AN exciting new chapter lies in store for ArkEquine managing director Richard Young and his team after it was announced he has acquired the equine premises formerly known as Deer Forest Stud in Co Kildare.

Previously owned by Luca Somaini, the Newbridge operation complements another recent purchase in the area for the equine solutions company boss, having also acquired Bert House Stud in Athy towards the end of 2022.

Bert House, a boutique farm that specialises in broodmare boarding and foaling, has benefitted from significant investment since its sale, and has even branched into foal and yearling sales preparation under the management of Kirsty McCann and her team on the farm led by Ronnie Hayden.

Young is excited to see how Crannagh Stud - the new name over the door at Deer Forest - can build on the ongoing growth of operations at their existing Kildare base.

“It isn’t something we did on a whim but we are very open to new opportunities as they arise to help us continue to invest and evolve in this new venture,” Young explains.

“If something pops up, without feeling under any pressure, we can take a look to see if it’s of interest and work from there. We obviously have Bert House Stud, which is the jewel in the crown for us and will always be our boutique maternity ward, but we’re delighted to be building on that now with Crannagh.

“The real thing that Crannagh does for us is it gives us more options to do other things. A lot of the clients we already work with have fillies and colts for foal and yearling preparation, so now this gives us the scope to prepare them separately.

“Crannagh has similar facilities to Bert House. It has the walker, the lunge ring, the maternity unit and a beautiful indoor American barn, and we plan to resurrect the gallop. There are 42 boxes on 62 acres, while Bert House has 58 boxes on 58 acres, so to have a combined 120 acres in Kildare gives us great options for our clients and ourselves.”

Naming significance

On the meaning behind a new name, he adds: “This farm was previously known as New Irish Stud, with Deer Forest becoming the breeding operation out of it, and we’re going to call it Crannagh Stud because that’s the name of the road I grew up on. I love little connections like that and hopefully it brings us some luck.

“Actually, with Bert House, my wife Ciara and I had our first date when collecting a mare down there almost 20 years ago, so it’s amazing how things come full circle to get the chance to buy a place like that.

“Calling the new farm Crannagh is just a connection to my past, to my mum and dad. Hopefully it all bodes well as a good omen for the future.”

The purchase is expected to allow an expansion in breeding at the Kildare bases. There will be continued diversification in the business too, with thoroughbred mares, high-end show jumping mares and a selection of well-bred embryos part of Young’s plans.

“We’ve started doing embryos for show jumpers and eventers; we’ve got three this year and hopefully will have more in 2025,” he explains.

“The reason we’ve gone down that road is because my background is show jumping rather than racing, even though I’m thoroughly enjoying being a part of racing. It’s lovely to be dipping my toe back in again, and it’s also business. We’re spreading between the areas that we’re involved in.

“The maternity ward is the primary area of the business, though we are getting yearlings in at the moment and there are more inquiries there.

“We want to have the place busy every month of the year, so what we’re setting up is a circle of maternity clients, followed by stores, then yearlings and so on.

Sales involvement

“We now have more facilities, and that allows us to be more flexible for our clients. We’ve had conversations with different parties about the potential to send horses bought by their international clients here after the sales.

“It would be fantastic if we could continue to build our own base of clients over time, and we’ve got a lovely group of people we’re doing business with. We’re really lucky in that sense.

“There is no mad panic to do anything. Most importantly, we just want to do everything we can in the best way possible and look after our clients and their horses well.”

There is also an opportunity for a mutually beneficial crossover in business interests between ARKEquine, primarily a horse nutrition firm, and the premises at Bert House and Crannagh. Young says the feedback from their stud clients has been “very positive” surrounding the use of ArkEquine’s feed and products with the horses in their care.

The company has also pushed to roll out new technology in the animal care sector.

“Bert House can almost be used as a shop front too for what we do with horses under our care, and clients can see the benefit themselves when we hand the horses back to them,” says Young.

“We’ve had a couple of mares lately who were tricky to get in foal but have now gone in foal [after being with us]. “In ArkEquine, what we are trying to do is bring some extra things that nobody else is doing, and that allows interesting conversations to start if nothing else. We had lots of interest in our foaling alarm when at our stand last week at the Dublin Horse Show.

“People love it because it’s not a stitch-in one, it gets put onto the tail. That’s the next generation of foaling alarms.

Foaling technology

“We’d have no interest in doing something if it was just replicating what others have. We only do it if we’re bringing something new to the party.”

He adds: “We built a lab in Bert House where we’re now doing faecal egg counts.

“That falls into our overall group strategy, which is focused on the correct use of medicines, reduction of the use of antibiotics and correct use of anti-parasitics. We’re there to give good advice and find solutions to problems our clients have.

“By using our products on the horses we take care of at Bert House, and now Crannagh, we’re not just selling a product and saying it works - we’re putting our neck on the line and proving that it does.”

Young has been taking a greater interest in thoroughbred bloodstock in recent years, with a small number of horses in training with Ciaran Murphy’s dual-purpose yard in Co Westmeath and a growing broodmare band at Bert House.

He reached the frame with his first runner at the Galway Festival earlier this month when Aga Khan-bred filly Diyaba finished third on her return from a long absence.

Young says: “Somebody asked me the other day to give three words to describe me, and one of the words that came out was ‘interested’. I’m naturally inquisitive and love finding out about people and different topics.

“I don’t like doing new things if I don’t truly understand what we’re doing. As my father would have said years ago, never be afraid to ask the stupid question!

“I’ve had great advice on the racing and breeding front, and enjoy the chance to learn more at the sales and so on.

“Animal care is our passion and racing certainly falls under that animal care banner.”