Caitriona Murphy

ARD Ginger Pop, the Lanaken silver medal-winning Irish export has returned to work after taking some time out for breeding at Ashford Farm.

The six-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare, jointly owned by Carl Hanley and Enda Carroll of Ashford Farm, had two embryos taken as part of their breeding programme. The embryos are by Diamant De Semilly and Cornet Obolensky.

Ard Ginger Pop is herself by Luidam(KWPN) out of Derrylea Greylady (ISH), by Cruising (ISH) and was bred by Heather Dean-Wright in Co Meath.

The mare was famously sold for a record auction price of €95,000 at the Goresbridge Supreme Sale of Show Jumpers at the Irish Breeders Classic in September 2014.

Within weeks, the then-five-year-old mare had secured a silver medal at the WBFSH World Breeding Championships at Lanaken under Angelica Augustsson.

Ashford Farm boss Enda Carroll told The Irish Field: “As I’m sure you know, she trained in Spain from January, and jumped very well down there. We did two ETs with Diamant De Semilly and Cornet Obolensky, and thankfully both were successful.

“Following this, she is now back to full work and will compete in a CSI** show in Holland in two weeks.

“We were happy for her to have a nice year, and concentrate on the breeding side of things, after having busy time last year.”

Carroll did not rule out a return to Lanaken later this year for the Irish-bred mare.

“If all suits and fits well, she will go. It’s absolutely not a priority - if everything fits in her schedule she will go.

“We will be just trying our best as always,” he said.

More breeding is also scheduled for the former Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series winner.

“Next year as a seven-year-old, she will do the same breeding but then hopefully as an eight-year-old, her sports career will be busier so maybe then the breeding will stop,” outlined Carroll.