A LOT has happened in the world since the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association (IDHBA) ran their inaugural stallion parade in February 2020, just before the pandemic lockdown measures hit Ireland.

It’s back to business though and two years later, the event, with its USP of focussing on approved Irish Draught, thoroughbred and Connemara stallions, was held last Sunday at Mullingar Equestrian Centre.

The parade, the brainchild of Jennifer Haverty during her chairmanship of the association, is fortunate to have a team of efficient volunteers who have worked on fine-tuning the afternoon to maximise viewing time for each stallion.

The same team are also organising their national breed show at Punchestown on September 3rd. “There’ll be other Irish Draught shows and classes on around the country too,” Michael Murphy, the IDHBA’s current chairman, predicted. “The Laois branch are holding their show in Stradbally on the 1st of July, Adamstown and Bannow and Rathangan shows are back again and the Wexford branch are sponsoring Draught classes at these shows.”

Green shoots appearing around the show scene and after two years lockdown, Sunday was also very much a social occasion. Spiralling prices was a main topic for spectators, including one prediction that a bale of haylage, delivered to a Connemara location, could cost as much as €60.

As one keen traditional breeder, Samantha FitzSimons pointed out, a stallion parade helps at the diesel pumps too. “As owners of Draught and Traditional Irish Horse (TIH) mares, we have a real interest in traditional breeding and it was great to be able to see so many Irish Draught, thoroughbred, TIH stallions (and even a lovely Connemara) all in the same place,” she commented.

“It saved loads of time and diesel money, not having to travel the country to visit them. And the ones I liked best were not even on my initial shortlist, which goes to show you can’t beat seeing them in the flesh!”

Some of the IDHBA backstage team that organised the IDHBA stallion parade: Sharon Mannion, Maryclare Travers, George and Jennifer Haverty, Matthew O'Meara, Eileen Brennan, Samantha FitzSimons, Niamh Grimes, Tim Wilson, Andreena Purcell and IDHBA chairman, Michael Murphy \ Susan Finnerty

Plenty of choice

Another on the lookout was Lisa Comiskey Donnelly who is narrowing down choices for her Watchouse High Hopes (Financial Reward), the two-year-old and filly champion at Dublin in 2019. Her aim is to find a suitable match with sufficient thoroughbred bloodlines so that the foal would be eligible for the minimum requirement of 60% thoroughbred blood for the eventing section of the Breeders Championship.

“It’s a fantastic day to help you make your mind up, to see them all there in the flesh is brilliant. How they move and behave is important to be able to match with whatever mare you have in mind.”

There were four thoroughbreds on parade at Mullingar, which started at noon with Centennial (Dalakhani), the sire of Badminton winner Paulank Brockagh’s first foal last year. His Coolin House Stud stable companion and 2015 Croker Cup champion Elusive Emir (Elusive Quality) was the second of three Galway-based thoroughbreds as Tommy McMahon’s Glen Moss (Moss Vale), bred by Rathbarry Stud and another constant supporter of stallion parades, was another.

Completing the thoroughbred quartet was Donal Shine’s Renaissance Man (Galileo) shown over a fence by Alice Copithorne, his pilot for last year’s Stepping Stones to Success league successful campaign.

In a nice collaboration with the Traditional Irish Horse Association, the TIHA chairman Kevin Noone presented commemorative sashes to the traditionally-bred stallions on view: Gabriel Slattery Jnr’s CC Captain Cruise (Captain Clover), Mark Condron and Finnian McLoughlin’s Democrat (Simply Javlin) and Brian Kiernan’s HTS Blackrock (Rhyne Clover), each with their own performance record.

The youngest traditional-bred on view was Donal Goland’s Stormy Mountain (Rebel Mountain).

Dun Connemara performance ponies will sell all day long and Liam Lynskey’s golden dun Whitethorn Buachaill Bui (Killaloe Buachaill Mor) was another to gain fans on the day. This seven-year-old will be campaigned by Hannah Gordon this year in performance classes.

Michael Murphy is another to approve of the performance route, saying: “The market is very good for Draught horses at the moment, the problem is there’s not enough of them there! The performance class has made a real good job of the whole thing, the five- and six-year-old horses from it are getting sold all the time.”

He led off the Irish Draught section with his own Ballylarkin Silver (Young Carrabawn) approved at Cavan last year. Black Hero (Gortfree Hero) was the first of two entries from the Hallinan family’s Killawalla Stud and is now competing at 1.20m level. Their second Draught at Mullingar was Farmhill Highlander (WRS Sun Rich), yet another to impress in “real time”, compared to photographs.

Finnian McLoughlin and Democrat with the TIHA chairman Kevin Noone at the IDHBA stallion parade in Mullingar \ Susan Finnerty

Popular

Brendan Glavin’s Cloonacauneen Grandpa (Ard Grandpa) is typical of his sire’s mould and was the second-most popular Irish Draught sire according to the 2021 covering statistics.

Mayo stallion owners Liam Lynskey and Gabriel Slattery Jnr were double-handed at the parade with the snow-white DS Ballagh Bouncer (Moylough Bouncer) and jet-black Echo King (Flagmount King) respectively.

Two more stallions to travel from Co Wicklow were Norrie Magee’s Eponastables Uibh Fhaili (Gurraun Golden Eye) and the second of Donal Goland’s pair: Grandpa’s Rebel (Rebel Mountain).

Sean Barker’s Gortfree Lakeside Lad is a seasoned campaigner by now with three Dublin championships (two Draught performance and an open working hunter title) to his credit. Rounding off the day were two younger Irish Draughts in Danielle Cusack’s Hollypark Diamond (Castlegar Fin Grove) and John Bracken’s Scrapboy (Scrapman), a successor at Drumhown Stud to his sire, now in Mexico.

The multi-tasking Wilson Porter had the official video of the Mullingar parade online by that evening and plans are already underway for Year 3 of this event that has found its own distinctive niche in the stallion parade calendar.

“The feedback was very good, I felt it was a success. There are things we can look at for next year, like, increased tradestand numbers,” noted Jennifer Haverty. “One of the reasons we have it at 12 noon and we don’t stop for a break is the stallion owners have been good enough to bring their horses so we like to have them get to Mullingar in daylight and leave in daylight.”

"And what about diesel for the lorry?" Philip Copithorne and Brian Murphy compare prices at the IDHBA stallion parade in Mullingar \ Susan Finnerty

After two years in the shadows, this parade was certainly back in the daylight.

What the stallion owners said...

“It was fantastic to get the opportunity to take Hollypark Diamond out to showcase him. From my perspective, it was a great day and great success with plenty of enquiries for him and fantastic feedback on him. I would like to thank the IDBHA for running a fantastic event. Plus, Hollypark Diamond got to meet his breeder, Tom Burke, again!” - Danielle Cusack.

“I thought it was a very well run show, a credit to the organising committee. A great opportunity to showcase Irish bred stallions and get some exposure further afield. Will definitely be returning.” - Emer Glavin.

“The stallion showcase in Mullingar Equestrian Centre was a great day. The IDHBA did an excellent job organising it and were very accommodating. It was lovely to get the stallions out and we had a lot of interest from people on the day!

“Overall, it was a great experience and hopefully we will get out to a few more shows this year.” - Donal Goland, Ballinglen Stud.

“Sunday was a great day from start to finish. Have to give great credit to the IDHBA for hosting this event and the work and effort they put in running it so smoothly. I actually sent Jennifer Haverty a message on Sunday night thanking her, as it was her I was dealing with when getting them entered.

“It was my first parade there. As we are 80 years standing stallions in Killawalla Stud this year, I decided to take our stallions to Mullingar as it’s been the first opportunity in a few years to showcase them in this venue. It is a great, central venue, attracting midland breeders who might not have come west to Claremorris Equestrian Centre to the annual parade there.

“So hopefully, we might get a few extra mares from Mullingar as I’ve already got great feedback and several phone calls and enquiries. That makes it all so worthwhile.” - Owen Hallinan Jnr, Killawalla Stud.

“I think the whole setup, movement of horses, parking, announcements, the amount of time in the arena to showcase the horse and staff was excellent. I have been to many shows and none meet the standard of last Sunday.” - Brian Kiernan, Heynestown Stud.

“It was a great opportunity to show off our new and seasoned stallions to mare owners. We have been sitting at home for two years. I’d like to thank all involved in organising the show, it ran off quickly and safely thank God, it’s always a worry bringing a lot of stallions out together.

“Now, I must say every stallion there showed off everything good about the Irish horse with their temperament, they all behaved impeccably. Well done to all the handlers too. I also enjoyed watching the TIH stallions, it was good to see them out.” - Liam Lynskey, Derryronane Stud.

“I felt the location, organisation, timing, video and commentary on the day was excellent. The venue itself was very good and you could use the indoor and outdoor arenas.

“The whole team are hardworking and dedicated, and I thought there was young blood, both presenting the horses and amongst the spectators. It was good to see them there. Going forwards, how to attract a wider range of thoroughbred stallions?” - Gladys McArdle, Drumhowan Stud.

“Firstly, we were delighted to have an opportunity to show our horse to a large audience. From my perspective, the show ran very smoothly. Jennifer [Haverty] rang to say ‘It’s time to unload and head for the collecting ring.’ There were good stewards in the collecting ring directing traffic, the commentary could be clearly heard, you had plenty of time in the ring and it was great to get some recognition for keeping a traditional stallion.

“I had to take him [Democrat] out twice afterwards for people who had missed him and had lots of enquiries today. Some people confirming they’re going to use him and others were new customers I hadn’t known before.

“I think he loved it as he loves being the centre of attention. He’s going to Cavan next Sunday [tomorrow] and I hope to do a few shows with him in the autumn when he’s finished covering.” - Finnian McLoughlin, Liscahill Stud.

“Well-ran parade, a credit to all involved.” - Aileen McMahon, Parkroe Stud.

“It was very good, very well laid-out and loads of space in the outdoor arena to view stallions after the parade. The staff were very helpful from the get-go; it was good that the stallion owners were contacted to bring a stallion, as that’s the main reason we went, to show support.

“Great timekeeping, it started at 12 which gave people from far away a chance to get there. All the stallions were well turned-out and behaved well, it was good that the stallions were spoken about over the public address too to keep spectators interested.

“There should have been more of an audience there I thought, that’s the only ‘fault’.” - Cathal Shine, Western Road Stud.

“It’s always great to get the opportunity to allow people to see the horses in the flesh. We are always proud to bring the two stallions [Centennial and Elusive Emir] out. It’s great that the IDHBA allow thoroughbreds to be present, recognising the joint importance of both breeds to the Irish sport horse industry. The committee are fantastic and would entice you to support them. It was also lovely to see and catch up with breeders.” - Niamh Varley, Coolfin House Stud.