A PIONEER, a gentleman, a devoted husband, a family man, a friend to man, an extraordinary breeder.
Many such accolades were fittingly attributed to the late John Hughes of Williamstown Stud, Clonee, Co Meath who passed away recently to the deep sorrow of his children Jonny and Rosalind, extended relatives, and many in the sport horse and thoroughbred breeding world.
During his veterinary career and lifetime, he made an enormous contribution to equine reproduction, helping pioneer techniques like artificial insemination (AI), embryo transfer (ET) and light therapy which are now commonplace in the equine reproduction world today.
Graduating from UCD in 1965, the young veterinary surgeon went on to enjoy a hugely successful equine veterinary career which spanned both sides of the Atlantic, dividing his time between Kentucky and Ireland. The love of his life was his late wife Rosalind whom he first met as a young man in Ballybunion while attending the Listowel races. It was through her family that he made initial contact with Dr Charles (Charlie) Hagyard, then head of the world renowned firm of prominent equine veterinary specialists Hagyard Davison McGee in Lexington.
Armed with an invitation, he arrived in the USA in 1967. Working with Dr Robert (Bob) Kenny from New Bolton on establishing the hormone level patterns in mares, John examined their cohort of mares every day in season and every other day out of season, making charts of their findings. Taking daily urine samples from the mares which were analysed in the laboratory, after 18 months they established what became the bible of the hormone profile for breeding mares for many years to come.
Towards the end of 1968, John Hughes and Dr Edward (Ed) Fallon worked on a barren mares on farm programme involving light exposure. Of the 35 light-exposed mares, the vast majority ovulated before February 15th and that scheme is now utilised across the equine reproduction world today.
Coming home to do an interview for a job at the Irish National Stud, John went to work at Airlie Stud in 1971. Friendly with renowned UK equine veterinary surgeons Professor Twink Allen and Dr Peter Rossdale, John also got involved in their first equine conference at King’s College in 1974. The management of equine twins was also something that John took a great veterinary interest in and brought to a fine art.
Financial fortunes were boosted with Habitat’s arrival at Airlie Stud as he had a share in the stallion thanks to Tim Rogers. The sire’s first crop of two-year-olds had three individual winners and his stud fee increased three-fold and subsequently led to the young couple being able to secure their future home at Williamstown Stud.
All the time, John was improving and innovating veterinary equine techniques, obtaining great in-foal results with the help of prostaglandin on certain mares.
Around this time, he started an embryo transfer programme and got involved with his brother’s Seamus’s highly influential Holsteiner stallion Cavalier Royale.
John Hughes receives the HSI Outstanding Contribution to ISH Breeding award from Jim Beecher, chairman of the Breeding Sub- Board HSI, during the HSI Annual Breeder Awards, Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar, Co Westmeath in November 2013 \ Barry Cregg Sportsfile
At an equine reproduction veterinary conference in recent years, a special award marking his enormous contribution to sport horse breeding was made to John by the then CEO of Horse Sport Ireland Ronan Murphy.
Recalling his life’s work, John told the conference delegates that Cavalier was very fertile, one collection would see 14 mares inseminated. Perfecting an extension technique and using refridgeration allowed for around 80 samples, the rest is history, resulting in many top show jumpers and eventers (see panel).
The last word we will leave to the man himself to sum up in his words.
“When I was leaving Lexington, leaving Ed Fallon, who gave me every opportunity, ‘John’, he said, ‘you go home and do the same thing’. Anything I could with younger vets... I came home in the ‘70s and started sending students to Lexington. I opened the floodgates because there must be 10,000 plus there now. That’s my contribution, I enjoyed every moment.”
I.H.
Breeding legacy
ON the international stage, Cavalier Royale produced Olympic, world championship, World Cup finals, European championship, Nations Cup and 1.60m Grand Prix performers.
Just a sample of his numerous show jumping offspring are Amos, Calover, Camaron Hills Shanroe, Chippison, HHS Calais, Heritage Charlton, Magnetic, McGuinness, Royal Charmer, Shannondale, Splendido, Transmission and Two Mills Showtime, horses that all competed at 1.50 and 1.60m level.
His progeny excelled in eventing and amongst the offspring of the Cor de la Bryere son are five-star performers that won medals at Olympic, World Equestrian Games, World Cup and European championship level such as Ben Along Time (Clayton Fredericks), Call Again Cavalier and Imperial Cavalier, with the latter two ridden at Hong Kong and London respectively by Mary King.
More five- and four-star eventing performers include another Hong Kong Olympic event horse in Kilkishen, The Jump Jet, Cavaldi, Shannondale Que, Greenacres Special Cavalier and the former Le Lion d’Angers gold medal champion Captain Christy.
Several of these household names were bred or produced, and sometimes both, by members of the extended Hughes and Brennan family, such as one of the top-ranked Irish Sport Horses in the current World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses rankings HHS Calais.
Another was the Horse of the Year Show 2005 Grand Prix winner Two Mills Showtime. Both he, his full-brother Splendido and HHS Calais were bred by Ita Brennan while niece Marion Hughes (and later Nick Skelton) competed the European championship, Samsung Super League and World Cup competitor Heritage Transmission.
The Cavalier Royale son Garrison Royale continued the five-star event horse chain with his own offspring: Bango and the Tokyo Olympics horse Horseware Woodcourt Garrison.
As a dam sire, Cavalier Royale’s most famous descendant is surely MHS Going Global, yet another bred by Ita Brennan who also bred his half-brother, the five-star event horse MHS King Joules from her Cavalier Royale mare Gowran Lady.
Other Cavalier Royale broodmare daughters have produced A Touch Imperious (1.60m), Quarrycrest Echo (5*) and the European pony show jumping championship multi-gold medallist Cuffesgrange Cavalidam.
Kildysert Royale was also a two-time winning dam in The Irish Field Breeders Championship at Dublin Horse Show.
Cavalier Royale’s stable companion at Williamstown Stud was the Belgian-bred Don Juan de la Bouverie. Fittingly, his best offspring was also bred by John Hughes: Ballylynch Adventure, the five-star event horse that competed at Le Lion d’Angers, Badminton, Burghley, European championship and London Olympic level.
Rockfield Grant Juan competed at four-star level while Don Juan de la Bouverie’s leading show jumping progeny at 1.50-1.60m level are Cameron Hills Quick Dollar, Lenamore Donatella and Sir Eddie.
S.F.
Tributes
Alison Corbally HSI: “John Hughes was an inspiration to all in the breeding sector, his passion for new technology and his love of passing on his knowledge to others was inspirational. However it was as a thorough gentleman, a dog at his side, soft spoken, that I will most remember John. A true family man who thrived in the company of his nearest and dearest. May he and Ros once again be reunited and may he rest in peace .”
Eyleen Nugent: “My abiding memory of John is of a most engaging and affable man, always so accomodating and happy to see you. My visits to Williamstown Stud with mares regardless of hour, were always met with a smile and ‘a hug’. John’s veterinary skills were visionary and unparalleled and to listen and witness his knowledge was always a joy. His generosity knew no bounds.
“In standing the remarkable ‘Cavalier’ John had, and continues to have a profound effect on the success of the Irish horse worldwide across many disciplines. John will go down in history as having stood one of the most influential sires that ever stood in this country and I for one owe him a lot. Thank you John, you were one in a million and I will always be eternally grateful”.