I WAS late to get involved in horses, only taking up riding at 16 with no background in horses. Although my mother said that, as a toddler when we walked to the shops in Clontarf, I regularly made a beeline for the milkman’s horse.

My Dad, having decided that he was being pestered by his two daughters to buy ponies, said he would buy 30 acres and a thatched cottage in Finea, Co Westmeath, where the ponies could live and we could spend weekends and holidays.

It was on one of these holidays that Dad decided he would like a broodmare. Dad and our neighbouring farmer headed off to Cavan cattle mart and came back with a very large chesnut mare called Clifton Lass, supposedly by the good thoroughbred sire Chou Chin Chow.

Who says there is no luck in breeding? It was pure luck that she turned out to be so good. She bred some foals, one of which was Jeannie (called after my Mum) by the local stallion Radical, another thoroughbred.

As a three-year-old, Jeannie was taken to the RDS to be sold. However, she took an aversion to the fence she was being lunged over in the veterinary paddock and hence returned home to Jarel Stud in The Ward, where Frank and I had since taken up residence.

Later on, we expanded the business and moved to Killossery Lodge Stud where Jeannie then began her breeding career. She bred 11 foals for us.

One of her early offspring Royal Flash went on to compete internationally. Frank had made a couple of 4am trips to Philip Heenan’s yard in Tipperary so Jeannie then produced a couple of Clover Hills, namely the Army Equitation School’s Killossery, ridden by Shane Carey.

She also produced Kruisette, by Cruising. Having competed with the Army for a number of years, Kruisette came home when she retired from show jumping. She produced numerous embryos, of which five have now competed at the WBFSH young show jumping horses championships in Lanaken.

1. How and when did you start breeding horses?

I took over the breeding operation from my Dad in 1980 and inherited his mares when he died.

2. You’ve many advantages by having an in-house producer (son Ciaran), course builder (husband Frank) and busy equestrian centre. How does horse breeding now fit into the business?

As the rest of the business has grown, horse breeding has taken a backseat. I also decided when Kruisette gave up, so would I. Ciaran has taken over the breeding now.

3. Killossery-breds have featured on many Irish Sport Horse teams at the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) championships for show jumping (Lanaken) and Le Lion d’Angers (eventing). Any particular highlight or favourite result from those championships?

Definitely the gold medal win by Killossery Kaiden (Lux Z – Killossery Cruisette) in Lanaken in 2016. It was so exciting and nail-biting to the end. He is now competing at 1.60m level with American rider Adrienne Dixon.

4. Like any successful breeder, there must be lots of proud moments to pick from. Any particular highlight? When I was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the David Foster Ball. I thought you had to be about 90 to receive that one!

5. Do you currently own any broodmares/youngstock?

I only own legs of foals and youngstock now. Ciaran has taken over that role otherwise.

6. To breed a 1.60m show jumper or five-star event horse – any preference?

No, but you must start breeding either with a really good mare.

7. Do you think a foal’s name, registered with a breeders’ prefix, should be changed later on?

No.

8. Best advice you ever got?

Don’t let your children have anything to do with riding, ponies or horses. (Ciaran decided I shouldn’t take that advice!).

9. If you could own any broodmare – Irish or abroad, past or present – which one would it be?

Killossery Kruisette reincarnated! It’s not often that two full siblings win a 1.45m class at Aachen and the other placed fourth in the five-year-old final in Lanaken, all in the one week.

That’s what the Killossery Konfusion, ridden then by Bertram Allen and Killossery Karma, ridden by Jason Foley, did this year. Both are by SIEC Livello out of Killossery Kruisette.

10. What would you still like to achieve?

To win at Le Lion d’Angers and have a horse I bred compete at the Olympic Games. Dream on!