LISSYCASEY’s Laurence Culligan is quite often in the Dublin area bringing visitors to this country on tours of the top golf courses. However, it was the Main Arena at the RDS showgrounds which was the focus of his attention two weeks ago as a four-year-old gelding he bred, Crown Star, took part in the parade as the show’s supreme champion hunter.

“It was a friend of mine who told me how well the horse had done in the hunter classes earlier in the week and so, when I learned that he had been crowned supreme champion on Saturday, I decided I’d have to go see him in the parade on Sunday!” related Culligan who, at one time, owned both the sire and dam of Crown Star who was also the 2019 Dublin Horse Show champion four-year-old and champion heavyweight hunter.

“I got his sire, Shannonview Star, from his breeder, my sister Margaret (Killeen). He was the most beautiful horse, a real model, and, as he was by Guidam out of a Cavalier Royale mare (Touch Of Cavalier) who was out of a Touchdown mare, the plan was that we would keep him to stand as a stallion. As with all my young jumpers, he was sent to Cathal McMunn and he jumped away as a four and five-year-old.

“Unfortunately, although he wasn’t really bold or anything, he didn’t pay attention to his job as a jumper so we decided to geld him, although not before he had covered Crown Star’s dam, Sunshine Diamond. In the end, through a brother of mine who lives in the United States, we sold Shannonview Star to California.

“I got Sunshine Diamond through another brother, Michael – we’re all tied in together! She’s by Coevers Diamond Boy out of a Glen Bar mare who was out of a Nordlys mare. She, unfortunately, had damaged a tendon before we got her and we could never keep her sound enough to compete. She has bred me six foals, two of whom were fillies. I use the pre-fix ‘Crown’ as that’s the townland where I live.

“Crown Star was much like his siblings until he got to two and then he really started growing. Although I knew he wasn’t going to be my type of horse, a jumper, and I’d never had much success with show horses in the past, we got him going last year. I sent him to Niall Doherty, who lives locally, and it was he who sold the horse to P.J. Casey.

“I can’t tell you how proud I was to see Crown Star on the parade – it’s great for a hobby breeder like me to have a champion in Dublin. I was absolutely delighted for the Caseys and I hope the horse does well for his new owners. I have his three-year-old half-sister by Koro d’Or (Crown Lady) and the plan is to produce her for competition and then retain her for breeding. Hopefully, she’ll be a good one as she’s fast off the ground, is good back and front and is careful; she has a great technique over a fence.”

Culligan had already enjoyed one great closing Sunday earlier this summer as, working for CMG Golf and Leisure, he had a ticket for the final day of The Open Championship at Portrush and was on hand to witness Shane Lowry lift the Claret Jug. Lowry is from Offaly, birth county also of Crown Star’s dam, Sunshine Diamond.