WE live on a farm at Callowhill, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, where Frank’s family have lived for many generations. Frank also owned and managed a successful PR and marketing agency in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, that is still family-run.

Paula has spent most of her life involved with horses, from Iris Kellett on Mespil Road as a child, to doing her BHSAI exams, before moving to Malahide to work with Tommy Brennan at Abbeville, where she was lucky enough to have ridden many future international horses.

Having returned from a spell with international rider Lalla Novo in Italy, we got married and set up the foundations of a pony breeding operation, followed by Irish Sport Horses. At that time, we also bred Pyrenean Mountain dogs and used the prefix ‘Paulank’.

Since 1974, Paula has been full-time involved in driving and growing the pony and sport horse business. Her other roles include shepherd to a flock of sheep and mother to our three now adult children, Sarah, Leo and Owen.

1. Proudest moment(s) as a breeder?

Without a doubt, it was Paulank Brockagh winning Badminton in 2014, followed by her team bronze medal at the Rio Olympics where she was pipped for the individual bronze by just 0.4 of a penalty.

Another proud moment was Paulank Kings River (Kings Master) winning the inaugural HSI future event horse four-year-old class at Camphire.

In the pony world, we bred Paulank Wetwillow, who won the supreme championship at the Irish Pony Society annual show, held in the RDS, and Paulank Wispa who was mini champion on numerous occasions.

2. Tell us about the Paulank broodmare herd.

We currently have three mares in foal for 2021. There’s ‘Brocks’ or Paulank Brockagh (Touchdown - Calendar Girl, by Triggerero) in foal to Centennial (TB).

Paulank Havannah (Billies Bank) out of Richmondlea Dehlia, a champion broodmare in New Zealand. Havannah is in foal to Pointilliste (TB).

Gemini Jessie, (Loughahoe Guy - Gildawn Interest, by Gildawn Diamond) is in foal to Road To Happiness (TB).

Paulank Calla Lilly (Ghareeb - Calendar Girl) is barren this year and we have another barren mare, Wilsons Imp (Kings Master), whose eldest progeny is a very smart four-year old Pointilliste gelding, broken at the end of last year.

We have a five-year-old mare, Paulank Spink (Cruising Arish - Calendar Girl), that we will retain for breeding, being the last of the ‘Callie’ line by one of the Cruising clones.

Callie has already bred an international four-star showjumper in Italy, Paulank Kimble (Cruising), who we were lucky enough to buy back from Italy.

We have two Irish Draught mares, one of which, Paulank Pride (Crannagh Hero - Paulank Liberty Bell), has a yearling filly by Cloncastle Silver Squire. The other is the five-year-old Ballymacara Holly Mae (Gortfree Lakeside Lad).

Frank and Paula Cullen \ Susan Finnerty

3. Favourite broodmare, past or present? And favourite stallion/mare bloodlines?

It has to be Calendar Girl, who passed away this time last year at the age of 29, our foundation mare who left us some remarkable stock. Today, the idea of having Paulank Brockagh back to breed, with thanks to the Posford family and Sam Griffiths, has to be our special mare of the present.

We had a couple of wonderful pony broodmares including Rotherwood Jenny Wren (Welsh Section B) and Atherstone Topsy Turvy (Welsh Section A), who both lived into their late 20s.

With the exception of using Touchdown a couple of times in the early years before we had our current Traditional Irish Horse (TIH) breeding, we used Cruising.

Today, we are using thoroughbred stallions on our mares, always aiming at the possibility of breeding future event horses. Callie’s last foal was by Cruising Arish in the hope of getting another potential jumper, like her full sister [Kimble].

4. How many of the Calendar Girl line have you retained?

Apart from the three mares mentioned earlier – Paulank Kimble, Paulank Calla Lilly and Paulank Spink – we have Paulank Kirikee (Jumbo - Paulank Calla Lilly), a very smart seven-year old event mare currently being evented by Heidi Hamilton.

Kimble bred three foals on her return before retiring, including a gelding by Clover Brigade, now competing at 1.35m in Italy. Calla Lilly has bred five foals to date, three of whom are by Jumbo. Paulank Petunia was exported to the USA and we have retained her full siblings Paulank Kirikee and the stallion Paulank Wilton.

5. Breeding for the event horse market – labour of love or profitable?

Of course, you want it to be for profit, but ultimately it’s a labour of love. We live for our horses, with the odd successful one that keeps our dreams alive!

6. What do you think is the formula for successful sport horse breeding?

Performance must be high up on the list and if your mare has limited performance, then your thoroughbred has to have a performance pedigree. You have to remember that they can’t all be champions so your sport horse has to also suit the amateur/leisure market, in which case a nice looking horse, with a good temperament, is a must.

Getting your horse in to the correct yard is also vital. Yes, there is a bit of luck involved and sometimes it can be a gamble, but that’s what makes it all so interesting.

7. You’ve also bred the Paulank Welsh ponies. Thoughts on the current pony breeding market?

Yes, we had some wonderfully successful ponies in the early years. Sadly, there appears to be very little incentive for pony breeders today.

We have some excellent breeders producing ponies, particularly show/show hunter and working hunter ponies at the highest level, who are competing abroad. The Irish market is not prepared to support these breeders and instead go to the UK looking for ready-made ponies with a neck full of red rosettes.

The powers that be should take note that the pony breeders are part of the leisure market that has such a huge input to our sport horse industry.

8. Best advice you got?

The late Tommy Brennan once told us that no matter what you breed, it must be a good-looking horse with a good temperament. It will always then have a purpose on the ground for somebody, even if it’s not going to make a top eventer or show jumper.

Lalla Novo always looked for an Irish-bred sport horse (now probably called the TIH). She felt strongly that Ireland was the home of this special horse and always said that if she wanted a “foreign” horse, she could buy them in Europe any day!

9. Favourite place on Earth?

We’ve always loved Italy. In 1973, Paula spent six months working with Lalla Novo at the time Frank was working with Fiat and able to travel frequently to Turin. The long distance thing must have got to him because that’s where he proposed!

Lalla is still a wonderful friend to this day. We’ve spent numerous unforgettable holidays with our children at her equestrian complex on the Adriatic coast – the well-known Le Siepi facility in Cervia, home to many championship shows over the years.

Through Paula’s charity work in Kenya, supporting a small rehab centre for street boys, we have also been fortunate enough to visit the Masai Mara national game reserve. Truly ‘Heaven on Earth’.

10. Have you had any regrets or would you do things differently today?

No regrets, nothing but fond memories of good people and wonderful horses. We’d do it all again in a heartbeat! It’s hard work and there can be difficult moments along the way, but we’re doing what we love and there’s no better way to live, especially in these challenging times.