Sport Horses Prefix.

“At the moment, we have a dozen breeding mares and 10 young stock. We have two nice four-year-olds; a Kannan filly and Diamant de Semilly gelding, both are broken and will jump this year.

“We have two three-year-olds; one by Diarado (Phin Phin) and another by Ironman VD Padenborre (dam line of Quickly de Kreisker).

“We also have two six-year-olds we are excited about. Quintet by Quintender, and Baskin Phinesse,” said John.

Baskin Phinesse is by Peppermill and out of a Phin Phin dam called Utah Van De Bucxtaele who jumped up to 1.60m level. She is showing great potential and did well in the five-year-olds at the Mullingar international show last summer. Both of these horses will go to Olive Clarke for her to compete this year.

“Five yearlings and a couple of two-year-olds complete the line-up of animals which we have bred here at home and are looking forward to watching them progress.

“In addition, we also have two recipient mares carrying pregnancies by two amazing stallions; Big Star and Zirocco Blue. Both are embryo transfers from a superb mare called Carolien Van Het Scheefkasteel than KS.

“She currently competes under Canada’s Vannessa Mannix and has also done well for Ireland’s Conor Swail. She is based in Barry O’Connor’s yard in Malahide which is not far from us here and both transfers were done within a few weeks of each other. Soon after went on to compete in Italy where she was subsequently placed in the Grand Prix under Mannix.

“That’s the beauty of how technology has progressed. Barry (O’Connor) is also delighted with the results commenting, ‘that because of a busy show schedule he couldn’t give this project the time and attention it deserves’ but that we are in a great position of having the mares which can carry the foals to term; it’s a win/win for everyone involved.

“It is great to be involved in such an interesting project with professional people. The dam has already bred two international horses so we all have very high hopes for these two,” said John.

Sarah said: “John stopped competing eight years ago having jumped to National Grand Prix level. At the moment, we both run a busy livery training and breeding yard with about 65 horses in total.

“We breed all our own competition horses except one or two young fillies with excellent bloodlines to compliment our mare herd.

“We recently bought one or two well-bred mares for our daughter, Isobel, to compete. The plan is to take embryos from them. In particular, we have one interesting mare Tekila Sun Belin; she jumped up to 1.40m herself and is by Calvaro Z out of a Cesar des Fontenis mare.

“All the youngstock grow up on our farm and are broken locally. We only keep fillies to produce or breed from and sell the colts.

“Our philosophy is that we are not just breeding to sell for quick profit in the sales. We are content to take the long road with some and see where the future may take them whether it’s in the sport or breeding.

“The fillies we produce have the best bloodlines we can afford. Producing them is expensive so if they’re not sold they have value in the breeding herd,” said Sarah.

ATTRIBUTES

“When looking at a potential purchase or deciding which youngsters to hold on to and produce, we’re looking for athletic fillies with correct jumping technique, mental willingness and blood.

“We have been fortunate in the past to have produced a few jumpers that went on to have successful competition careers; Miss Commett (Miss Cocaine) and Baskin T Bear were bought, produced, and sold by us.

“Miss Commett jumped at the Junior European championships and young rider championships and at senior Nations Cup level for Britain.

“Baskin T Bear by Flagmount Diamond out of Arklow Dolly competed at 1.50m level and won many international classes all over Europe. Baskin Diamond, Baskin Rain, Baskin Diamond Cliff, Coney King and Mountain King are just a few more of the successful horses that have come from our yard.

“Over the years, we have been lucky enough to have plenty of good days at competitions with our horses. One which stands out in recent years was with Baskin Go Girl, produced for us by Catriona Fallon, at the Horse Sport Ireland six-year-olds at the Mullingar international Show. She jumped fantastic that day and was later sold to Finland. Having bred and produced her, it gave us the boost to continue breeding.

“You always hope that you have a potential champion in your yard but it’s very hard to see at an early stage of a young horse’s career if they have what it takes to succeed.

“But the two youngsters that excite us at the moment are Baskin Phinesse and Baskin Sea Breeze, a four-year-old mare by Kannan out of a Don Juan dam who jumped up to 1.35m herself.

“Breeding and producing sport horses for a living is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It is very expensive, all-consuming and sometimes not very rewarding! It is a challenging industry but we can see improvements; the HSI classes are a good incentive for breeders, owners and riders.

“Although we do feel that we shouldn’t chase the age classes unless the horse is mentally and physically mature enough. The embryo transfer scheme too is a positive step forwards for breeders, especially those with better mares.

“Ultimately we do this for the love of the mares and passion for the sport, and hopefully we can breed and own horses that people will get as much enjoyment out of as we do,” said the Careys.

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