LAST year saw the start of Ivor and Olive Broderick’s The Stallion Shop, a real-time and virtual one-stop service for breeders, offering practical frontline advice, easier access to a range of stallions and even their own delivery driver.

“Time flies by and it’s hard to believe that it’s nearly one year since the launch of The Stallion Shop! The company was very well received by Irish breeders,” said Olive.

Kylemore Stud, in east Galway, is their base where an impressive 94% pregnancy success rate was achieved this year for customers’ mares.

“We’ve undertaken a considerable expansion programme to cater for our clients’ needs. A new mare and foal barn, laboratory, ET (embryo transfer) facility, arena and stallion area are underway. It’s quite an undertaking, but we see it as a priority that we can provide the very best facilities for our clients.”

Irish Sport Horse breeding is ever-evolving and The Stallion Shop team caters for every market and breeder, whether long-established or starting off.

“The market is constantly moving with the quest to breed the best, no matter if that’s a top-level show jumper, eventer, in-hand and ridden show horse or leisure horse. Success comes in different forms for different breeders.”

James Kann Cruz is a horse that every breeder wishes they had bred. “He’s an example of what can be done. Patrick Connolly and CSF (Connolly Stud Farm) are Stallion Shop clients and an example of how generational breeding, with smart choices and careful planning, can reap big rewards. The Connolly family are to be commended for their dedication and professional approach to producing foals for the market. We can all learn from those around us.

“The top 20-30% of foal prices are super, it shows what can be achieved with careful planning. Two crosses can be all it takes to improve dramatically, and so, even if you’re not exactly where you want to be, you can develop over time. More breeders are now partnering with riders, definitely a way for breeders to hold and produce good fillies going forward.

“Success comes in different forms for different breeders. I guess 30-40% of breeders aim to produce a top-level sport horse and success in sport is their number one goal. Success for other breeders is getting their foal selected for an elite sale, to achieve a good price and sell the foal to a producer, who will hopefully bring out the full potential.”

The Brodericks enjoy a 25-year-partnership with the VDL Stud, whose stallions include Zirocco Blue VDL, pictured with Jur Vrieling on their way to a team gold medal at the 2015 European championships

The Brodericks enjoy a 25-year-partnership with the VDL Stud, whose stallions include Zirocco Blue VDL, pictured with Jur Vrieling on their way to a team gold medal at the 2015 European championships

Part of the journey

Two examples of up and-coming breeders, rated by Olive as great examples of creating and fast-tracking performance families “right here in Ireland”, are clients, Catriona Redmond of BLF Sporthorses and Madeline Allen, who started with a good mare.

“Catriona recently sold her fabulous home-produced mare Emelee (Emerald x Lux Z), successful at 1.50m level. She has some fantastic offspring from her through embryo transfer, which we’re delighted to be part of, including youngsters by Grandorado TN and Zirocco Blue VDL.

“Madeline rides Celah Sue De Rialto Z (Coupe de Coeur x Caletto III). ‘Susie’ competed at 1.50m level and has some wonderful youngsters by stallions, including Zirocco Blue, Tangelo and her own Daroento VDL, coming through. Madeline sold one of Susie’s foals in this year’s Cavan Elite Sale. Again, Madeline produced the mare herself right up to Grand Prix level, a wonderful achievement.

“Of course, there’s many more examples of great breeders in Ireland and we’re proud to be a small part of their journey.”

Other breeders plan to upgrade their stock. “The pedigree or mare’s family isn’t sufficient to get them into the elite sales, but with correct planning and advice, it can be achieved over time to produce modern, athletic, rideable horses, who end up in the right hands.”

The Brodericks are in between French, Dutch and Belgian stud tours to see stallions first-hand and cement links with their owners.

“For instance, we met Joris Van Dijk , owner of Ermitage Kalone, what a real horseman he is. We also met Jeron de Winter, Pegase Van’t Ruytershof’s owner-rider. Seeing both stallions and their offspring, including some of theirs in for the stallion loose jumping test, and discussing their best breeding crosses was great.

“These are the things breeders need to know and it’s our job to be aware of the positives and negatives each stallion brings to the equation.”

The exciting Ermitage Kalone is the latest addition to The Stallion Shop choice of stallions

Headline hitters

“We’ve built a great trust and working relationship with the studs we work with, for example over 25 years with the VDL Stud. This is crucial, so that our clients in Ireland get preferential treatment when we order for them. This trust is important and shouldn’t be underestimated. I know that Irish breeders trust us with their business and their money, and that trust is so important to us personally.

“It’s important that we’re aware of which stallions are working well in breeding: those that are truly a breeding success and not a marketing success. Ivor follows the progress of so many young stallions. There’s hardly a family he doesn’t know in breeding and he understands deeply what works well with different crosses. It’s also fair to say he has a keen eye for talent, which breeders find very helpful when choosing stallions.

“We’re delighted that many of the stallions we supply hit the headlines this year, and some of the young ones we spotted and advised breeders to use have shone in the ring, giving reassurance and value to those foals. We’re always happy to review videos and photos of mares and give very honest, free advice without any bias. I think the results speak for themselves, there’s lots of success stories in the sport from advice received over the years.”

Alongside the Zirocco VDL, Grandorado TN, Conthargos, Highway TN, Hardrock Z and Candy du Nantuel ‘big names’, already with phenomenal results, which younger stallions have the Brodericks earmarked for the future?

Diablue PS, Casallco, Stargos VDL, Lamaze, Boston VDL and Dorien Grey TN have all “been making waves in auctions and sport”.

Two additions to The Stallion Shop 2024 books are “two very exciting up-and-coming stars”: Ermitage Kalone and Kasanova de la Pomme, as well as a range of dressage stallions, from Totilas to the promising Merlot VDL, for the growing Irish dressage breeding market.

The exciting Ermitage Kalone is the latest addition to The Stallion Shop choice of stallions

Convenience

Kylemore Stud is a family business with daughter Chloe, a qualified vet, proving a real asset. “She had a super season, worked really well with clients and, while 2023 was said to be a difficult year to get mares in foal, we’re delighted with the overall result here of a 94% pregnancy rate.

“Chloe is currently doing an equine hospital internship, which she is really enjoying and learning so much from, but she’ll be here again for the 2024 season!”

Waiting around for courier deliveries is a major inconvenience for breeders. “So we decided to hire a full-time driver to deliver to all four corners of Ireland. We also worked closely with many veterinary clinics, supplying both fresh and frozen semen on a daily basis. Of course, many breeders wish to use their own vet/clinic and, with our delivery service available 24/7, this was never an issue. We’ll expand this service in 2024, with stocks of semen stored at more clinics countrywide.”

Breeders can either use The Stallion Shop online ordering system or simply pick up the phone to speak to Sarah O’Grady. “A phone call, message or text to any of us is always enough to get the ball rolling! Sarah is fantastic in the office, she’s a dynamo and we’re so lucky to have her. It’s lovely that clients have another contact when we’re at our busiest.”

Another on-site asset is their own stallions, “We always offer a selection of Kylemore resident stallions, from Tyson, to up-and-coming stars like KMS Denver, who we have to say is all you could ask for in a jumper. Home-bred, he has been very lightly produced by Paul Lynch, and awes everywhere he goes. Cartier VDL is another really promising youngster, he won the Cavan four-year-old championship and was reserve in Barnadown with Vincent Byrne. Another modern type, he has all the ingredients to be a very decent stallion in sport and breeding.

“Between every option, we really hope we can have something for everyone in the audience!”

Follow The Stallion Shop on Facebook and Instagram for future updates and news.

Contact The Stallion Shop team

Olive (086) 376 0619; olive@thestallionshop.ie

Ivor (086) 816 9004

Sarah (086) 960 1407; office@thestallionshop.ie

www.thestallionshop.ie