HORSE Sport Ireland are hosting a very strong line-up of top breeders, riders and coaches for their International Breeders Conference which takes place at the Keadeen Hotel on Thursday, December 13th from 10.30am to 6.30pm.

It promises to be thought-provoking day with international and national speakers such as Christopher Bartle, Padraig McCarthy, Jens Meyer, Dr Alan Fahey, Tiernan Gill, Bert Van den Oetelaar and William Micklem all providing food for thought regarding breeding the top sport horses of the future.

“This event is a must attend for all equine professionals, breeders, riders, coaches, equine students, researchers and anyone with an interest in the future development of the Irish sport horse industry. This is an approved Knowledge Transfer Equine national event. HSI Accredited Coaches will receive two CPD points for attendance at this event,” said HSI’s director of breeding, Alison Corbally.

THE SPEAKERS

Christopher Bartle won Badminton Horse Trials with the Irish Sport Horse Word Perfect II (ISH) in 1988. He won this prestigious four-star event again in 1998 with Willy Trout and was seventh individually in the Los Angeles Olympics with the same horse. For 16 years, he was National Coach to the German Olympic three-day event team; winners of Team Silver and Individual Gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Team and Individual Gold medals at the London Olympics in 2012 and at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He is currently the British Eventing Team’s high-performance coach.

Padraig McCarthy is an Irish Olympic three-day event rider and most famously, team and individual Silver Medallist at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon this year. Padraig learnt his trade under the guidance of Rolf Goran Bengtsson, Max Hauri, and Hans Horn. He then spent close to a decade show jumping and training horses of all levels at different stables around Europe and in the USA. In 2003, Padraig made the decision to go to university to study Business, which culminated in a degree in Economics and Finance with German and a PhD study of business insolvency laws in Ireland later. Padraig is an active breeder and producer of young horses.

Jens Meyer, grew up on his family farm in Dorum, Germany, and was involved in the breeding and training of horses form a young age. At 14 years old, he participated in the State Eventing Championships and by age 17, he competed in the National Eventing Championships and was nominated for the German National Team. At 18, Jens started an apprenticeship at the State Stud Celle and was trained by influential trainers such as Manfred Lopp (Chief of the State Stud Celle), Micky Brinkmann, General Niemark, Herbert Meyer and Claus Wagner. He completed a master’s in animal breeding at this time and his thesis examined the influence of artificial insemination on Hanoverian breeding. Jens founded ‘Hengststation

Jens Meyer’ in 1993. This breeding farm and training centre strives for excellence in the development of young dressage horses. Jens believes that starting with the best bloodlines is imperative to provide a solid training foundation for each horse.

Dr Alan Fahey, Associate Dean of International Programmes and Associate Professor of Animal Breeding in the School of Agriculture and Food Science at UCD, graduated with a BAgrSc (Hons) degree from University College Dublin in 2001. He then moved to West Lafayette, Indiana, in the USA to do a Masters degree in Animal Breeding, from which he graduated in 2004. After completing his masters, Alan began a PhD in co-operation with Purdue University and the United States Department of Agriculture, and graduated in December 2008.

He has co-authored two economic industry reports on the Sport Horse Industry (2012 & 2017) with Alison Corbally, that valued the industry at €708 million and €816 million respectively, and his current research interests include determining the genetic and economic factors associated with improving sport horse production. Alan also has active animal breeding research programmes in diary and equine genetics.

Tiernan Gill is Managing Director of the Gill Group, consisting of four companies trading in oil, advanced driver training, gas and stable bedding. It employs 50 people. He is perhaps best known in equestrian circles for his RDS showing expertise. In 2004 he took his first Supreme Young Horse Championship with Flo Gas Marbaya, by Into The West. He took the coveted title again in 2008 with Dallas, by Limmerick. On both these occasions the Gill stables were both Champion and reserve – thus creating something of a record.

More recently, Gill has sourced foals in Holland and more than 60% of his purchases have gone on to be competed internationally up to 1.50m level. They have gone to top riders such as Bertram Allen, Eric Lamaze, Alex Duffy, Cameron Hanley and Harrie Smolders. Tiernan is a member of the RDS Equestrian Committee, participates as a judge at HSI Stallion Inspections and sponsors mare classes. He is also a firm believer in education and strongly supports the ISH/Teagasc Young Breeders programme. This programme aims to inform the younger generation on the current requirements of the international market plus the skills of production and promotion.

Bert Van den Oetelaar is a very successful sport horse agent from The Netherlands, who sources, show jumpers, hunters and equitation horses. He has been in the business for more than 30 years, scouting at shows for both himself and for clients and in particular for Stal Hendrix. He particularly likes to source young horses and produce them for the sport. Some of the horses that he has sold are: Plot Blue - Marcus Ehning; Simon - Jerom Dubbledam and Beezie Madden: and Sibon H & M - Peder Fredricson, to name just a few.

Bert’s son Tim and daughter Micky compete in Junior and Young Rider classes up to championship level and also help him to produce the young horses. He also enjoys breeding horses which includes breeding the stallion Limbo, by Concorde. Ireland is starting to become a second home for him as he is here a lot during the year judging horses, following up on sales horses and attending events.

William Micklem is a world-renowned coach and author and breeder of sport horses. Having passed his BHSI in 1973, he went to work as chief instructor for Robert Hall in both Fulmer, England, and Pepperell, USA, which is when he began a lifetime equestrian association with Karen O’Connor. He also started training the Irish Junior and Young Rider Horse Trials Teams and designed Ireland’s renowned Golden Saddle Scheme for top young competition riders from Dressage, Show Jumping and Horse Trials.

William passed his Fellowship of the British Horse Society in 1981. In 1987 he took up the position as Training Director at the Gleneagles Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre, in Scotland. He also began to write more intensively, culminating with the publication by Dorling Kindersley of The Complete Horse Riding Manual, and as an HSI Tutor helped develop the internationally accepted coach education structure.

BREEDERS’ AWARDS

The event will host the Horse Sport Ireland’s annual Breeders awards, a celebration of the breeders whose horses were particularly successful throughout 2018. The conference will address breeding choices/bloodlines, production, management and preparation of competition horses for optimum performance.

FACTFILE

Event: HSI International Breeders’ Conference

Date: Thursday, December 13th 2018

Time: 10.30am - 6.30pm

Venue: Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, Co. Kildare

Tickets: €25 (includes lunch)

Tickets are pre-paid only and places must be booked in advance.

Please ensure to book your place early as these will be allocated in a first come, first served basis at: www.horsesportireland.ie/breeding/breeding-events/