IF it were to happen, and it should, I can clearly imagine the impact of a poster campaign to promote Irish hunters of Jack Lambert, hunting his Irish Draught stallions jumping a chasm of a Wexford double bank. While most octogenarians who have hunted for more than 75 seasons usually contemplate retirement, not so the rising 84-year-old Wexford horseman and stallion master Jack Lambert.

Consider also that hunting with the Killinick Harriers is not for the faint-hearted. There are no easy options as in some other hunt countries, like waiting for the followers to knock down a wall, or transform a drain into a walkthrough. Jack has his own strategy of crossing country which is to ‘make’ country by taking what he refers to as a ‘virgin line’. Recently in his enthusiastic way, he explained that at a meet in Murrinstown, 12 riders fell at one double bank, and then added: “But not me!”

Aintree Grand National-winning jockey and Ward Union Staghounds honorary whip Paul Carberry, who has hunted with him, describes Lambert as: “A pure genius on a horse, the complete horseman that you seldom meet.” And Hennessy Gold Cup-winning jockey Tommy Treacy describes him as a good friend: “A proper old fashioned horseman, who looks like he is doing nothing on a horse’s back, but he is doing plenty. And because he gives them confidence, horses trust him within an inch of their lives.”

Jack was born on a farm near Wexford town and horses have always been part of his life. He has made an enormous contribution to Irish traditional horse breeding, producing a succession of successful Irish Draught performance stallions that have hunted, evented, show jumped and their progeny are to be found in all corners of the equestrian world, performing at the highest levels.

I recall four years ago, Jack taking all five of his Irish Draught stallions - Killinick Rebel, Grange Bouncer, Gold Dancer, Killinick Bouncer and Killinick Trump - to compete in the Dromin-Athlacca cross-country charity run organised by Enda Bolger, finishing the 15-mile course in style with Jack leading his group on Killinick Rebel.

A friend recalled Jack taking a young horse to a meet a few years ago and jumping a succession of wire fences along the canal bank. The friend suitably impressed asked Jack what he was going to do with him. Jack replied: “I think he is a good one, I’ll bring him home and break him properly!”

It is interesting to see him teaching young horses, giving them time to work things out, and the confidence to do it. He still backs about six young horses each hunting season, and enjoys teaching them to jump. Away on his annual trip to America to hunt with the Genesee Valley Hunt, the family arranged to have the top rails of all the farm gates straightened as Jack had the tops of them bent from schooling!

STALLIONS

Jack’s stallions are not kept in cotton wool. As performance stallions, they are expected to hunt twice a week, event, hunt chase and show jump, and consequently have super temperaments. He is probably best known for his recently deceased Irish Draught open eventing and Grade A show jumping stallion Grange Bouncer by Prospect Pride out of Grange Heather who carried visitors of all ages, and many well-known jockeys hunting with the Killinicks.

He recalled taking Grange Bouncer hunting as a three-year-old, jumping nine narrow banks in succession, and calculated that he had him fully broken to hunting by the fifth bank because Bouncer had mastered them so well. His son, Moylough Bouncer, is at stud in Mayo. I asked Jack how he would describe the temperament of his great stallion Grange Bouncer. He replied: “If he stood on your toe, he would nearly apologise!”

HUNTING

Hunting with the Killinick Harriers is Jack’s passion but you could also bump into him at meets with the Island, Wexford, Bree, Premier, Carlow Farmers, Clare, and for many years, the Ward Union Staghounds.

Wexford is known for fine riders such as Jack’s friends of a similar vintage - James O’Connor, Walter Kent and Mick Berry. Jack and James whipped in briefly, but as they usually got carried away challenging each other over the biggest banks and forgot about the hounds, they were quickly replaced! Jack recalls hunting with Michael Ryan, son of Scarteen master Thady Ryan. When they came to a line of wire fences, Michael asked Jack for his hunting jacket to put over the wire. Jack had more respect for his jacket and asked Ryan for his whip and just rode on.

POINT-TO-POINTING

In his younger days, Jack combined hunting with point-to-pointing. His best point-to-pointer was Marley Lace by Interlace which won the Killinick banks race on a number of occasions. Having won the first race, the mare was so fresh that he ran her again in the last race and won that also. He also won two divisions of the mares’ race at the Dungarvan point-to-point.

Jack’s most recent race was only four years ago in his 80th year when I recall him riding a well-known hunter - Jumbo - belonging to Ann Morss in a Heavy Horse Race at the Genesee Valley point-to-point in New York. He was cheered home by every racegoer and by jockeys Darren Nagle originally from the Duhallows and Mark Beecher from the West Waterfords, now based in the USA, who won the two big races on the card that day.

SHOW JUMPING

A few years ago, Jack tried his hand at show jumping at O’Gorman’s Equestrian Centre in Cahir, Co Tipperary, with Tom Shanahan, huntsman of the Premier Harriers. Shanahan describes Jack as: “Sure he’s Superman, where else would you see an 84-year-old man hunting a stallion up front with any other pack.”

Used to taking his own line out hunting, Jack was puzzled by the jump-off course plan, and stood on the saddle of his stallion Killinick Rebel peering over the side of the arena to see other riders take on the jump-off course. So engrossed in trying to memorise the course, he did not notice the stallion move and he fell off and cracked ribs. But he did not miss hunting the following day despite the pain and gave up on show jumping as he considered it too dangerous!

ANNUAL TRIP TO THE USA

His many friends in the Genesee Valley Hunt in upstate New York look forward to his annual hunting visit. I had the pleasure to join him on a number of occasions. It all began with an invitation from Enniscorthy native Dr Bill Bowen who emigrated some years ago to lecture in dentistry in Rochester. Whip Ann Morss, who is also the chairman of the Eastern Branch of the Irish Draught Horse Breeders of North America, bought a mare from Jack who must have carried every visitor from Ireland following her pack.

FAMILY MAN

Any of his friends that have been to “The Cabin’’ will be familiar with every inch of its walls covered in photos of horses, ribbons and his travels. His daughter Clare is a very talented event rider, winning the four-year-old Young Eventer class at the Dublin Horse Show on All the Aces that Jack purchased at Goresbridge Sales. The horse is now with Buck Davidson in New Jersey.

Clare has since established herself as a very successful young horse producer. Private Treaty she bought and produced was fourth at Rolex also with Buck Davidson. Trading Aces she bought out of the hunting field was clear inside the time in Rolex, ridden by Boyd Martin and sold on to Joanie and Jeff Nichols in Vermont. DeVinci Code was another and the list goes on.

Jack’s daughter Ann took over the stud and has trained winning point-to-pointers like Shanagarry and Shuil Coillte.

Clare won the Irish Draught Performance class at the Dublin Horse Show on Gold Dancer while Ann won it also on their other stallion Killinick Bouncer. Jack’s granddaughter Corina evented Gold Dancer at CIC level, and paraded the winning Connemara Pony stallion Josie Jump at the Dublin Horse Show who has won the class for three years in succession. Jack’s son, Tony, rode in point-to-points and events on a son of Grange Bouncer around Boston where he now lives.

The last word was from his daughter, Clare, who said: “Dad rides out every day and hunts at least twice a week. It is only now that we, as a family, realise the massive contribution that our father has made to Irish horse breeding, producing so many performance Irish Draught stallions.

“Their progeny are to be found all over the world. It has been truly a lifetime’s work and we hope that, some day, he gets the recognition that he richly deserves.”