I’M from Doon, in Co Offaly and work as an intraday analyst for a local insurance company. My parents are Michael and Chris Mannion from Windgap Stud and I’m one of eight siblings. My partner Paddy Drennan comes from a show jumping family in Gowran, Co Kilkenny and works in the finance sector.

Thankfully, Paddy had some great day’s show jumping with Randomer. Some of his highlight moments were winning Jumping In the City qualifiers and qualifying for the RDS. He also competed with great success at the Wales & West Show with his ponies Dessie and Flume.

Apart from my parents, my granny Mary is why I love horses so much; she was someone I was very close too. I wish she was still around to see what my parents have done for the stud. My breeding knowledge came from Mam, while the conformation and movement was after the countless hours I spent roaming the fields with Dad on summer evenings, asking 100 questions.

My parents tried to steer me away from horses after the injuries my older sister Ciara sustained at such a young age but that didn’t stop her! My older siblings showed the horses with Dad, so I spent loads of time watching and cheering them on with Mam and my younger brothers.

I focused on sport and was a talented GAA and soccer player, playing for Offaly for a number of years at different age groups. In 2013, we won the treble in my first year in the adult code. So I have one All Ireland in GAA and competed in the EPF, where I represented Ireland in a mixed soccer team. We played France in the final and I scored one of the penalties to win the tournament.

Showing then took over and maybe an All Ireland equine final to match the GAA win will be nice someday!

I eventually convinced my parents to let me go to Gurteen College/TUS to do Equine Business and completed an honours business degree.

For the last number of years I have been the national secretary of the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association (IDHBA). It has been great meeting with so many people who love the Irish Draught horse and also our traditional breeds.

We all know how important they are and what they have done for Ireland, it’s important we promote them.

1. Proudest breeder moment?

So far... SHMA Miss Windgap, a six-year-old by Eponastables Uibh Fhaili, (my parents had him for a year at stud), out of SHMA Windgap (Windgap Blue). So far, she has competed to 1.10m with 31 SJI points to her name, thanks to Jim Donohoe from Wexford and Lindsay Graham of Shanbeg Sport Horses in Co Laois.

This season, you’d have seen more of ‘Flicka’ in the Irish Draught performance rings as she qualified for Balmoral where an unlucky pole down in the six-year-old and over final left her out of the ribbons.

Last Saturday, Lindsay and SHMA Miss Windgap stood Irish Draught working hunter champion at the Galway Branch IDHBA Show, which was a great start to the season.

2. Breeding Irish Draught/Traditional – why?

Why not?! It’s a family tradition and I love it. The temperament alone is enough for me. They are a horse for all purposes, ages and experiences. It doesn’t need any justification that the Irish Draught and Traditional Irish Horse are the horses for you.

3. Favourite broodmare?

This will be an obvious one: Roma Blue Wind. She was bred by my grandparents Kieran Patrick and Mary Flynn. A double RDS Irish Draught mare champion, she competed in the same RDS class as three of her daughters – Mill Hollow Starlet, Roma Silver Pearl, and Ardattin Mandy - who all went on to win at the RDS. It’s a special achievement and may not be seen again.

Roma Blue Wind is also the dam of the Irish Draught stallion Mill Hollow Real MacCoy and The Blue Frontier, a four-star story of its own in eventing.

4. Favourite bloodlines?

This is a total curveball but Windgap Hero. For a stallion lost so early in life, he left a huge mark in the Draught world. He really left his stamp on a line that is still very desirable to this day. Very good question and one the Irish Draught world needs to be conscious of for diversity.

5. Any famous horse you would like to have bred?

Cruising, he’s a legend and a credit to the Irish Sport Horse industry.

6. Best advice you ever got?

From Dad: “Do what you feel is right, you’re looking at horses long enough” and “Just because you’re young doesn’t mean people older than you know more than you.” Simple but effective!

Lackagh Lightfoot (Western Blues), the 2018 Moate Show champion broodmare with Sharon who took up the showring after a successful career on the football pitch \ Susan Finnerty

7. It takes a team. Who’s on yours?

My parents, siblings and friends have always helped, I am forever grateful. Paddy, of course, he has always put in a helping hand since the day he came around. He has until June 2027 to figure out whether he wants to be on the go with horses for the rest of his life as our wedding is fast approaching.

8. Favourite app/website?

The Horse Sport Ireland website. All the breeding records are a treasure and need to be maintained. Performance website links are also very useful.

9. Why do you volunteer with the IDHBA?

The breed is important to my family and many other families around Ireland and further afield.

If I can help in any way, I want to do my best to help or get the help that is needed.

There’s multiple events now around the country organised by different IDHBA branches. Last Saturday the Galway branch had a super show in Ballinasloe Showground, for example.

Another is Matthew O’Meara, the IDHBA vice-chairman receiving the FBD Hall of Fame award in Athlone. Everyone was delighted for Matthew, he’s a great horseman and equally great character.

Matthew has been a huge support for the association over the years and we are lucky to have his knowledge.

Members running these shows have the same interest that I do and this is why I enjoy being involved and providing feedback for each other. There is always room for improvement.

This year I became a member of the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA). It’s important to be involved, as where else will you get quality, soundness and stamina along with a kind nature, not forgetting the ability to face any discipline no matter the task? Again, all run by volunteers and I just felt the TIHA subscription – the price of a few fancy coffees – is a small price to repay how these horses put Ireland on the map.

10. A busy summer ahead for the IDHBA/TIHA?

Yes, lots of shows coming up: Dublin (June 22nd), Laois (July 6th), Westmeath/Offaly (July 12th), the Cork-Kerry and Wicklow branches are sponsoring Irish Draught classes at Cork Summer Show (June 15th) and Wicklow (July 13th).

Then there’s the Wexford branch-sponsored ridden Draught final at Kilbride (July 20th), the Leitrim branch Mohill Breeders final at Mohill (August 17th) and the IDHBA national show at Punchestown (August 30th).

The TIHA sponsors several TIH classes around the country, including the Limerick Lady and Matron finals at Limerick (August 24th) and the performance show at Mullingar (September 14th).