I’VE always loved horses and started riding lessons as a child in McGarry’s (now Sligo Riding Centre), which started my lifelong love affair with horses.

Horses were obviously in my blood. My mother’s paternal family – the Heffernans and Knoxs – were steeped in horses and breeding. My grand-uncle George Heffernan was on the 1937 winning Nations Cup team in Aachen and his brother Mark was the Army’s team vet.

My great-great-grandfather, George Knox II, was the breeder of the famous Birdcatcher, who was foaled in 1833 at Brownstown Stud, located on the Curragh. Birdcatcher was a son of the resident Brownstown stallion Sir Hercules, another Irish-bred stallion.

My first equine purchase, back in 2007, was the four-year-old Macushla Roller (High Roller). Richard Kerins, in Tubberbride Stables, produced her. Once Richard started jumping her, I followed them around the country and was hooked!

I started my breeding career in 2009, with David Gray and his father, Josie, who bred the stallion Sandro K and, together, we started breeding with the Kingsborough prefix, as we farmed from Kingsborough House on Lough Arrow, Sligo.

The 1937 Nations Cup winners at Aachen: Capt. T. Lewis (Limerick Lace), Capt. F.A Ahern (Ireland’s Own), Cliodhna’s grand-uncle Lt. George M. Heffernan (Duhallow) and Lt. S. Stack (Red Hugh) \ Dr Doris Beaujean/ CHIO Aachen Archives

1. Congratulations, a great Badminton result for Quindiva!

Thank you, I am super-proud of Quindiva and Alex Bragg’s fantastic achievement at Badminton. It was only her second five-star event, having finished 15th last year at Burghley, so I was expecting her to move up the ranks and was absolutely thrilled with her Badminton third place finish.

During the show jumping phase, they were among the elite four, who achieved a clear round within the time. Imagine it: hooves dancing over fences, precision in every stride and the crowd holding its breath.

In fact, they moved up from 10th place after cross-country to their awesome third place, with Alex also winning the Butler Bowl (best British rider), Frank Weldon Memorial Trophy (rider of the youngest British-owned and ridden horse) and the Cotswold Life Trophy (highest-placed local rider).

2. Proudest breeder moment?

I am very lucky, as a small hobby breeder, to have had several very proud breeder moments. The first as breeder of the 1.60m Grand Prix horse Kingsborough Kasper (Kannan x Revenge W), when in December 2020 he was ranked as the world’s leading international seven-year-old in the Hippomundo rankings! And attending HOYS 2022 with my Mum, Ann, to see Kingsborough Kasper in the flesh jumping with Louise Lovegrove (née Saywell).

Another was in 2021, when Ciaran Foley and Kingsborough Verdiva (Verdi – Macushla Roller) were crowned as winners of the 1.35m-1.40m young rider championship at Dublin Horse Show.

And, of course, my most recent and extremely proud breeder’s moment was seeing Quindiva finish third at the Badminton Horse Trials, just a few short weeks ago and now being asked to do the Breeders’ 10!

3. Tell us more about Quindiva..

Quindiva: sweetness wrapped in horsepower! She loved company and cuddles.

I always knew she was going to be a superstar – as her dam’s first foal, she had that “it” factor.

And guess what? Quindiva went from Sligo’s emerald fields to strutting her stuff at Badminton.

4. Quindiva is registered with the Oldenburg Verband..

My mare Ruby had a filly, Quindiva and Josie’s mare had a colt, Sandro K. For some reason, one I have come to regret, we decided to register both foals with the Oldenburg Verband studbook. Although she was registered with the Oldenburg Verband studbook, her true heritage lies as an Irish Sport Horse.

Quindiva and Alex Bragg in action at Badminton in 2023 \ Brian Phipps

5. When did you sell her?

Sold as a yearling in Cavan to Brian O’Malley, she trotted back to Enniscrone in Sligo - because, you know, home is where the hay is! Then off to Goresbridge and voilà! She packed her bags and headed to the UK, where she was bought by the Roe family, introduced to Alexander Bragg and the Bragg Eventing Team. And her eventing story began.

6. How many broodmares do you own?

Macushla Roller, the dam of Kingsborough Verdiva 1.45m, who has jumped internationally and has just qualified again for the RDS and Kingsborough Jasper (Je T’aime Flamenco), who is doing very well on the national circuit.

Ruby Roller (High Roller - Hail Station) was bought after running around a field after going to see her! Her first foal was the fabulous Quindiva.

She also produced the four-star event horse, Quality Time (was Kingsborough Guidamme) competed in the U.S. by Timothy Bourke and the three-star event horse, KGB Sandro.

Ruby Roller is now owned by Roy Armitage in Ballingarry, Roscrea, Co Tipperary. She has a KMS Timeless two-year-old filly and is in foal to Cornerado VDL.

Cassandra V/D Riloo: I bought her from Belgium in 2010. In 2008, she bred Dublin Van Overis (Darco. 1.65m) and then, I bred Kingsborough Flamenco [now Cooley Down Under] competing at three-star level in Australia.

Her three fillies by Kannan and Indoctro are now broodmares with David Gray and Kingsborough Je T’aime (Je T’aime Flamenco) is with Maureen and Kate Dwyer in Co Meath.

Varola is another bought from Belgium in 2011. Now 22 years old and my last broodmare, she is the dam of the fantastic Kingsborough Kasper, a 1.50m Grand Prix winner. Varola is barren this year, so no foals for 2024, but I have several youngstock for sale.

Kingsborough Kasper’s full-sister, with Isabella Cooper, was recently injured and is now looking for a new home as a broodmare.

7. Prefixes - your views?

Ah, prefixes - the golden thread connecting breeder to horse. I’m a firm believer that every breeder should have one. Even if FEI rules shuffle names like a deck of cards, the passport name remains.

Kingsborough Sport Horses is my Facebook page for marketing and selling and, as for Hippomundo, it’s my compass - guiding me to the results of my home-bred stars across continents.

8. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

Behind every champion stands a team. Ellen Prior, my right-hand girl since she was 14, has helped at every stage. Vets Katy and Paul in Kilcoyne and Barnes in Tubbercurry, farrier David Verdon, and recently Alex Gilheaney, who is producing the five-year-old Kingsborough Spartacus for sale - they are my unsung heroes.

9. Paris Olympics coming up, any medal predictions?

My crystal ball is foggy, but isn’t that the beauty of sport? The unknown, the unexpected—the thrill of hooves chasing medals!

10. Your six dinner guests?

Picture it - a stable-turned-banquet hall. I’d invite Tommy Wade (for the stories), Black Beauty (for the elegance), Pegasus (for the flights of fancy), Mr. Ed (for the laughs), Spirit (for the wild spirit), and, of course, Quindiva (for the triumphs).