MANY Irish people have a great affinity with horses, which can’t be explained. The draw to horses is somehow in their blood and the desire to breed them can be quite strong. The obsession is there from a very young age and once given the opportunity, many will follow their dreams and quite a few are very successful. We are a nation of horse breeders and the love of breeding horses does not necessarily require a long family association with horses.

One such man is Bryan O’Halloran from Clifden in Co Galway. Although Bryan is now a farrier, his love of horses began when he was a child, after he bought his first pony at 13 years old.

Bryan O'Halloran with niece Croia celebrate winning the Junior Championship with Carnane Bonnie at Cashel Show \ Rynes Walker

“My mother had paid for me to get riding lessons, despite not having interest in horses herself. I thought if I bought the pony, they wouldn’t ask me to send it back - the plan worked,” he recalls.

Bryan didn’t grow up around horses, nor did his parents or grandparents and he is first to admit that the life he lives now bears no resemblance to the life he grew up in. Now, along with his wife Niamh Sexton, he has a passion for breeding and producing traditional Connemara ponies and the couple have built up a successful breeding line with a strong focus on Connemara ponies of the traditional type. “We both have a love for Connemara ponies. It’s hard not to have that grá. They are so versatile and are such ‘all rounders’ they fit into nearly everyone’s category,” Niamh said. “And with Bryan being from Clifden, the home of Connemara, it was difficult not to be involved with them growing up. They are part of the heritage down here.”

Bryan O'Halloran receives congratulations from the ringside after winning the three-year-old filly class with Carnane Bonnie, before going on to claim the Junior Championship later in the morning \ Rynes Walker

Long history

Niamh, on the other hand, has been involved with horses all her life and comes from a family with a long history of pony breeding. “We have been breeding Connemara ponies for as long as I can remember," she explains. “My father Tommy originally chose to get our first stallion as we had so many broodmares it was easier to buy a stallion than to keep going to various stallions. My father’s stud, Drumcrave Stud in Cavan, is where this story began. In Cavan 20 years ago, there was very little to choose from in terms of Connemara stallions and around the Midlands in general. Most people ended up doing the long journey to the West.

“We have four resident stallions currently. We stand Coral Bambi, Glasson d’express and Galloon Rollover. Our fourth stallion stands down in Clifden with Bryan and myself and his name is Turbo.”

"For you" Annabelle and Lili Mae Flanagan present the Flanagan and Co Cup to Bryan O'Halloran after Cabra Jane won the Connemara supreme championship at Athlone Show \ Susan Finnerty

Although both Bryan and Niamh work full-time outside the stud farm, they enjoy every minute with the animals. Niamh is a community nurse and Bryan is a full-time farrier. It’s very early mornings and late nights during the breeding season, Niamh says.

The couple’s prefix Capoola Ponies and between their yard at Clifden and Cavan they have around 50 ponies on the books. They have in total 15 broodmares, who could be sired to 15 different stallions. “Some mares just ‘click’ with some of the stallions at home and other mares are sired outside of the yard,” Bryan explained. “If we have a nice mare and we think there’s a stallion good enough, we will travel to introduce new bloodlines. We always try and pick out each mare and stallion’s weakness firstly to compare them together to see if they would be suitable. There are stallions we love, but they might not always suit the mares individually. We try to match a stallion’s strong points to where a mare might be lacking to get the best possible outcome for a foal.”

The highest placed Connemara foal at the NIHB foal show was Teresa O’Hagan's Craigmore Rock N Roll (Galloon Rollover x Currachmore Cashel) \ Tori O'Connor Photography

Quality first

The couple have built up a reputation for selling good quality ponies and the right home is of utmost importance to them. “It varies as to how many we sell a year,” Bryan said. “They have to be a certain standard from us to reach the selling market. We want each and every pony to reach their full potential, so the home that they go to is very important to us. We like to send them to homes that meet buyers and ponies’ needs. This isn’t always as easy as it looks. We like to have a variety of ponies when buyers come; this can be in the form of traditional type, colour or size.

Tommy and Niamh Sexton, with Lisha Leeman (middle) of Kellythorpe Stud, collecting the award for Leading Connemara Sire of the Year at the 2021 Horse of the Year Show. The award was won by Coral Bambi, who stands at their Drunmcrave Stud in Co Cavan \ HOYS

Track record

As well as producing ponies for sale, the couple have much to be proud of in terms of success stories over the years.

“Our two massive highlights over the last two years was winning the All-Ireland three-year-old championship in 2022 with Cabra Jane. Jane is a five-year-old mare now by Hillside Joker x Gurteen Breeze, which was bred by Jerimiah Horgan in West Cork. We absolutely love this mare and have high hopes for her future. This one won’t be sold,” Niamh stressed.

“The other highlight was winning the junior championship in Clifden with her stable mate Carnane Bonnie 2023, it was a great surprise as we did not expect that one! It was a surreal experience. A dream come true for us both. Bonnie is by Blakehill Sparrow x Robe Moonlight and she was bred locally by Michael and Deirdre Holmes. Bonnie is due to foal in May to Teach Mór Cormac and we’re excited to see that cross!"

Despite very busy lives and being only recently married, the couple have plans to expand. “We hope to gather up a few more foundation mares with outcross breeding and, when we have that much, we really want to start nailing down future crop foals to be getting the best traditional type. What a Connemara is meant to be. We feel this has definitely deviated in recent years. We’re losing bone. We’re losing type. Short term we will be continuing showing and trying to keep to a breeding programme for our current foundation mares.”

Stallions

Coral Bambi is a class one Connemara stallion, by Coral Ross x Holiday Leenaun. He is a full 148cm. He is the sire of HOYS qualifying pony Tunderbolt Fairy Bambi who was the RIHS winner in 2021 and HOYS Finalist 2018, 2019 and 2021

Coral Bambi is a class one Connemara stallion, by Coral Ross x Holiday Leenaun

Glasson d’Express is a class one by Dexter Leam Pondi x Slaney. Grey 148cm, 10 inch bone. Both parents are Grade A showjumpers

Galloon Rollover is a class one, by Murphy Oscar x Galloon Wind of Change. A multiple HOYS and Olympia and RIHS finalist. He is a superb pony with athletic jump, balanced paces and a great temperament. He has a lifetime measurement of 148cm. Some of his achievements include - Champion M&M ridden at Royal international 2012, winner at Royal International 201. Second in HOYS 2012. Finalist RIHS 2010, 2011, 2012. Finalist HOYS 2010, 2011, 2012. Supreme Pony in Hand at Suffolk and Champion in Hand, Royal Norfolk

Galloon Rollover is a class one stallion, by Murphy Oscar x Galloon Wind of Change

Turbo is a class one by Curramore Cashel x Gracie. He is one of just a few Class 1 138cm stallions in Ireland. He is a stallion with a great temperament and super bone.