I HAVE loved horses for as long as I can remember and got my love of horses from my father. I grew up on a small mixed farm in Westmeath and, although we didn’t keep horses on the farm, my dad was a great hunting and horse racing fan.

I used to get so excited (and a day off school) when the Westmeath hunt came through the farm every year, and we went to all the local point-to-points and race meets.

Dad promised to get me a pony, but it never materialised, so my brother and I had to make do by riding our neighbours’ 16.2hh Clydesdale mare bareback, with just a bridle, kicking like mad to get her to canter. No health and safety back then!

I was a trainee accountant with Craig Gardner in Dublin when our sport and social club went to Killegar Riding School for riding lessons. I got hooked immediately, getting up early every Saturday morning to catch the bus from Rathmines to Killegar. I moved on to buying a horse, which I kept in livery in Ashford, Co Wicklow, hunted with the Bray Harriers and did hunter trials and Riding Club shows.

I bought my first broodmare as a yearling. She was 3/4 Irish Draught, and her dam was a half-sister to the stallion Grange Bouncer.

Fleuries Imp, the first foal I bred, was born on the family farm in Westmeath and was by Master Imp. I loved Master Imp; he was a stallion that really stamped his stock. I moved from Dublin to Wicklow and bought land in Brittas Bay in 1996 at pre-Celtic Tiger prices, which I developed into Gorsehill Farm over the years.

In 2001, I bred Fleuries Imp to an exciting young stallion at the time: VDL Arkansas. Her first foal, Gorsehill Amber, who I kept as a broodmare, competed in the RDS three-year-old loose jumping. Fleuries’ second foal, Gorsehill Star, also by Arkansas, qualified for the RDS six-year-old show jumping with Conor Swail.

Star was bought by Oliver Townend and successfully campaigned up to 3* (now 4*), coming 20th in Blenheim. Fleurie bred three more foals; they all went well in eventing in the UK and the US.

Gorsehill Amber has bred mostly colt foals to several different sires. They have all been sound, commercial horses with good temperaments, a key breeding objective.

Her foals include Gorsehill Horatio (Pacino), who won the Ballindenisk six-year-old championship with Luke Drea, before being sold to the US; 3* Gorsehill Jack (Jack Of Diamonds) competed on the British team at the 2025 European junior championships with Georgia Stephens, as well as Gorsehill Layla.

I still have a Lagans OBOS Quality two-year-old filly and I’ve kept a mare by Oldtown KC as a broodmare, who has had two foals by Livello, one by Vivant, one by Boleybawn Alvaro and is in foal to Caracas for 2027.

1. Congratulations - a HOYS to remember. Tell us more about Gorsehill Layla (Emerald van’t Ruytershof - Gorsehill Amber)?

Gorsehill Layla won the HOYS working hunter championship this year ridden by Katy Green. Layla was always a sweet mare, she did a little show jumping with Elliot Reeves before going to Daniel Alderson, who did a few shows and a couple of events with her.

Katy Green bought her from seeing her in Daniel’s videos, she loved her and could see her potential from the start. Katy hopes to have more showing success with Layla’s Rock N’Roll Ter Putte half-brother, who did well in the Stepping Stones and Young Event Horse classes with Daniel this year.

2. Proudest breeder moment?

That has to be Gorsehill Pearl (Hermes De Reve - Holly Clover) placing 12th in the CCI5* Bicton event in 2021 with Joseph Murphy. I bought Holly Clover as a foal, she had a lovely Traditional Irish pedigree by Minstrel Bouncer (TB) out of a Clover Hill - Smooth Stepper dam. Holly also bred Gorsehill Belle, a 3* eventer who placed 10th in the RDS four-year-old young event horse class before being sold to the US. Unfortunately, Holly died post-foaling with her third foal.

I bred a foal from Gorsehill Belle: Gorsehill Ebony (Ard Black Cat), who I kept as a broodmare. Her first foal Gorsehill Ali (Mylord Carthago) is now a seven-year-old and jumping 1.40m with Heidi Hamilton. A small mare, but super careful and with a great heart. I have three half-sisters I’m looking forward to producing.

Anne Bannon with Gorsehill Amy, taken on the day the mare went to the USA

3. Fleuries Imp was a great broodmare servant; for you, what makes a good foundation mare?

I like a good bit of blood in the pedigree, it gives you more options when choosing a stallion. The mare must be sound and have good x-rays.

Good temperament is key for me. I wouldn’t have a mare that is difficult to manage, no matter how talented she is; life is too short! Another trait I look for is heart; a horse that wants to work.

I would want to see how the mare goes under the saddle. If you want to sell the offspring for a decent price as foals, the mare needs to have a proven performance pedigree.

4. “Fools breed horses for wise men to buy.” Agree/disagree?

It is difficult to make breeding pay, production costs continue to escalate and the market is influenced by economic conditions. Modern breeding technology means that you can get embryos from competition mares, so it is quality over quantity. I hope to get embryos from Gorsehill Ali, but it is expensive and still a bit of a gamble. The best stallions are only available by frozen semen, which adds to the cost challenge.

It’s getting more difficult to find good people to break horses, especially on the east coast. I guess it’s a symptom of the country’s economic success.

5. Gorsehill is yours, thoughts on prefixes?

Having a prefix definitely helps to track your horse’s competition performance in Ireland and the UK. I find that horses sold to the US can have their prefixes deleted, so it is harder to follow them.

6. Current standout international stallion(s)?

Mylord Carthago would have been my favourite, but he has passed away now. I also like Emerald, his offspring are very marketable and have good temperaments. There are also some nice stallions in Ireland that can give you good, marketable horses.

7. Social media - positive or negative?

Positive; it makes it easy now to build your business profile, market your horse and follow your horses’ performance. The proliferation of social media options makes it harder work, but worth doing.

8. That famous horse you’d love to have bred?

That would have to be James Kann Cruz; the best of Irish and continental bloodlines.

9. It takes a team. Who’s on yours?

We are a small team: myself and my partner Donal O’Beirne, who owns Hoofprints Innovations. I am lucky to have good neighbours and friends that I can call on in an emergency. Harry Fitzpatrick, who lives locally, is also a great help.

10. Six famous people to invite around for dinner?

Roy Keane, Michael Collins, Oscar Wilde, Grace O’Malley (the Pirate Queen), Tommy Tiernan and John F. Kennedy.