VANIR Kamira not only became the second Irish Sport Horse to win at Badminton in the past 10 years of the historic event, but the Kate Jackson-bred mare spearheaded the best results recorded there by Irish-breds since 2004 too.

Some 80% of the Badminton top-10 horses this year were Irish-breds which is an astounding achievement for any studbook and particularly for one facing constant competition from other market rivals.

Breeding a five-star horse, the new top level in the eventing sport, is a long process and with the typical Irish horse taking longer to mature, 15 years is a suitable timeframe within the history of Badminton prizewinners to see how Irish-breds have fared amongst them.

With bad weather causing Badminton’s cancellation in 2012, this timeframe begins in 2003 and what a vintage year it was for Irish Sport Horses in terms of quality and quantity. Five of the half-dozen Irish-breds that year, bar Hannigan, competed at Olympic level, including Supreme Rock, completing a Badminton double that year, having also won there in 2002.

While on paper, only one Irish-bred (Master Crusoe) in the top-10 for 2013 may appear disappointing, he and Aoife Clarke were in stellar company that year with La Biosthetique Sam FBW (second), Nereo (third), Opgun Louvo (fourth) and Parklane Hawk (fifth).

The changeover from the then typical all-traditional Irish horses and pure thoroughbreds, (Over To You and the 2006 winner Moonfleet are two examples) to warmblood crosses occurred during this era. 2010 saw the first Irish-bred prizewinner with continental bloodlines in Imperial Cavalier. Mary King’s London Olympic horse was by Cavalier Royale, a sire that continues to appear on an annual basis in Badminton pedigrees.

The move to short-format eventing, (the roads and steeplechase elements of Badminton cross-country day were dropped by 2006) was felt to be a game changer in event horse breeding. Now warmblood lines were perceived as having an advantage in dressage and show jumping.

This coincided with the rise in popularity of continental stallions in Ireland and the drop in support for thoroughbred sires, (typically 10-14% in recent years).

SEA CHANGE

So how did this year’s Irish-breds, the direct result of this sea change in Irish breeding, fare out this year?

Certainly by the end of dressage, continental sires were to the fore amongst the Irish-breds with Cillnabradden Evo, by Creevagh Ferro, setting a new Badminton dressage score record with Oliver Townend. This combination was followed by Ballaghmor Class (second), Vanir Kamira (fourth), Graf Liberty (ninth) and Swallow Springs (10th); by Courage II (HOLST), Camiro de Haar Z (ZANG), Limmerick (HOLST) and the Irish Sport Horse Chillout, (by the Trakehner sire Abdullah) respectively.

There were several standout quotes and comments during the two days of dressage at Badminton, notably Pammy Hutton’s astute observation how one horse “goes very Irish [downhill]” and Andrew Nicholson’s quizzical “What’s all that PB stuff?” when asked about Swallow Springs’s personal best dressage score.

There was also Padraig McCarthy’s observation, made in his article in this year’s The Irish Field breeding supplement, to consider about the emergence of horses “that can do a really good dressage in the short format in a three-star, now four-star, where you don’t really test the blood and stamina for real cross-country… they’re all jumping-bred horses, they can move well and do a good dressage.” Two of the horses he mentioned as such examples were Cillnabradden Evo and Vendredi Biats, both sold from his yard, and both lying in the top-six after dressage.

However, the cross-country phase, ran on perfect ground and in ideal weather conditions, changed the scoreboard for horses, riders, studbooks and bloodlines. Again, 80% was the magic number with four Irish-breds amongst the only five horses - Cooley Lands, Graf Liberty, Swallow Springs, Ringwood Sky Boy and the half-thoroughbred Star Nouveau – with no time penalties recorded. Three more horses, all Irish-Sport Horses – Vanir Kamira (0.8), Ballaghmor Class (0.4) and cross-country machine Ivar Gooden (1.6) – were marginally outside the optimum time.

Another factor to consider in any analysis is the rider. Australian (Christopher Burton) and New Zealand (Andrew Nicholson, Tim Price and Virgina Thompson) excelled this year when they all delivered optimum time rounds, while close behind were the hugely experienced Oliver Townend and Piggy French. Which brought to mind, the late Tommy Brennan’s brilliant response when asked how to breed another Murphy Himself: “Breed another Ian Stark!”.

Sunday’s show jumping saw 14 clear rounds and again, Irish-breds recorded the best strike rate with eight of those zero scores. In addition to clears by the top-10 trio of Vanir Kamira, Cooley Lands and Ivar Gooden, November Night (14th), Maja’s Hope (16th), Dunlough Striker (17th), Cooley Ramiro (25th) and Halltown Harley (40th) all left the poles standing. Three of these eight horses: Ivan Gooden, November Night and Majas Hope are traditional-breds.

As the eventing world by now knows, Vanir Kamira won and became the second Irish Sport Horse, after Paulank Brockagh (2014), with a Badminton title in the past decade. Interestingly, this pair, plus last year’s victor Classic Moet, (seven-eights thoroughbred/one-eighth Shire) brought the number of wins by mares over the last 10 years to three.

You have to go back to Paulank Brockagh’s year in 2014 to find when Irish Sport Horses got off to such a strong start in the eventing calendar. She and the Bryan Maguire-bred Bay My Hero started off the year by winning Badminton and Kentucky, just as Vanir Kamira and Cooley Master Class have now done.

Sam Griffiths (AUS) and Paulank Brockagh (ISH) on the cross-country at Badminton in 2014, which they won (Photo: Nigel Goddard)

Their Kentucky and Badminton wins are huge marketing opportunities for the Irish Sport Horse studbook, breeders and producers. Four British-breds have won Badminton since 2009: Flint Curtis, Inonothing, NZB Landvision and Classic Moet, yet unfortunately for British breeding this year, there were no eligible home-bred horses within the top dozen in line for their various owner and breeder awards at Badminton.

Horse breeding is cyclical, fashions and trends change and a will to win is a trait in either horse or rider that can’t be quantified as easily as thoroughbred percentages.

However, this latest trend of tagging horses with their thoroughbred percentages is not always accurate. Take this year’s winner Vanir Kamira, identified as 50.6% thoroughbred on Horse Sport Ireland’s IHR Online database. Understandably, this has to take into account recorded pedigree, whereas if her grandam Fair Words, believed to be a thoroughbred, had a paper trail then this would have brought Vanir Kamira’s TB blood percentage up to as much as 75.6%.

Of course four-legged champions, as the adage goes, don’t “read passports” and Vanir Kamira’s win is one of those once-in-a-lifetime fairytale stories that gives hope to small breeders.

However, one emerging problem is the issue of horses with white passports and the difficulties verifying any of their pedigrees and acknowledging the breeder. How many of those horses will end up amongst the 80 Badminton starters each year may not be a sizeable issue, but it does have a knock-on effect amongst sport horse breeding.

Right now, Irish-breds are on a roll. The Tristan Kingston-bred Brookpark Vikenti’s win at Chatsworth has now made it three Sundays in a row of Irish Sport Horse victories. And all number crunching, PB jargon and pedigree analysis aside, these priceless results are a shot in the arm to Irish event horse breeding.

Next week: That other winning factor – owners

2019 BADMINTON IRISH-BRED TOP 10

1, Vanir Kamira (14yo m by Camiro De Haar Z (ZANG) – Fair Caledonian (WNTR) by Dixi (TB). Breeder: Kathryn Jackson. Rider: Piggy French (GB).

2, Ballaghmor Class (12yo g by Courage II (HOLST) – Kilderry Place (ISH). Breeder: Noel Hickey (Limerick). Rider: Oliver Townend

3, Cooley Lands (11yo g by Cavalier Land (ISH) – Clover Light Girl (ISH)[TIH] by Clover Hill (ID). Breeder: Peter Rice. Rider: Christopher Burton (AUS).

4, Graf Liberty (14yo g by Limmerick (HOLST) – Lisheen Star (ISH) by Cavalier Royale (HOLST). Breeder: Brian Livingstone, Rider: Christopher Burton (AUS).

5, Swallow Springs [11yo g by Chillout (ISH) – Kilila (ISH)[TIH] by Cult Hero (TB). Breeder: Maria Keating. Rider: Andrew Nicholson (NZ).

6, Cillnabradden Evo (13yo by Creevagh Ferro, Ex Siebe (KWPN) – Willow Garden [ISH] by King Henry (ID) Breeder: Tom & Orla Holden. Rider: Oliver Townend (GB).

8, Ivar Gooden [12yo g by Young Convinced (TB) – Ballybrohan Diamond [ISH] by Coevers Diamond Boy (ISH)[TIH]. Breeder: Pat Coffey. Rider: Imogen Murray (GB).

10, Ringwood Sky Boy (14yo g by Courage II (HOLST) – Sky Lassie (ISH)[TIH] by Sky Boy (TB). Breeder: Myles Mahon. Rider: Tim Price (NZ).

BADMINTON WINNERS 2009-2019

2019 – Vanir Kamira (ISH)

2018 – Classic Moet (SHB (GB)

2017 – Nereo (CDE)

2016 – La Biosthetique Sam (BAD-WU)

2015 – Chilli Morning (BRAND)

2014 – Paulank Brockagh (ISH)

2013 – Clifton Promise (TB)

2012 – Event cancelled

2011 – NZB Land Vision (SHB (GB)

2010 – Inothing

2009 – Flint Curtis (SHB (GB)

BADMINTON TOP-10 IRISH-BREDS SINCE 2003

2018 - Cooley SRS (second), Arctic Soul (fourth), Ballaghmor Class (fifth), Kiltubrid Rhapsody (sixth).

2017 - Arctic Soul (seventh), Duke of Cavan (eighth).

2016 - Artic Soul (third), Star Witness (seventh), Portersize Just A Jiff (ninth)

2015 - One Two Many (seventh), Ballylynch Adventure (ninth), Paulank Brockagh (10th)

2014 - Paulank Brockagh (first), Wild Lone (third), Kilronan (fourth), Ringwood Sky Boy (ninth).

2013 - Master Crusoe (seventh).

2012 - Event cancelled.

2011 - Imperial Cavalier (third), Lenamore (sixth).

2010 – Spring Along (third), Imperial Cavalier (fourth), Comanche (sixth), Rathmoyle King (ninth)

2009 – Lenamore (ninth)

2008 – Ballincoola (third), Lenamore (fourth), Tankers Town (fifth), Tom Quigley (sixth), Hope Street (ninth).

2007 – Lord Killinghurst (fifth), Hide And Seek II (ninth)

2006 – Moonfleet (first), Over To You (fourth), Comanche (fifth), Tankers Town (sixth), Spring Along (eighth), Ballincoola (ninth).

2005 – Lord Killingurst (fourth), Over To You (fifth), Five Boys (seventh), Spring Along (eighth).

2004 – Lord Killinghurst (second), Comanche (fourth), Over To You (seventh), The Wexford Lady (eighth), Mallards Treat (ninth), Exclusive Imp (10th).

2003 – Supreme Rock (first), Over To You (third), Shear H2O (fifth), Hannigan (eighth), Ringwood Cockatoo (ninth), Don’t Step Back (10th).

  • Seven mares have won Badminton, four since 2003, including this year’s winner Vanir Kamira, Classic Moet (2018), Paulank Brockagh (2014) and Headley Brittania (2007).
  • One stallion has won Badminton: Chilli Morning (2015). The 2015 winner Chilli Morning and his son Party Trick were both entered in the Sport Horse Breeding of Great Britain (SHB-GB) stallion parade on Friday.
  • There was a second Irish-bred winner at Badminton this year when Angels Spirit won the BE100 section of the Mitsubishi Motors Cup, a separate competition for amateur riders. Angels Spirit was bred in Co Galway by Michael Morris and is by the 2004 Croker Cup champion Spirit House out of the Cloneen Clover mare Tara By Clover.
  • Although not officially recorded, Ballaghmor Class is said to be out of a Young Convinced dam, Kilderry Place. The same stallion is also the sire of cross-country specialist Ivar Gooden, which won the Glentrool Trophy for a second year. This trophy is awarded to the combination who made the greatest improvement on their dressage score and the traditionally-bred Ivar Gooden rocketed from 65th place to eighth place this year.
  • MGH Bingo Boy, like Cillnabradden Evo and Vendredi Biats, was sold from Padraig and Lucy McCarthy’s yard. Of unrecorded breeding, the Irish-bred and Nicky Hill picked up three awards at Badminton, including the Silver Jubilee Plate for the highest-placed owner-rider and best local rider.
  • Wild Lone finished third with Harry Meade in 2014, the same year that the Paula Cullen-bred Paulank Brockagh, by Touchdown, won for Sam Griffiths. The Doranstown Hallo gelding was bred in Glenamaddy by the late Dr Pat Geraghty, who also bred Carling King, related to “Brocks” while Pat’s son Darragh bred the US Olympic team horse Loughan Glen, another by Limmerick.
  • Courage II had five Badminton starters this year, including runner-up Ballaghmor Class, Ringwood Sky Boy, Camembert, Fernhill Fortitude and Proud Courage. Limmerick was also well-represented through Graf Liberty, HD Bronze and Magennis.
  • King of Diamonds and Cavalier Royale made their perennial appearances in the back pedigrees of Badminton horses, as did Clover Hill with no less than a dozen descendants, including Aoife’s Clover, Bango, Billy Liffy, Camembert, Charlton Down Riverdance, Cooley Lands, Cooley Ramiro, Fernhill Fortitude, Halltown Harley, Possible Mission; Simply Clover and The Lion.