Judy Murphy, Java Sport Horses

Q: Give us a brief outline of your breeding programme.

We are breeding show jumpers, basically working from three foundation lines: Javas Honey (Cruising x Cloverhill), who is the dam of 1.60m performers HHS Javas Gucci and Javas Georgie B; Lady Clover Kilkenny (Cloverhill x Balboa xx), dam of 1.60m Javas Wild Child; and Octane d’Orcival (Kannan x Capitol I), who bred the 1.60m horse Double T.

We have about six mares from these lines and we also do embryo transfers on some. Most of our foals are retained and produced until the ages of between four and six before they are then sold on. We do have a lot of return customers.

Q: What foals are you expecting in 2021?

We have five foals to come this year by embryo transfer. It was a very strange year, some of the mares didn’t go in foal but the embryos were successful. We are expecting three embryos from Javas Limited Edition – two from Pegase Van‘t Ruytershof and one from Luigi d’Eclipse; and two from Javas Chanel by I’m Special de Muze and Kassander Van’t Roosakker.

Q: What are your stallion choices for this summer?

In regards to stallion choices, we always try to complement each individual mare. This year it’s looking like Don VHP Z, Grandarado, Vival’Ick, Jordan and Pegase van’t Ruytershof.

Q: How do you make your stallion choices?

I like to watch the new stallions to see what they produce in their first crop. I also like to use the well-established stallions like Kannan, Cornet Obolensky and Comme Il Faut.

Q: You have had great breeding success recently with the like of Javas Miss Jordan winning the four-star $250,000 Grand Prix at Thermal.

Yes, it has been amazing. Javas Miss Jordan’s dam, Ally Angel, was a little mare we bought at the sales and brought her to Luidam. She never went in foal for us again but Jordan has been fantastic for Nicky Galligan.

I think the next one that is going to pop his head up is HHS Javas Gucci with Mikey Pender. They have been long-listed for the Olympics, it’s unbelievable!