BREEDING traditional - why? A Devil’s Advocate-type question because there’s so much pride and passion amongst breeders for these horses, just as Connemara or Welsh pony enthusiasts, seventh-generation French and German farmers or National Hunt breeders have in their own ‘brands’.

Breeding a TIH is not for every commercial breeder. For most Irish breeders, foals and youngstock have to sell and continental bloodlines are popular sellers. Everyone acknowledges that.

So, why breed traditional-breds? This week, this question was asked of both Horse Sport Ireland, the Irish Horse Board and four foot-soldiers, as to why they carry on breeding Traditional Irish Horses.

Interesting reasons from the breeders, encouraging news from Horse Sport Ireland’s Head of Breeding, Innovation and Development Dr Sonja Egan about the Young Horse Pathway scheme option. Dr Egan even mentioned a modest increase in TIH numbers and a pledge of continued support for the TIHA’s work.

And from the Irish Horse Board’s chairman Tiernan Gill, as much at home at Westport Show as at Wellington, some realistic observations about a two-tier market.

Viewpoint: Dr Sonja Egan, HSI

“There’s always a future for traditional breeding in Ireland. As long as there are breeders passionate about traditional breeding, and an organisation, such as the TIHA highlighting their positive contributions and working collaboratively with the studbook, there’ll always be a future. The TIH stallion Puissance was in eighth place in the 2023 WBFSH eventing sire rankings, up from 34th in 2022 and he still has much to offer, via frozen semen.

As of this week, I’m hopeful we will see TIH stallions presented at this year’s ISH stallion selections. Just look at the contribution of Oughterard Cooley to the overall ranking of the ISH eventing studbook last year. CSF Telly Cruz, the dam of James Kann Cruz, is another example of a valuable TIH broodmare for her contribution to breeding and performance; five of her 10 progeny have international FEI show jumping records, and six, a national show jumping record. This is just one example of the importance of TIH mares to the national herd as broodmares. We absolutely do need a critical mass of TIH mares to replace the older mares.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside the TIHA to support this cause, promote the breed and retain what is unique within the Irish Sport Horse breed.

It has been 45 years since Eddie Macken (Boomerang), James Kernan (Condy), Paul Darragh (Heather Honey) and Capt Con Power (Coolronan, Castle Park and Rockbarton) won a hat-trick of Aga Khans in Dublin. Mo Chroi and Killossery are the most recent TIHs to compete on an Aga Khan team, we would all value seeing TIHs compete for the Aga Khan again.

We often hear about buyers coming to Ireland to buy Irish horses, and TIHs in particular, owing to their temperament, rideability and performance capabilities. On some occasions, they perhaps can’t find a horse with TIH breeding.

However, the number of TIH foals have been gradually increasing since 2019, from 957 to 1,162 in 2022. This is a testament to the passion and effort of the breeders and producers in Ireland and we’ll continue to work with the TIHA to identify ways to support this trend.

In terms of production, HSI provides all studbook breeds with opportunities under National Breeding, as we continue to develop our Young Horse Pathway. This intends to support breeders to retain their youngstock, add value to them for market or retention for breeding and performance. As always, I encourage all breeders to engage with these schemes and production activities to support Ireland’s diverse breeding programmes.

It remains our intention to make Ireland the best country in the world in which to produce a young horse.”

Horse Sport Ireland’s Conor Sheridan and Dr. Sonja Egan at the HSI stallion selections in Cavan. The 2024 selections take place on March 21st-22nd \ Susan Finnerty

Viewpoint: Tiernan Gill, Irish Horse Board chairman

“At the moment, Irish riders are on the crest of a wave winning Grand Prix classes, look at Daniel Coyle’s back-to-back World Cup qualifier wins last weekend - another world-class performance - and hopes are high for the Paris Olympics.

Their success is with a mixture of foreign and Irish-bred horses, but we still have a strong element of Irish in pedigrees, such as James Kann Cruz, one of the top young horses on the international circuit. What a credit he’s been to his breeders, the Connolly family, and his team.

We’re a nation of sellers, as well as sportsmen, so if we are asking ourselves is there still a need then or a demand for the traditionally-bred horse? And the answer is most definitely, yes!

Why? Because we should breed for the market you are aiming for. It’s a two-tier market.

  • If Irish breeders breed good mares to top breeding stallions, they get a good return, at the sales and privately, because the demand is there. Take, for example, the Cavan Elite Foal Sale, where buyers paid top prices for top foals.
  • Will people also pay for top traditionally-bred foals? The answer is yes, but realistically, not to the same extent price-wise.

    • Around the world, more and more people are getting into equestrian sport, and people will pay the price if they get what it says on the tin!

    If you have a good-looking horse that rides well, changes leads, is balanced and jumps one metre safely and without hassle, you will get paid for the animal. The downside is the cost/money to get that horse to that time and place in its career.

    The demand is there from the USA and also our UK neighbours. Ridden hunters are still big business, but these producers are crying out for these animals because they cannot find them. I’ve often bought traditional-breds, such as Flogas Waterfall (Watermill Swatch) and several of Michael Dooner’s Mountbellew All-Ireland traditional foal champions (all by Loughehoe Guy). Good ones are just getting harder to find.

    Breeding is money and demand-driven, because better-bred foals generally make more money. That’s their business.

    However, a good looking TIH, that can excel at a level in equestrian sport, is still a desired commodity. People will always buy a good-looking horse that is safe, sound, has a good temperament, jumps, hunts and will be the best at what it does at whatever level.

    So, in my view, TIHs should still be bred, but breeders and owners will have to be patient if they want a better return.”

    Keeping the faith

    LAST week, some of the original TIHA council members described the association and TIH’s achievements (2012-2024). This week, four TIH breeders around the country talk about their decision to carry on or scale back breeding traditional and look ahead to the next 12 years.

  • 1. Why do you breed traditional?
  • 2. Do you still see a demand for Traditional Irish Horses?
  • 3. 2036 - where do you see the traditional horse population?

    • Niamh Grimes

    TIHA council members Niamh and Samantha FitzSimons operate Carrafarm Irish Horses in Co Kildare.

    1. We ride and breed Traditional Irish Horses and believe strongly in the unique qualities they have to offer. We believe in preserving the traditional breeding, which made Ireland famous as the ‘Land of the Horse’. The traditional cross is unrivalled - the solid temperaments and hardiness of the Irish Draught, combined with the lightness and athleticism of the thoroughbred. We have had many wonderful days out with our TIH horses and we will continue to breed traditional.

    TIHA council member and traditional breeding fan Niamh Grimes with one of her home-produced youngsters at Balmoral \ Susan Finnerty

    2. Absolutely. There is no shortage of customers for a properly-marketed Traditional Irish Horse, even the foals, but breeders have to put in the effort to market their animals.

    3. Thanks to the work of the TIHA, the Traditional Irish Horse population is increasing, but more focus needs to be put on breeding goals. The TIH can definitely stay at the top of horse sports, particularly in eventing. The need for thoroughbred blood was never more apparent than in 5* eventing in 2023, with tough conditions at some of the top events.

    The optics of the ‘modern’ event horse struggling across the country are not good for the sport. Meanwhile, the TIH event horses excelled on cross-country day with their gallop and stamina.

    Many studbooks are seeking more blood to put into their stock and Irish breeders are at an advantage, as many of our damlines are rich in TB blood. However, there are issues with the limited size of the gene pool in the TIH herd. We need to move to performance-tested thoroughbred stallions and utilise purpose-bred performance thoroughbred lines.

    Jim Kavanagh

    Max Hauri was one of the late Ned Kavanagh’s best customers and his son Jim continues to sell traditional-breds to European and UK clients from their New Ross farm.

    1. I breed traditional because they have stood the test of time on our family farm for over 70 years, with numerous happy and returning customers. I feel they’re part of our identity and heritage, as a horse breeding and producing nation. As such, I am conscious of being responsible for protecting and promoting the TIH brand.

    2. Definitely still a demand for any horse that has the traditional performance attributes with a good trainable temperament. The real challenge is to try to make it pay, with a fair return for your investment of time, patience and money.

    Jim Kavanagh, who continues breeding Traditional Irish Horses with one of his Swiss clients Siliva Hofstetter \ Susan Finnerty

    3. By 2036, judging by the present trends indicated in the great research done by the likes of Charlie Ripman, the influence of TIH bloodlines will be sadly even further diminished. The only way this can be prevented and reversed is meaningful promotion, protection and incentives for TIH breeders, producers and buyers.

    The work of groups like the TIHA is to be hugely commended, but without more meaningful input from HSI, the Department of Agriculture et cetera, the gene pool will continue to contract. Including TIH in schemes like ACRES would help.

    Gerry Lynch

    The Banner County breeder of the five-star event horse Oughterard Cooley, the highest-ranked TIH in the 2023 Hippomundo, FEI Olympic and WBFSH rankings.

    1. I set out to breed a quality, saleable blood foal with step and presence. Using a TIH stallion and a mare with a good line of traditional breeding and plenty of thoroughbred blood was the perfect cross back then. It was very easy years ago, as the market was for TIH foals. The TIHs tend to be late developers and are noted to be very intelligent.

    In more recent years, I’ve moved on to foreign stallions, due to market demands, for example, since using Puissance on Oughterard Sky Cruise to breed Oughterard Cooley and the four-star Oughterard Diva, I used foreign-bred stallions, e.g OBOS Quality, Emerald, I’m Special De Muze, until last year, when she had Oughterard Point West, a Pointilliste colt foal, since sold to the UK.

    I still breed one or two mares to have TIH foals to support traditional breeding and to keep the good traditional bloodline on the farm.

    2. No, not at the moment. This could change around in a few years. Burghley spoke for itself last year – three traditional Irish-bred horses in the top-10: Oughterard Cooley, Arklow Puissance and Maja’s Hope.

    Holding On To Their Hero: Ciara Lynch and her father Gerry with the top-ranked TIH event horse Oughterard Cooley at Ballindenisk \ Lynch family

    3. If we want the TIH at the 2036 Olympics, they will be need to be bred now or the traditional Irish mares won’t be there to breed them in the future.

    Top level eventing requires brave, intelligent horses that have natural cross-country ability - attributes a TIH tends to have, together with stamina and agility. Eventing is not a dressage competition, the cross-country phase really sorts them out.

    At Burghley last year, 58 started the cross-country; only 28 completed and only two within the optimum time: Oughterard Cooley (TIH) and Galileo Nieuwoed. Likewise, at Badminton in 2023, 28 were eliminated or retired cross-country. Cross-country is noted to be the most difficult phase and it’s the more natural cross-country types that excel. There is a toughness to the TIH that can’t be seen in any other breed.

    Finnian McLoughlin

    Longford-based Finnian is one of the younger generation of TIH breeders and stands Democrat (TIH), that competed to 1.45m.

    1. We grew up on traditional horses. They’re versatile, they’re sound, they’ve got longevity and they’re competitive but, most importantly, they’ve got a brain. If the rider makes an error, the traditional horse always finds that fifth leg to get out of trouble.

    I also find traditional horses are better sellers under saddle than their continental counterparts.

    I feel we currently have an excellent choice of TIH and traditionally-bred performance stallions available in Ireland all at very reasonable stud fees. These include Ardcolum Duke, BGS Ocean View, CC Captain Cruise, Captain Junior, Clonaslee Captain Cristo, Cruising Arish, Cruising Encore, Cruising For Chics, Portlaoise First Tuch, Sir Jim Jim, Tullabeg Fusion, Watervalley Cool Diamond and my own horse, Democrat.

    And Boherdeal Clover, Clover Brigade, Flexible and Jackaroo are available by frozen semen.

    2. There has always been a huge demand for traditional Irish horses among leisure and amateur riders. They have excellent temperaments, they’re highly trainable, again that fifth leg and brain are highly sought after.

    I would love to see more professional riders taking on TIHs and producing them up through the levels in both show jumping and eventing.

    3. The TIH has an uphill battle in front of him. Many breeders, producers and riders have been swayed by the bright lights of the continental flash.

    However, I believe the TIH will hold his position in the eventing world and hopefully even make ground.

    TIH breeders need to keep the faith and continue with their plans to breed correct, quality, blood performance horses.

    A pragmatic decision

    “WHERE are the commercial thoroughbred stallions?” It’s an often-asked question and one name, mentioned at the recent TIHA AGM was Jack The Robin, Ann Lambert’s home-bred that stood down in Co Wexford’s Killinick country.

    Approved in 2018, he produced his largest foal crop (32) in 2022 during his relatively short time at stud. The Robin De La Maison nine-year-old now stands at Wim Schouckens’ Dekstation Pferdheim in Belgium.

    The reason for his sale wasn’t so much due to lack of support, but a very understandable one, as Ann found it difficult then to juggle standing a stallion, due to her father Jack requiring 24-hour care.

    Ireland’s loss/Belgium’s Gain: Ann Lambert with her homebred Jack The Robin after he was approved at the 2018 HSI stallion selections at Cavan \ Susan Finnerty

    “Wim arrived at the doorstep at this difficult time. I wouldn’t have sold Jack The Robin, if I was able to work at that time. It was very hard selling. Father was more important and life goes on,” she told The Irish Field this week about this pragmatic decision.

    Ann also had an update on Sky (Jack The Robin - Lady of the North, by Killinick Bouncer. Breeder: Catriona Lang), her supreme champion at the 2023 TIHA performance championships in Mullingar. “Sky has just gone back to work, so hopefully we’ll have a bit of fun for the summer on her.”