MY ambition was always to have a career with horses, but this was not to be, as my parents, (perhaps wisely) steered me towards a career which would enable me to indulge this passion on my own terms, and I have been fortunate enough to be able to do just that.

My initial mentor was Mick Connors, father of Francis, with whom I spent summer holidays, and I then went on to a stint as assistant trainer to that most wonderful and deep-thinking horseman Willie Robinson.

Later, I started buying foals to go show jumping and ended up standing Puissance and a few other stallions at Coolmore, Thomastown. As Puissance’s career was coming to an end, I changed to breeding National Hunt horses, as I knew life in the half-bred world could never be the same.

With Puissance, all you had to do was cover the right sort of mare, and the usual result was an international horse. It was perhaps surprising that more people did not realise this.

The Irish Horse Board were on one path – and I was very much on another – so, with some sadness, I now no longer own any non-thoroughbred horse. Having competed enthusiastically, and with a notable lack of success, in all equestrian disciplines I am now trying to do a bit better as a breeder. Perhaps it is like a parent, trying to have the athletic career he never had himself through his children.

One of my breeding philosophies is that there is too much compartmentalisation in the sport and the examples of Jim Crowley, Jessica Harrington and Colin Bowe really illustrate that knowledge in one area is readily transferrable to another.

1. Proudest moments as a breeder?

Puissance and Michael Hutchinson in their pomp always made me proud, but then I bred neither! Perhaps last Saturday at Down Royal was as good a moment as I have had when The Storyteller, bred jointly by myself and an old friend, Rowena Cotton, won the Grade 1 chase. I had bred Demi Tasse, Sam Watson’s junior European event horse, and Jessica Kurten’s five-star showjumper by Quidam de Revel, from The Storyteller’s third dam Betty’s Girl. A nice crossover story!

2. Tell us about finding Puissance.

I had no intention of owning a stallion, but went to the farm of legendary breeder, Jim Whitty, to buy a filly foal as a foundation mare. I duly bought her but could not get the picture of Puissance, (then a backward yearling) out of my head.

He just resonated with images of Hyperion and Northern Dancer, both compact, vibrant horses with enormous energy who were breed-shapers in the thoroughbred world. Jim knew what he had, and I had to pay the-then outlandish sum of £10,000 to buy him. It was the best money I ever spent on a horse.

3. What do you think was his contribution to the Irish Sport Horse industry?

Unfortunately the contribution of Puissance to the horse sport industry was transient, as the Irish Horse as we knew it, is now close to extinction. Beguiled by precocity and superficially attractive movement and athleticism – we gave up brains, soundness and durability – and lost a national treasure.

When Puissance was sent a sound, scopey three-quarter-bred mare with adequate movement, the rest just followed. He supplied the jump, the limbs and the engine. They always made the time at the top level and always pulled out sound on the third day. He crossed particularly well with mares produced by my cousin, Susie Lanigan-O’Keeffe, by Horos and from her old Draught lines.

4. Tell us about breeding Imperial Sky, the second-highest ranked Irish Sport Horse in the WBFSH rankings this year.

Carolyn is actually the breeder of Imperial Sky. Susie had lent her the most lovely showjumping mare, Sky’s Ablaze and we then bought her full-sister, both by Susie’s stallion, Horos. She bred other good horses, and I think there may be a couple of full-sisters out there breeding. I hope so. The mare went back to Softee with which Susie had won the utility horse class at the Dublin Horse Show, and the same family also produced the stallion, Crosstown Dancer.

5. Were you hoping to be doubly represented at Tokyo this year, between son Arthur in the modern pentathlon and a Puissance offspring?

We had booked our tickets for Tokyo in the hope that Arthur would get there in the pentathlon and Sam Watson would get there with either Imperial Sky or Ardagh Highlight. It would have been an interesting double act.

6. Your Coolmore prefix – any story behind the name?

We had a lot of fun with the Coolmore prefix, and John Magnier was wise enough to know that that’s all it was.

We had bought Coolmore from the Cayley sisters, who bred show ponies and used the Coolmore prefix long before Coolmore emerged as the great powerhouse. We just carried on with it, and yes, I did get the odd phone-call from Japan, etc!

7. Favourite broodmare?

My favourite broodmare would have to be Coolmore Hightime, who had about 16 foals by Puissance, of which about half went international. She was by Horos out of a great old showjumping mare by King of Diamonds, called Flight Path.

8. Any foals due in 2021?

We have about 17 foals due in 2021: 12 by Jukebox Jury; three by Sea Moon and one each by Harzand and Crystal Ocean.

9. Best advice you’ve been given?

Most of the little I know about breeding I learned sitting at ringside with the late Seamus Hughes, watching young horse classes. His knowledge, insight and intelligence were formidable and he shared it willingly. I still miss him. Now, I listen to John O’Connor of Ballylinch.

10. Sport horse breeding - would you do it all again?

Yes – but hopefully a bit better.

One thing I have definitely learned is that prepotent stallions are an extreme rarity. When you find one, you should use him as much as possible. I wish I had used Puissance more in my half-bred days, and Shantou more as a thoroughbred breeder.

I do not intend to make the same mistake with Jukebox Jury, whose statistical results are astonishing.