NESTLED in the Craigantlet Hills in Co Down and overlooking Belfast Lough is Woodview Farm, home to Stephen and Yvonne Pearson, their children Lewis and Emily, a small pedigree herd of Herefords, a few hundred sheep, two Oxford Sandy pigs, 12 horses and five dogs.

“I grew up in a small rural farming community in Smithborough, Co Monaghan and have ridden since about the age of six. Castle Leslie and Farnham Estates, on our doorstep, provided the perfect backdrop for many happy days pony clubbing and hunting,” Yvonne told The Irish Field.

Explaining her path in the industry, she continued: “Fast forward about eight years, I was 23, working in Belfast as a management consultant, and keeping a cob with Albert and Maureen Lowry when I really got the hunting bug and joined the North Down Foxhounds.

“Oscar the cob, who is over 30 now and companion to our broodmares, was bred by Maureen out of her grade A show jumping mare Killaire and boy could he jump.

“Every Saturday and non-working Wednesday was spent up and down the Ards Peninsula in the red lorry and it was across Maureen’s kitchen table drinking tea that I met my husband Stephen. When the children were small I bought a sharp 16.1hh grey horse called George The Dandy who I couldn’t ride one side of… and there began the longstanding relationship with Richard Iggulden and Lesley Webb (now Jones).

“With their help, I eventually mastered George, won the open working hunter at Royal Balmoral and qualified to compete at the Hickstead Royal International in the working hunter. Lesley brought George to another level, eventing him at the Irish one-star internationals.”

“My favourite horse was Amplifire (Henry) a beautiful copper chesnut middleweight and together we did a lot of showing, eventing and hunting. Bought in Pilltown from Larry Byrne, by Tasset out of a Kildalton Gold mare, Henry was a very careful, scopey horse with piles of self-preservation.

“Larry followed his whole career and came to Dublin every year to watch him jump the working hunter track. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to him last year, but we have countless great memories to treasure.”

Yvonne and Stephen Pearson

Notable successes

“At the moment we have 12 horses ranging from thoroughbreds to eventers and show hunters. Ten are on the family farm at Woodview and, of these, seven are in work and produced at home by Lesley.

“These include Double Take (Ralph) who, ridden by Lesley, was RDS four-year-old champion, Lightweight champion and Supreme Hunter champion in 2007. Ralph is now 17, still looks fabulous and has been described to me as ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ as he is very seldom out of the ribbons.

“He has been a top show hunter and working hunter, winning the coveted Northern Ireland Working Hunter festival prize twice. These days he is schoolmaster to our daughter Emily, teaching her to make the transition to the big ring.

“Suilen Dunally (Larry) is Emily’s Connemara Pony, bought from close friend Paddy McGowan (alias Queen of Connies) as a four-year-old. Emily had great success last year with Larry side saddle, most notably winning Northern Ireland Festival ladies champion and the UK national side saddle junior horsemanship champion.

“While Larry tolerates the show ring, he much prefers the hounds and hunting and enjoys nothing more than leading up the thoroughbreds at Kirkistown, our North Down Hunt point-to-point.

“Woodview Pushplay (James) is our five-year-old small hunter. He has been hunted over the winter and will be campaigned this year both astride and side saddle by Lesley and Emily. He is a lovely mannerly horse and has the most fabulous canter to sit to.”

Queen B

Winner of the Coote Cup in 2018, Kief Queen B rules in the roost at Woodview Farm, while the Pearson family also keep a few thoroughbreds for point-to-points. “Kief Queen B is our RDS champion broodmare and her foal, Woodview Firestarter, is quite a character. We bought Freddie, a thoroughbred chesnut colt foal, by Sans Frontieres, at the November Tattersalls sale to keep him company through the summer.

“Double Smart (Smartie) our eight-year-old thoroughbred mare is in training with Patrick Turley in Downpatrick. Ridden by Declan Lavery, the team have done an excellent job producing the mare this point-to-point season to win one and finish second twice in five starts. We have had great fun with her and the jury is out on the next step. Stephen hopes to breed from her this season; he and Barney Jones are scouting the country to find a suitable stallion. Meanwhile, Paddy and Declan are mad keen to keep racing.

“Our Stowaway mare, Ballybarnes Bee, is at home currently and will be going back into training with Paddy for the Autumn 2020 season.

“Five-year-old Kief Magic Moment (Magic) is with Barry Jones, Lesley’s husband and North Down Foxhounds huntsman, at the kennels getting a nice education. He has quite a personality and is talented over a fence. He loves the hounds, gets on well with Barry and I’m not sure if I’m going to get him back.”

Buying and breeding

“Stephen has bred thoroughbreds to sell as foals for some years. However, for ridden horses, the strategy has been to buy young horses and produce from home. Queen B changed that and 2019 saw the birth of our first Irish Sport Horse foal. With luck, we will have two mares covered this season (Queen B and Double Smart).

“When looking for horses to invest in, we generally look for a young horse in the two to four age bracket. The prerequisite is that a horse must exude presence, have a lovely head, a kind eye, plenty of bone and have correct conformation; a leg in every corner.

“Then we look for free-moving paces and athletic jump. I personally prefer Irish breeding with a substantial percentage of thoroughbred throughout the bloodlines.

“Without doubt Kilpatrick Lord (Paddy) is the most talented horse we have ever owned. By Kings Master out of a Colourfield mare, he is now 17 and has presence to burn, precocious as ever and holding court in the stable at home.

“Lesley rode Paddy for his whole career. He won the RDS small hunter champion as a five-year-old and the RDS working hunter champion at six. He won the Royal Balmoral working hunter championship twice and qualified for both HOYS small hunter and HOYS working hunter in 2011. At HOYS I had to steal Meadow Herb treats off a stand to get Paddy to stand still in the ring (I did pay for them later)!

“After HOYS we decided to go eventing and have enjoyed many years of fun tearing round Ireland while Paddy rose through the levels. Achieving some great results right up to open two-star. One of our best international trips was to stunning Blair Castle where Paddy finished third on his dressage score 0.48 marks behind the winner – a momentous occasion.

Lesley Jones and Yvonne Pearson's Double Take at Balmoral in 2015 \ Anne Hughes

Happiest day

“Our best day at a show would have to be the August 11th 2018. Queen B was crowned RDS reserve hunter mare champion in the morning and just a few hours later did the double by winning her in-hand stinted mare class, the RDS Broodmare Championship and the Coote Cup.

“It was wonderful for me and Stephen to celebrate with the whole team – Lesley, Stephen, Mark, Barry, Andrea, Barney and Emily – who work so hard, not just at the shows but all year, through all weathers to put in the requisite groundwork that delivers results.

“Winning two consecutive RDS Supreme Hunter championships with two different four-year-old horses, Magnifire (middleweight) and Double Take (lightweight) in 2006 and 2007, was also very special.

“At the moment, Stephen is very excited about the broodmares, Queen B and Double Smart, as he is always wanting foals on the ground. He is also very upbeat about his Stowaway mare who has shown excellent potential in early stage training.

“Lesley and I, however, are very excited about our chesnut gelding, Cairnview Redwood Guy (Christy). Just six this year and, like all our horses, Christy started his career in the show hunter and working hunter rings winning some nice classes and championships for Lesley.

“Completing a few events at the end of last year, the partnership is now ready to launch onto the Eventing Ireland circuit for the 2020 season. We are very optimistic that Christy has the paces, scope and brain to go up the levels and look forward to what the future will bring,” concluded Yvonne.

Lesley Jones and Kilpatrick Lord, who Yvonne Pearson describes as "the most talented horse we have ever owned" \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net