DAD operates a sheep and suckler farm in Moylough, Co Galway with the help of myself and I also work as a solicitor. Irish Draughts play a major role on the farm with seven Class 1 Irish Draughts mares, together with two Class 1 Irish Draught stallions – Moylough Legacy and Moylough Supremacy – paving the way for a busy breeding season ahead.

We’ve enjoyed success with the breed down through the years having been fortunate to win at Dublin Horse Show on a number of occasions.

1. How long has the family been breeding Irish Draughts?

As far as I can remember we always had a couple of Draught mares. One of my earliest memories was going down with Dad to find a mare by Skippy, after her having a beautiful filly by Grey Macha.

2. Proudest moment(s) as a breeder?

In 2016, three of Moylough Ruby’s progeny, which we bred, competed at Dublin. It was a great honour to know that a breeding choice you made developed in to an animal that could compete at the largest show in Ireland.

We were also very proud to see the home-bred Corrindon Dancer, by Crosstown Dancer, go on to be approved as a Class 1 stallion in the UK.

As regards showing moments, Dublin 2012 would have to be top of the list. That year, Moylough Pearl took champion mare and my uncle, Jimmy Hoare, with his home-bred Dowdstown Jane took reserve champion and her foal was champion foal.

3. Favourite Draught bloodline(s)?

The phrase “You can’t beat breeding” is a true testament. Before modern technology, Dad would often travel long journeys to see a horse, going by their breeding alone, and conclude by saying “I knew they had to be nice.”

As for favourites, Carrabawn View was a great sire and sired our first Dublin champion, Moylough Countess. We’ve had some beautiful horses by Carrabawn Cross, including our two stallions Moylough Legacy and Moylough Supremacy. Castana is another sire that has featured heavily in a lot of our stock, as well as Welcome Flagmount. One of our mares, Moylough Legaun Sky, has a beautiful line, she’s by Grange Bouncer out of a Legaun Prince dam, going back to Sky Boy.

4. What is your Irish Draught ‘template’?

They have to have quality. I like to see them with good limbs, short cannons, a good length of rein with good depth and movement – a magic combination not easy to find all together.

The right one will just catch your eye and you may not even be able to describe what they have but you will just see it in them.

I remember seeing Moylough Supremacy as a foal. I looked over the door and knew straightaway he had it and he proved me right, being graded as a Class 1 Stallion last March.

The Irish Draught is now evolving into a horse that can do a job within so many sections of equestrian sport, be it showing, performance or hunting. Dublin Horse Show has to be commended for its introduction of the Draught performance classes as it has opened up a whole new market for the breed, with people actively looking for one every year to produce.

The Irish Draught horse has held its own on the highest stage. In 2013, the full Irish Draught gelding Hallmark IX was the supreme champion at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). The same year, Irish Draught geldings took both the cob of the year (won by The Comedian, who we owned as a youngster) and heavyweight hunter titles (Loughkeen Dancing Lord). I think that was a major turning point for the breed and in turn, boosted their popularity from the UK market in particular.

5. How many mares do you currently have?

We have seven mares in foal. We’re privileged to have some beautiful mares, including the former Dublin champion Draught mare Moylough Pearl. Every year when she foals, she gets pride of place in the field in front of the house.

Moylough Ruby, by Welcome Flagmount, will always be my number one. Dad bought Ruby when the late Thomas Coleman Joyce, a very good friend of Dad’s, told him he knew where there was a good filly for sale. Ruby has been very lucky for us breeding eight foals who have all gone on to great success.

To foal this year we have Moylough Pearl (Agherlow), Moylough Ruby (Welcome Flagmount), Guilkagh Chestnut (Clover Park) and Hillcrest Princess (Glenagyle Rebel), all in foal to Moylough Legacy.

Moylough Legaun Sky (Grange Bouncer), Moylough Dolly (Crannagh Hero) and Milinisi, a thoroughbred mare by Khaleesi, are in foal to Moylough Supremacy.

6. Tell us about last year’s foals?

Last year was a very quiet year for us on the foal front and we only had one foal, an Irish Draught filly by Legacy out of Moylough Pearl. She has gone to a super showing home and I look forward to following her in the show ring.

Of course Brexit and Covid-19 loomed to the fore last year but neither impeded our breeding plans and all mares were put in foal. I actually think coverings were up last year and both stallions were very busy.

7. How and where do you sell your foals?

We are lucky that a number of our mares have had success in the show ring and this definitely helps when selling foals, so the majority of them are bought at home. Social media is also a great platform to show your stock and generate interest.

8. What do you think are the greatest challenges facing Irish Draught breeders?

It’s a worry that the breeding of Draughts may diminish in the coming years but I think there is a strong younger generation of breeders coming through. They appreciate how much the breed has to offer and this will hold the Irish Draught going forward.

9. It takes a team – who is on yours?

It definitely takes a team. My dad Pat has always been to the head, he has never shied away from buying the good foal or driving me around the country to shows. He is a great judge of a horse and I can only hope to have half as good as eye as him.

My mum Marie is a great support too, she wouldn’t be as much in to the horses but is always there to lend a hand.

My cousin Sean Hoare shows the horses for us in Dublin and he is a great help with the stallions. All his training with St Michaels’s GAA club in Galway keeps him fit to run down the long side of Ring 1 in Dublin.

Stevo Finn also shows the horses for us and showed my uncle Jimmy Hoare’s Legacy colt to take the champion Draught foal in Dublin in 2019. Stevo has always been a great help and would even give you the shoes off his feet if the situation arose!

My best friend Laura Tarpey, who I met through the ponies way back when, always makes the pilgrimage over from London for Dublin and makes up Team Moylough for Dublin week.

10. Best piece of advice you received?

Never underestimate how vital a role the mare has to play in your breeding programme. A quality mare will breed a quality foal and, more importantly, the quality will hold in them as they get older.