“THE horses always come first.” That is the motto of Freestyling Farms, based in Betavia, Ohio, USA.

Run by Sligo native Trevor Gaffney and his Californian wife Jill, Freestyling Farms is the product of 30 years of experience the couple have gained working and competing in top show jumping yards around the world.

The straight-talking Trevor believes that hard work and putting the horses’ welfare before everything else is the key to success in the show jumping industry.

“I was first introduced to horses when my uncle, Dermott Byrne, took me for a lesson in Sligo Riding Centre. I took to it straight away. School was never my thing so I figured that working with horses might be a good fit,” Gaffney told The Irish Field.

“I went to Calliaghstown and did my BHS exams with Grainne Sugars. While there I met some American people who were visiting to do some cross-country rides and they invited me out to their yard in San Francisco. I got my H2A visa and headed out there for eight months. It was my first experience in the States and I loved it.”

He was bitten by the bug and continued to pursue a career with horses when he arrived back in Ireland and further afield in Europe. He looked after a world champion and went to the 2012 Olympic Games.

He said: “When I came home I got a job working for Paul O’Shea in his yard in Loughshinny in Co Dublin. I spent six and a half years there, we travelled to a lot of international shows and I learned a huge amount.

“Following that I went to work for Belgian rider Phillipe Le Jeune and in 2010 was in charge of Vigo D’Arsouillies when he won the World Championships.”

Full circle

“At the start of 2012 I went to work with Paul Estermann [Switzerland] and was reunited with a horse I had worked with in Paul’s years earlier, the Irish-bred Castlefield Eclipse. Paul (O’Shea) had bought her from Ger O’Neill as a five-year-old and competed her on the National circuit before selling her to Estermann. It had come full circle; and when she went to the Olympics I was with her.”

The opportunity arose to return to America, working for young American riders Audrey and Saer Coulter, and then along came Jill.

“At the end of 2012 I got the opportunity to go back to the States to manage the Coulter family’s yard. They had been training in Europe with Markus and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, and it was on my return to the USA that I met my now wife, Jill, in California.

“Jill grew up competing in California and was a very successful junior rider, winning the Reserve Championship in the large pony division at the National Horse Show in New York at just eight years old.

“Under trainers Karen Healy and Nicole Shahinian Simpson, Jill earned top ribbons at all of the major junior equitation finals, including a runner-up finish at the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals. She also rode the farm’s namesake, ‘Freestyling’, to the AHSA National Junior Jumper Championship.

“She is a three-time winner of the Grand Prix League Rider of the Year and a two-time member of the North American Young Rider’s League. In 1998, she was named AHSA Junior Equestrian of the Year.

“Jill has also managed, trained and competed internationally, including working for Jan Tops in Holland and John Gray in Belgium. She has also worked at St Bride’s Farm and Hyperion Stud on the east coast of America, and Brookway Stables and Sonoma Valley Stables on the west coast.”

New beginnings

The pair set about establishing their own business, where they have a preference for Irish-bred horses.

“Once we got together we decided we didn’t want to work for other people anymore and that was when Freestyling Farms was established. One of the first horses we bought was the six-year-old Irish-bred Carlton Café, a mare by Carlton Clover out of Moytura Spook by Maltstriker. She has been fantastic for us, carrying Jill to a huge amount of wins and competitions right up to World Cup level. She is 14 now and had really helped to put our name out there.” Gaffney continued.

“In the beginning we rented a yard in California and had about 30 clients. We were successful there but decided a few years ago that this was not the direction we wanted to continue, so we bought a place in Ohio, Cincinnati.

“We have just one or two clients now and this allows us much more time to concentrate on what we want, which is to travel to shows and breed and produce youngstock.

“We have more space here so we have fields for foals and youngstock. We have about 20 horses ranging from foals to Grand Prix standard. We are open to having more clients but we are very up front from the start; everyone must work hard and the whole ethos of the yard is to take the best care of the horses that we can.

“We prefer quality over quantity. We would rather take our time and produce a horse to the best of its ability. It seems to be working and we are building a reputation for sourcing and producing horses that are suited to the job they are needed for.

Trustworthy

America is still the land of opportunity, according to Gaffney, however, success doesn’t come easy. “There is a lot of money to be made here in the equine industry, but you must have a reputation for being trustworthy and hard working.

“I think these things come quite naturally to a lot of Irish people and that’s why we have a good reputation. It’s a very different business here and it took me a few years to adapt.

“I’m a very straight talker and sometimes that doesn’t go down too well with Americans, but I’m very honest and open and will say to a new client ‘you will probably hate me for six months but after that you’ll love me’.

“I will always do best by the horses and in this yard we all work the same. There is no job that Jill or I would ask any of the staff to do that we wouldn’t do ourselves and we all work very hard.

Irish horses

“I’m a real fan of Irish horses. We’ve bought over 25 horses in Ireland over the past two years and have bought three of the top foals from the Cavan Sales. We are investing in young horses more these days but I am still always on the lookout for five and six-year-olds.

“A five or six-year-old Irish horse is like a seven or eight-year-old that was produced here. The Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) classes are great and a bit of cross-country and hunting teaches them so much.

“I really like to buy Irish but people have to realistic about prices. I have to add on about €12,000 to get the horse to the States, so it’s what I pay plus €12,000 before I can start to make any money.

“It’s all very well for HSI throwing big parties in Wellington and Lexington for owners and riders but they need to start looking after all the other people that are buying and promoting Irish horses.

“When I buy an Irish horse I use an Irish shipping company and an Irish vet. That is all money that goes back into the economy.

“I’m fortunate to have good people in Ireland to work with. Olive Clarke and David Scally are great. We own a few horses together and I trust them. A recent purchase of ours, the five-year-old stallion Blade Runner (Air Jordan Z x Guidam), was a horse I’d only seen for 10 minutes but Olive knew him and I trust her judgement so we bought him.

“Swift Action (ISH) is another one that came through Olive. She is six, by Ballycapple Diamond Cruise. She is very easy and has a great temperament. I think she will make a perfect junior team horse here and will be in demand.

“Another one, KEC Jaden (Aldatus Z x Glidawn Diamond), was a horse that came from Sinead Kennedy. He had only just arrived and a few weeks later he was sold on to a very satisfied owner. When you have relationships like that you will go back to buy from them again and again.

“The Clarkes in Cavan are another family I return to over and over. I am getting calls all the time with people looking for horses to buy and I think as long as we continue to produce them well and buy from people we trust then the future is bright. Hopefully we will be doing this for another 40 years!”