ENDA Carroll’s Lanaken silver medal-winning mare Ard Ginger Pop has been sold to American rider Alison Firestone Robitaille. By Luidam, out of a Cruising mare called Derrylea Greylady, the seven-year-old chesnut mare was bred in Co Meath by Heather Dean-Wright.

Bought by the Fitzpatrick family of Keatingstown House Stud as an unbroken three-year-old, Ard Ginger Pop went on to top the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumpers when purchased by Enda Carroll and Carl Hanley for €95,000 in September 2014.

Campaigned lightly as a four-year-old by Susan Fitzpatrick, Kilkenny’s Ger O’Neill then took over the reins and produced the talented mare to win the Irish Sport Horse Studbook five-year-old final at Tattersalls, before going on to finish second at the Dublin Horse Show and win the Ruby five-year-old final at Millstreet International.

STAR ATTRACTION

Ard Ginger Pop was the star attraction at the inaugural supreme auction when sold to Hanley and Carroll, who later bought Hanley’s share.

With Ashford Farm’s Angelica Augustsson, Ard Ginger Pop won the silver medal for five-year-old’s at the World Breeding Jumping Championships in Lanaken. Last summer, Carroll took two successful embryo transfers from the mare with Diamant De Semilly and Cornet Obolensky.

Ard Ginger Pop hit the headlines once again when Carroll sold her unborn Cornet Obolensky embryo at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Showjumpers for €50,000 to Barry O’Connor, who was acting on behalf of Swiss show jumper Beat Mändli.

“I always said I would never ever sell her,” Carroll told The Irish Field. “She is an outstanding horse, probably the best I have ever had, but we are a dealing stable and if we are keeping the best horses for ourselves then we should stop.” Carroll reported that the two embryo foals born in April are healthy and will remain at his farm in Bocholt, and he has taken another embryo transfer this year, again to Cornet Obolensky.

“I will absolutely keep the foals, it was never my plan to sell the Cornet embryo last year, but I did it to support the sale in Goresbridge and it was very successful.”

Firestone Robitaille has ridden at senior Nations Cup level for the USA and is the daughter of Bertram and Diana Firestone, well-known thoroughbred breeders and Kentucky Derby-winning owners.