WE always had horses on the farm in Cummer, near Tuam. My father Jim bred Irish Draughts and Connemara ponies and sold them as two or three-year-olds. He bred the Irish Draught stallion, Mourne Mountain Star.

I started buying youngstock and selling them as three-year-olds. I bought my first broodmare in 1994: a Glacier Mint two-year-old filly and covered Cummer Glory with Cruising. She bred Cummer Cruise, who competed to 1.30m and, when we put her in foal to Ramiro B, she bred Ramiro Cruise, who competed at 1.55m with Edwina Tops-Alexander.