YOUNG horse producer, breeder and stallion master Emma Jackson may not have had much to celebrate on the competitive equestrian front during 2020 but it was a year which saw her become a mother for the first time – and quite suddenly at that.

“Our daughter Katie arrived at the end of September, one month early; her arrival took us all by surprise!” revealed Emma. “I was working in the yard that evening and a few hours later I was being rushed into hospital for an emergency C-section. Having a baby during the pandemic was tough, Aaron (Ross) was allowed in for Katie’s birth but then he didn’t see us for five nights.

“Being a mummy hasn’t affected or changed my life all that much as I have a very good support network around me which enables me to continue working.

“Aaron has been brilliant; he helps me when he is not working. He does the morning feed whilst I am doing mummy duties, works in the yard in the evenings and over weekends and goes with me whenever I am competing or schooling the young horses.

“My mum Violet has been amazing. She comes down to the yard every day to help with the horses and then take up Granny duties. My friend Becca has also been brilliant. She kept the young horses tipping away when I was heavily pregnant and just after Katie was born, and she still helps me out.

“I was riding up to a month before Katie was born and was back doing so a month after her birth having returned to yard duties two weeks previously. When you keep horses you don’t have the luxury of taking six months off. I had a long list of clients waiting for me to get back into the saddle so I could break and school their horses.”

As it turned out, 2020 was a good year for a busy female producer/rider such as Emma to have a baby.

“This past year has been very difficult for everyone. As for the horse industry, especially the competitive side of it, it has been more or less non-existent. However, Covid-19 has worked in well with me being pregnant with Katie and I didn’t miss out that much with all the major competitions and shows being cancelled. Although local competitions were still being held and I was competing in them until the end of July.”

Emma Jackson and her partner Aaron Ross

Wheels turning

“The sales side of my job hasn’t been affected too much by Covid. Some of the sales continued enabling me to buy young horses to produce for resale. Over the last 12 months, I’ve had some lovely horses through the yard. A few really special ones, who I hope have bright futures ahead of them, I sold to Fernhill Sport Horses to further their career. I have also supplied horses to competition homes near and abroad.

“I had two really nice Sligo Candy Boy four-year-olds who I broke early in the autumn, got them going and took to a few schooling events. The gelding was very easy and picked everything up very quickly, as did the mare, but I just let her take her time and we went at her pace. They have both been sold within the last few weeks.

“I also had a nice five-year-old OBOS Quality gelding who I sold recently. He did very little at four as he was weak and just needed that extra year to mature; he has turned out to be very talented and has a bright future and I’m glad we gave him the time. Last week, I backed a four-year-old OBOS Quality mare and I’m excited to see how she will turn out over the next few months.

“I’ve a couple of nice horses in at the minute for the Jenkinson brothers. I really like their five-year-old Hermes de Reve mare who I intend to produce for the jumping sphere as she has serious scope. I also have a smart six-year-old in for Sharon Eddie. He’s a stallion by Beach Ball who was competing at 1.10m level before his break and is just back in work; he’s one of the sweetest horses around.

“We’ll be aiming him at the Youngster Tour which is scheduled to start in May while we will make plans for the four and five-year-olds step by step and see how they develop before mapping out their futures.

“Once the youngsters get going, we will attend training shows and compete in working hunter classes especially at local venues like Ardnacashel, Lusks and Gransha. I find attending these shows can be very educational as the horses get out and see what’s around them, taking everything in.

“I also find working hunter schooling to be great in their education. They learn to jump natural fences which incorporate banks and water jumps with various fillers whilst having to maintain a steady way of going. The older horses will also compete in working hunter classes at it gets them ring time and increases their fitness.

“Of course, everything will depend on how things develop under Covid regulations and travel restrictions over the next few months but I’d hope to do the three young event horse series if they take place.”

Stand out performers

Jackson has produced many top horses over the years so she was under pressure to name a couple that stand out for her.

“The one who tops the list is Carra Lux Quality (by OBOS Quality 004 and bred by Ciara Marron out of her Lux X mare, Coirban Lady Lux) who I brought from Cavan Horse Sales as an athletic, untouched three-year-old.

“It was a two-day sale and, on the evening of the first day, I spotted him and thought ‘I’m taking that horse home with me’ and that’s just what happened. I purchased a few other horses at the sale but sold them as four-year-olds while keeping Carra Lux until he was six.

“He started off his competitive career in young event horse classes, finishing second in both the final and league of the four-year-old section of the Stepping Stones league before winning the final of the Knotts Bakery series at Balmoral Show. He also won the four-year-old Masterclass at the Camphire international horse trials that season (2016) and, two years later, competed in the six-year-old class there and in Millstreet (both CICYH1* competitions) before I sold him to Carol Gee.

Emma Jackson and Carra Lux Quality in 2016. The producer said the OBOS Quality gelding stands out as one of her favourite horses for his athleticism \ Tadhg Ryan Bit-Media

“Another horse that springs to mind is the grey gelding Fly Away Ferro (by S Creevagh Ferro out of Rocketta, by Macrocket) who I bred, produced and started off in his competitive career.

“He was a different type altogether, being backward as a three-year-old, so I didn’t do much with him at four. I was glad that I let him mature as he came out as strong as an ox as a five-year-old when he won at Dublin where he really looked the part going around the Main Arena. I won two EI100 classes on him that year (2012) after which he was sold to the USA’s Jacob Fletcher who first competed him in Britain and then up to CCI3* level in the States.”

When it comes to buying horses to turn over, Jackson looks for “the type that I think will make top competition horses for my clients. They need to be a good stamp of horse, with a good step and kind eye and must have something special about them. I don’t mind finding ‘a diamond in the rough’ that is untouched, then you really do educate them right from the start.

“We try to buy directly from breeders but we also buy from the sales. I would prefer untouched three-year-olds and, while we mainly buy geldings for resale, I do love a nice model of a mare. When it comes to breaking and producing them, it all depends on the horse – I always ensure we take it at the horse’s speed, as I don’t like to rush them. The more time you put into them as youngsters the more it pays off further down the line.”

When it comes to outside clients’ horses, Jackson commented: “I think it’s very important to provide and maintain a service to produce top quality sport horses for others. I get great job satisfaction from a client giving me an untouched three-year-old, working with it, being the first person to sit on it, slowly produce it, compete it and then being involved in selling it on to a new home. When you get good feedback from the new owners, it really is a fantastic feeling; it makes the job worthwhile.”

Breeding enterprise

While you can buy the type of horse you want, when it comes to breeding you have to take what you get; fortunately, Jackson is pleased with the stock her current small band of broodmares is producing.

“I own three broodmares, two of whom had foals last year who were sold. Both mares are back in foal for this year as is my third mare who is carrying her first foal. Last year’s foals were seriously nice stock and I’m expecting the same this year.

“We generally don’t buy any foals as we have enough. While the plan is to continue to sell my home-breds, as a way of promoting my two stallions, I’ve held on to a Creevagh For Sure filly who is now three and I will start her education in the summer.”

The Irish Sport Horse Creevagh For Sure is the older of Jackson’s two stallions, being a 16-year-old by S Creevagh Ferro. Bred in Co Monaghan by Ronnie Hollinger out of the Diamond Clover mare Creevagh Jenny, the bay has over 400 Show Jumping Ireland points while he has competed up to CIC2* level in eventing. Half the age of his stable-companion, the Holstein Kylestone Casall (by Connor out of Lou Lou I, by Quidam de Revel) has 43 SJI points.

“Last season, Creevagh for Sure and Kylestone Casall had the maximum stud duties that I had planned for them. I have to strike a balance as they are both still competing therefore I need to ensure they remain focussed in their disciplines. They both have brilliant temperaments so I can still compete them whilst they are carrying out their stud duties. We offer natural covering along with AI for both stallions.”

Five years older than Creevagh For Sure is yard favourite Amy B, who is often referred to as The Queen. Bred in Co Down by Ian McKenna, the 21-year-old is by Amiro M out of the Clover Hill mare Clowey. The chesnut amassed 125 Eventing Ireland points when competing from 2012 to 2017, while her near 600 SJI points were accumulated over the same time frame.

“Amy B is still raring to go which I attribute to the fact that she is getting the supplements she requires through her TopSpec feed. She wasn’t happy with Covid last year as she had limited outings. Katie has already eyed up Amy B for a future ride. As for Silken Allure, hopefully she is going down the broodmare route this year.”

Emma Jackson and Amy B, the 'queen' of the yard who is still rearing to go aged 21 \ Anne Hughes

Another by S Creevagh Ferro, the 2008 mare Silken Allure was bred near Portadown by Helen Troughton out of Silken Edge (by Supreme Edge) and was twice a member of the Jackson team. She was evented by Emma as a four-year-old, and then Junior rider James Green as a five-year-old before returning to Jackson’s care in 2016. Izzy Riley rode the black mare on most occasions in 2018, the combination finishing up with a win in the EI110 (Open) at Loughanmore that year.

Silken Allure retires to the breeding shed with 55 EI points and also 257 SJI points, her show jumping career continuing until last season.

“I’m extremely fortunate that I have an excellent and very loyal sponsor in TopSpec,” revealed Jackson, “and I hope to continue competing with their support. I know that my horses are looked after from the inside out by feeding them nothing but the best while they are always at the end of the ‘phone for any queries I have or advice that I require.

“Personally, I cannot thank (veterinary surgeon) Howard Whelan enough. Over the years, he has provided a continuous service and has offered advice to me, especially during the breeding season. Others who I would like to acknowledge are my farrier, Lee Johnston from Coleraine, who provides a great service and Ronnie Ross who regularly looks after all the horses’ teeth and backs.”

New home

These are exciting times for Jackson Equestrian as, at the end of this month, the enterprise is due to move from Ballygowan to a new establishment between Saintfield and Ballynahinch where the plan is to live on-site.

“My old yard has served me well but we have outgrown it. Aaron and I have purchased a new yard where we are in the process of erecting a purpose-built barn with internal stables, a new arena and hopefully, in the not too distant future, some cross-country schooling fences. As Aaron can turn his hand to almost anything, and is involved in erecting sheds and building, he is doing a lot of the work himself.

“The new yard is ideally situated being a 15-minute drive from the M1 and the City Airport and being relatively close to the International Airport and ferry ports. This will serve well for our clients travelling from down south, Britain and further afield. It’s also handily placed for both our families and, being close to main roads, will suit my mum as she is not fussed on narrow back roads!”

Emma has always been known for her work ethic which saw her take on jobs outside her own yard. However, with Katie to raise and 20 horses to break, produce and compete, she no longer has the time to ride out for Crossgar trainer Colin McBratney nor is she currently working in her local garage which she was doing a few mornings a week until her daughter was born.

Setting up the new Jackson Equestrian yard is now the focus of her professional attention, while she, like so many others, is hoping that there will be plenty of opportunities in the months ahead to get out and compete, be that in show jumping or young event horse classes, variety being the spice of Emma’s life.

“What I really like about my job is that no two days are the same apart from waking up in the morning and going to bed at night!”