THE Cleary family from Athlone have had mixed fortunes recently amongst their eight broodmares, having lost their good show winner Lady Fassagh.

Bought “out of a field in Co Louth” in October 2018 by Paul, the newcomer went on to win the stinted mare class and overall broodmare championship at Dublin the following summer.

Post-Covid, she was back at Dublin in 2022, again shown by Lorcan Glynn, and that year stood reserve in the Coote Cup championship to Dessie Gibson’s Pink Flamingo.

Unfortunately, the Porsch 13-year-old had post-foaling complications. “She was up in the Curragh for a week afterwards, but we had to put her down. She left us a cracking filly though, by Good Luck VDL. She’s the very same as her mammy.”

Bred at the late Fintan Brannigan’s Crosstown Stud, Lady Fassagh was out of the Crosstown Dancer - Rakish Paddy mare, Crosstown Annie.

On a brighter note, Paul bred this year’s Balmoral supreme hunter champion Madra Rua, by the late Loughehoe Guy out of another of his Crosstown Dancer mares, Glenkeeran Danceintherain.