JAMES O’Connor, who last week hosted a Young Eventhorse Series qualifier and an RDS Irish Draught and Connemara qualifier within the space of three days at his Forth Mountain Stud not far from Wexford town, has branched out into a new business which should appeal to both leisure horse owners and outdoor types.

James is supplying the land on which the Belfast-headquartered firm Further.Space is placing glamping pods which are said to provide ‘home comforts in wild places’.

“They have sites in Northern Ireland and Scotland but this will be their first in the Republic,” said James. “This venture will fit in well as new riding and walking routes have been put in around here by the local Council. During the summer months, I would be able to offer stabling to anyone using the pods who would like to bring their horse.”

Among the horses permanently on-site at Forth Mountain is the thoroughbred mare Dereme whose unraced daughter Belle Saru has been making a name for herself in equestrian circles. At Rosanna (1), she brought up a hat-trick of EI100 (Amateur) victories under Caroline McQuillan whose sister Rosemary Bellew, joint-owner of the Sageburg six-year-old, rode her on the Border Counties squad which finished a close second to Tara Hill in the team dressage challenge at the AIRC Festival.