SYCAMORE Stables has evolved over 20 years. We had been gradually adding to our yard in Templepatrick, Co Antrim as I always liked jumping mares and found myself at a stage with three top mares, who had all jumped Grand Prix level and were ready to retire.

Two were Irish Sport Horse mares - Wicked Way (Kings Servant x Ideal Water) and Loughnavalley (Laughtons Flight) - and I wanted to see if I could take the character of these mares and try to add into their progeny the factors which I believed the modern sport was looking for: brains, blood and most importantly, adaptability.

I also had my Belgian warmblood mare, My Honey Hill (Fleuri du Manoir x Tot de Semilly), who had jumped at Grand Prix level and had amazing bloodlines.

Other mares were added when they retired, such as the incredibly well bred ABC Loreen (Ramiro), who jumped 1.60m and whose dam was the incredible 1.60m mare Think Twice.

We have been continually adding to our herd as our top-level mares retire and it’s exciting to see that reflected in our home-breds now jumping successfully at international level, such as WKD Aimez Moi, WKD Hullabalou, WKD Tempest, WKD Toronto, WKD Chicago, WKD Valencia, to name but a few.

Over time, we retained a filly from these foundation mares and each was then used to always try to change and improve what we produced. Today we have many of the children and indeed, grandchildren, from these original mares in our three farms.

A lot are currently out jumping at international level with our rider Sameh El Dahan under their WKD breed prefix, which comes from our main sponsor and family drinks company.

1. From a handful of mares, you’ve featured consistently in the world show jumping breeder rankings, e.g., WKD Aimez Moi. What’s your breeding policy?

Our aim at Sycamore Stables is to try to produce top quality sport horses with good brains and athletic ability for the top sport, which we can produce and sell to the global market.

We do this by knowing our mares and trying every time to pick stallions which we know will add something important to our dam line – knowing the individual personalities (and even quirks!) of each of the mares – and keeping it a quality operation, rather than breeding too many each year.

2. How do you combine being on the road with the WKD show jumping team, business and breeding horses?

I am very “hands on” with the business, so whether it’s being on the road with the top horses, at a local show watching the young ones, or producing the seven/eight-year-olds before I hand the reins to Sam, I’m there.

In order to juggle everything, I have to be incredibly organised which, luckily by nature, I am. However, there are only so many hours in a day and with three children also needing my attention, I am extremely reliant on the team around me.

I was very privileged to meet Sameh El Dahan 11 years ago. He’s an incredibly talented rider and fantastic person with the same work ethic as myself, and, as my partner at Sycamore, is the main reason that I have been able to expand the stables and achieve the success we have.

3. You own the ‘millionaire mare’ Suma’s Zorro (Ard VDL Douglas). Tell us about breeding plans for her.

Sumas Zorro is now 18, and while I dabbled with taking an embryo from her during lockdown, it was quite half-hearted and unsuccessful. She is still jumping at top level so, as always, Zorro herself will decide if, and when, she is ready to embrace motherhood.

4. How many broodmares do you currently have and how many foals due in 2022?

We have some exciting foals due this season, some in surrogate mares, from new additions to the breeding pool of our current jumpers.

5. How do you choose each year’s covering sires?

Watching the stallions and their children competing and seeing which I think would complement our mares.

6. From foal to four-year-old, describe the process.

The older mares, who we know well, tend to foal at home. New mares or early in the foaling season mares are sent away to reliable people to foal for us.

Our foals are then weaned in groups of similar ages anytime after six months, sometimes longer. The foals live in together in barns their first winter and are turned out as much as possible in the daytime.

From the spring, the yearlings go out completely all year round, coming in occasionally for a little handling, farrier and vet attention, including gelding, but they are mainly left alone in little age groups until they are sent for starting at three.

After breaking, they are turned out again until four when they are brought in for a couple of months, do a little more and then turned out again.

Everything depends on the individual horse and how they then progress but ultimately, by six, the ratio of work to field time is gradually reduced until as seven-year-olds, when we aim to start their international career or they are sold.

7. Cloning, embryo transfer, ICSI, etc. – what are your thoughts on modern breeding techniques?

I only have experience of embryo transfer personally and have found it a fantastic way to extend our competition mares breeding careers. Everything else, I think I will watch and see what way they go in terms of benefit to breeders and our sport.

8. “It takes a team” - who is on yours?

I am so lucky to have so many people behind me at Sycamore – whether it’s Sam, as my right-hand man; Elaine Smith in the office, making plans a reality; my friends; our trainer Denis Flannery; our farrier and vets, and of course the home riders and grooms who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make our yard a success.

We also would be completely lost without the main people behind Sycamore horse farm becoming a reality – my parents Dr. Joe and Pat Sloan – who have supported me relentlessly in my vision. And that’s to breed, produce and sell top horses for the highest levels of sport, alongside breeding quality horses that most importantly go on to become someone’s “horse of a lifetime”.

Not everyone has the same aspirations but we aim to have a horse to suit everyone.

9. The key to breeding success?

The mare.

10. The dream?

My dream is WKD horses competing in every show across the world!