Its funny thinking back, like a trip down memory lane,” mused Cathy Wood about some 30 years of “fun, friendship and results.” And Irish-bred buys, including Irish Light and Clover Hill Magic.

Cathy moved to Devon as a teenager, “living just four miles from the sea. I am incredibly blessed to be in such a beautiful part of the country – it’s not quite as beautiful as Connemara – but then where in the world is?”

Like many pony-mad youngsters, she had jumping ponies until a severed Achilles tendon injury turned her attention to the breeding game instead.

“I’ve always loved blood horses. My late mother bred a few thoroughbreds and was lucky enough to have a great miler called Blue Refrain, who won Group races for three consecutive years at Royal Ascot.

“He was actually sold to Ireland as a stallion but I believe was lost to colic. He was the racehorse that dreams were made of. From memory, he was a backward June foal and was bought at Tatts in the yearling sales for less than £2k. A real once-in-a-lifetime horse.

“I cannot say Mum’s breeding operation was successful – in fact, the old adage of ‘women and horses bring rags to your back’ was probably quite true as she burnt through everything he earned and more.

“I guess I love the blood but steered well clear of the racehorses. The thoroughbred mares and foals definitely gave me the breeding bug though!”

The Cheltenham Festival is in full swing as we talk so an obvious question is to nominate her all-time favourite Festival horse. “Oh, that’s going to be four-times winner Altior! What a jumping record - Supreme Novices, the Arkle and the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice. He was epic.”

Altior, trained by Nicky Henderson, was by the 2002 Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral and bred in Ireland by Paddy Behan.

Cathy started her own collection of Irish-breds. “I bred and bought as foals, judging with my chequebook. I loved ‘foal shopping’ at Goresbridge and had some wonderful horses over the years by Kings Master, Master Imp, Harlequin Du Carel, Olympic Lux, First Of Many and Arkan, to name just a few.”

One of Cathy Wood's purchased from Ireland was Irish Light, Anthony Gordon’s standout filly of the 2009 show season \ Susan Finnerty

All the bling

Another purchase was Irish Light, Anthony Gordon’s standout filly of the 2009 show season, notching up Dublin, an All Ireland two-year-old final and Limerick Lady championship wins that year.

From the family of Taylor Vard’s Moloney’s Error, the Kings Master-Tasset mare was bred by James Kelly in Co. Kilkenny.

“To be fair, there have been many more successful purchases than her. She bred well but certainly no superstars,” Cathy said frankly. “She was a partner project with Freda Newton and we’ve had lots of lovely youngsters over a few years. ‘Irish’, as she was rather obviously called at home, scratched one of my many ‘Kings Master itches!’”

Another Kings Master - bought as a foal at Goresbridge from Mosie White - was Kings Speech. “A super model who was second and third in the HOYS in-hand final as a two and three-year-old and was a bit of a blueprint for me. We went back and bought his dam Coragh Lady and bred a couple from her. There have been so many along the way.”

Drawing a blank on one Goresbridge visit, Cathy bought her all-time favourite as a foal “out in the country. An upstanding, chesnut colt foal by Olympic Lux that Paddy Quirke sent me to see – a huge mover in a colour scheme that was definitely marmite! He had a huge white belly and face, including one side of his head and long white stockings. He won at what would now be four-star before being sold to the Qatar Olympic team.

“I remember deciding to show him once. He was a lovely model with limb and step, so I took him to our National Hunter Supreme Championship show as a two-year-old. Hid him in the stables for day one when the hunter youngstock were being judged, only unveiling him for the sport horses on the second day, where he was duly champion under Jenny Loriston-Clarke who appreciated his movement and not condemning him for all the bling… I took a lot of ribbing that day, mind you!

“You know, we have had the best of showing. I feel so lucky to have had almost 30 years of great fun, friendship and results. Honestly though, I fear for the future of horse sport. I am not sure what it will look like in 15 years given our ‘snowflake society,’” she said candidly.

Badminton top-10

Cathy’s eye for a horse also involved buying Stormhill Michael. “He was by Stormhill Miller who stood near Goresbridge initially with Eric Atkinson,” she recalled about the thoroughbred stallion with a well above-average strike rate for producing eventers. Stormhill Miller later moved back to England when he was bought by Nina Barbour to stand at her Harthill Stud.

“Michael was a super pattern, full of blood with lovely, flat bone and tons of presence. I showed him in-hand at three and he won many county championships.

“At New Forest, he was the sport horse champion, back in the day when they printed owner addresses in catalogues. A week later, I had a letter from the judge at the show asking if she could buy him – that was no less than Mary Gordon-Watson. Mary won individual gold at the Europeans and both team and individual gold at the worlds and the Olympics for Great Britain.

“I duly sold her Michael and he went to Paul Tapner and had two top-10 Badminton finishes.

Which eventer would Cathy like to have bred?

“Oh, can I have two please?! Both exceptional cross-country machines: the Irish-bred Lenamore, by Sea Crest out of a blood mare, ridden by Caroline Powell. The other would be the thoroughbred Over To You, ridden by Jeanette Brakewell – both team anchors who made nothing of the most testing championship tracks.”

Both were bred in Ireland by Helen Walsh and Mary Lett respectively and Over To You was by the prolific national hunt sire Over The River, the damsire of Mark McAuley’s Dublin Grand Prix runner-up GRS Lady Amaro. Incidentally, or not, both Stormhill Miller and Over The River feature the great eventing influence Busted in their topline.

Event horse breeding features too in the pedigree of Cathy’s favourite mare.

“Back to the broodies and the best I ever had I lost to a rupture last year. Kiss N Tell was a home-bred by the Advanced eventer Brief Encounter. She was pretty much unbeaten here in the UK in broodmare classes with a huge career.

“She bred some lovely stock, including Tell Me Another, who was yearling champion at Balmoral before taking the Price Family Supreme In-Hand title at HOYS as a three-year-old.”

By Future Illusion, Tell Me Another was owned in his youngstock days, including that Balmoral title, by Regina Daly.

Balmoral is in the diary for Cathy who is one of this year’s judges. Is she looking forward to her visit? “Absolutely. Ireland breeds the best and Balmoral is definitely on the bucket list – will it tempt me back to plaits and quarter marks, I wonder?”

Connemaras

Keeping Connemaras snow-white for showring outings has replaced plaiting for Cathy, who has switched to showing the native breed.

“I had a knee replacement that was not a great success and over the years the big ‘uns have dwindled and so it’s grey as far as the eye can see here.”

Jamie Frost has taken over the sprinting in the ring task. “I could not do the yard and the showing without the help and expertise of Jamie on the end of the rein and Gemma Wells keeping the yard running.

“Not only am I lame these days but I have a stupidly busy job running the retail buying team for a large UK agricultural business called Mole Valley Farmers with over 50 stores. Even the day job is horsey too, as part of my remit includes the procurement of all things equestrian.”

With nine native pony breeds to pick from, why Connemaras?

“It’s the only native breed that consistently performs on the European stage in eventing and show jumping.”

That athleticism is part of Contepomi Cashel’s story. By the Swedish import Janus, he was bred by rugby fan Eamonn Burke, hence being named after the Argentinian player. Out of Tolka Bridge (Bridge Boy), he is a half-brother to the Burke’s well-known Currachmore Cashel.

“I spied Contepomi at my first Clifden in 2014. He was well down the line but every part of him moved. Great in all three paces, saw rather too much in-hand canter but a proper powerhouse! He was explosive over a fence and would come down to a 1.30m and balloon over with his knees up round his ears.

“I went back in the October and went to Bartley Conroy, his owner, to view a yearling colt by him - ended up loaning Contepomi and buying the colt!

“He was a great character and I have kept two lovely daughters. He really got me started showing Connies with five years of incredible results – so many championships.”

Ringside cheerleaders

Ballyconneely proved to be a lucky breeding ground as Contepomi Cashel was followed to her Devon yard by Clover Hill Magic.

“Cue Clifden again – 2017 - and I am queuing for coffee, half-watching the colt foal class from a distance. This grey colt foal floats across the ring and is pulled in fifth.

“I am transfixed, all thoughts of coffee forgotten I watch him moved up to second, then run up the road like an idiot after the breeders and get him bought the next day.”

Those breeders were Peter and Bridget Lee, who in their recent Breeders’ 10 feature described Clover Hill Magic’s triple supreme championship wins (2021, 2023, 2024) at the British Connemara Pony Breeders Society show as “just amazing”.

“Clover Hill is a small stud in Ballyconneely with such a consistent, ‘typey’ herd of ponies,” Cathy continued.

By Glencarrig Knight out of the Frederiksminde Hazy Match mare Inverin Misty, Clover Hill Magic qualified for the Price Family in-hand championship in three consecutive years (2022-2024), placing second last year.

“He has been epic. He’s only eight and has been to HOYS three times finishing fourth, third and second. The HOYS second was pretty special too with his breeders cheering ringside.

“His foals are breathtaking and just starting to come of age with his oldest three this time. There are four fillies here retained by him and I have no doubt he will be my ‘one of a lifetime.’ I just love his stock.

“What makes him special? Limb and step, the biggest front, an exquisite pony head and the nicest temperament. I feel lucky to have some daughters in the herd and some frozen semen as he really is super special.”

According to Cathy, there is still a strong demand for Connemaras, including part-breds, cross-channel. “I often use the Advanced eventer Wish Upon A Star on the pure-bred mares too and those crosses seem super-popular. He spent many years here with me from being prepped at three, through to his final covering season and I will continue to repeat the cross.”

This year Cathy has four mares due to foal. “I’m about to build a house and have just sold the lorry to help pay the planning bills! All in foal to Magic this time which is unusual for me and equally unusual: all pure-bred coverings. Whereas, last year, it was a much bigger crop with partbreds and a Pumpkins Pondi too.”

Who knows, maybe another HOYS or Badminton contender amongst them.