AUCTIONEER and valuer John Bannon is a real rarity being an amateur who competes very successfully in young event horse classes and who has made a name for himself as a source of top-class eventers.

“Whether you’re in the business of selling houses or horses, it’s vital to be professional in what you do and to have a good reputation,” says the Meath man whose yard is in Drumree while his office is roughly five kilometres away in Dunshaughlin. “My clients in both spheres have to have trust in what they are buying.”

The best-known horse to have passed through Bannon’s hands is Ballylynch Adventure who, under Michael Ryan, represented Ireland at the 2012 London Olympics and the European Championships at Blair Castle three years later.

The Don Juan de la Bouverie gelding completed Badminton, Burghley and Luhmuhlen as did another former Bannon ride, the Touchdown mare My Royal Touch but in the hands of Britain’s Lydia Hannon.

A property transaction which gave Bannon more satisfaction than any other, and which he describes as “a dream come true”, was finalised in 2016 when he purchased a small holding next to his home place where he was the last of eight children raised by his parents, Bridget and the late Eamon.

“I’m not really from a horsey background although my father, who was a dairy farmer, used to work the land with horses and delivered hay to Dublin with horses back in the 40s and into the 50s. Living in Drumree however, we were surrounded by horse people such as the Geraghtys and Powers and I also spent time working with local farmer Denise Daly and her husband Derek who were both veterinary surgeons.

“Denise bred very successful ponies at her Clonross Stud and I rode them in local shows for a season. Dad bought me my first pony from Denise when I was 12. This was no schoolmaster but an unbroken, unhandled three-year-old who, with Dad’s help, I broke and backed myself.

“After boarding school, at St Pat’s in Cavan, I went to Dublin to study Business at the DIT in Aungier Street but then took a year out from college. During that time, I worked at Rahinstown with the late John Fowler who gave me the opportunity to ride on the track and in point-to-points.

“Riding racehorses is a big help when it comes to cross-country riding as you have to have your horse well-balanced and be on the ball as everything happens so quickly, especially when you are riding in races.

“During the year I was with John, even when I wasn’t riding that day, I loved travelling with him to the races as he was a real gent, always prepared to share his knowledge, and a great conversationalist. During that time, he also had me break all the horses that came back to Rahinstown from the Land Rover (Goffs) and Derby (Tattersalls Ireland) sales.

“I still love racing and I go when I can, especially to the Festival meetings. I was at Cheltenham in 2016 with former event rider Richard Irwin when his mare Rock On The Moor, who was trained by Jessica Harrington, finished second at 66/1 in the OLBG Mares’ Hurdle and the following year when Robbie Power won the Gold Cup on Sizing John who was also trained by Jessica.”

Sizing John was once owned by the late Alan and Ann Potts as was Sizing Alberta on whom Bannon finished 26th out of 63 in the Land Rover CCI1* at Tattersalls in 2018. This was the rider’s last competitive appearance in an international event, his previous five starts including a visit to Hartpury in 2010 when, on board My Royal Touch, he finished 31st of out of 100 in the CCI1*.

The day job

“After my year in Fowler’s, I went back to college after which my first job was as a trainee accountant in Kilsaran Concrete where I lasted three years before realising it was not for me.

“I left there on a Friday and started in an auctioneers’ office in Navan the following Monday, returning to college to do a four-year, part-time degree in property economics at Bolton Street.

“In my final year, 2006, I opened my own office, Bannon Auctioneers & Valuers, in Dunshaughlin. It wasn’t great timing as the recession hit but I’ve managed to keep the doors open to-date, mainly selling and renting residential and commercial property with land sales and valuation being part of the business.

“I’ve been lucky enough to sell some nice properties and be rewarded with some loyal customers. Through horses, I have a nice little niche in selling property with equestrian facilities as I appreciate what is required and the associated costs.”

Among such properties were the late Frances Cash’s home in Donadea, while show jumper Ryan Crumley, who is now based in England, both bought and sold his previous yard in Warrenstown through Bannon.

During his pony days, Bannon was first a member of the Ward Union Branch of the Irish Pony Club (“when at camp in Fairyhouse we slept in the Jameson Stand”) and then moved to the Meaths (“at camp in Ballinlough Castle, we used to let all the ponies out in the field together; there was no health and safety then”).

He never did any eventing at that stage and was a relatively late starter at the sport, being 21 when, at the commencement of the 2000 season, he took the ride on Valencia. He described the then five-year-old Cavalier Royal mare, who went on to compete at CIC3* level with Kim O’Gorman, as “tricky but talented”.

Michael Ryan and Ballylynch Adventure at the London 2012 Olympic Game. The horse was campaigned by John Bannon as a young horse \ Jon Stroud

For several years, John rented two stables at Con and Mags Power’s yard in Summerhill and it was from here, having broke them himself, that he campaigned both Ballylynch Adventure and My Royal Touch.

Among other horses Bannon produced out of Derrypatrick House was the Quicksilber gelding Reenmore Duke who, subsequently, was ridden at two-star level by Jodie O’Keeffe and at CIC3* level by Elizabeth Power.

From what was a green field in 2016, the Bannon Young Event Horses yard has been developed into a compact facility which the owner can manage while still working full-time as an auctioneer. The yard comprises an American barn with seven stables and loose pens for youngsock, a wash-bay, feed storage unit, tackroom and an office, a 60m x 30m all-weather arena with a full set of show jumps, a cross-country schooling course, a walker, lunge pen and turn-out paddocks.

“I can now produce more young horses and I get great satisfaction from this,” said Bannon. “I mainly buy unbroken three-year-olds at sales or privately throughout the country. I buy on my own generally and have made enough mistakes to last a lifetime!

“Breaking and backing these solo might not be the best health and safety policy but you get to know a horse when breaking it and they get to trust you. Touch wood, we have had just a few scary moments.

“Last year I ventured into buying foals and the plan would be to buy a few every year as it is getting harder to buy what you want as three-year-olds. Okay, it’s a long-term project but hopefully it will pay dividends in the end.”

A typical day

“Generally, I start at 6am looking after a yard of seven stabled horses and some youngstock. Then it’s into the shower, on with the shirt and tie and I try to get to the office at 10am in time for a coffee break! Sitting down at a desk after backing a tricky three-year-old gives you a great deal of satisfaction, all you need for a day dealing with clients.

“I could have daily viewings of properties, valuations and presentations to attend to and then there’s the general running of the office from accounts to marketing, etc. After that, I head back to the yard for evening stables and all the jobs that weren’t done earlier such as clipping, tack cleaning, etc. It’s lights out and I’m in bed for 10.”

Bannon doesn’t hunt any of his young event horses but would school them all over ditches. “They have to ride well on the flat first before any jumping is done. My aim would be to get them out cross-country schooling before they turn four and then concentrate on show jumping before the Young Eventhorse Series qualifiers start.

“Those classes don’t suit all horses but you will have a fair idea when you are breaking them if that’s the route you are going to go down. Some people don’t like the class but I believe that, if a horse has natural ability and is produced right, it will excel.

“Conversely, those horses who don’t have ability and are not produced in the right manner will be found wanting. The producer has to understand his horse and not turn the screw too tight – the horse must enjoy the process.

“I get great satisfaction from riding against the professionals in these classes, as this ensures that I raise my game and have to keep trying to improve, while it’s also nice to hear well-known judges compliment your horses.

“I’m lucky enough to get help from Heike Holstein and Nicola FitzGibbon and also from Peter O’Toole who has recently moved into this area. I appreciate and try to take on board any advice given from any person involved in the sport.

“I absolutely love qualifying for Dublin as it’s a fabulous show and, to my mind, has the best facilities in the world. I love competing in the young event horse championships and having the opportunity to ride in the Main Arena. There’s also the social side of things, meeting both horsey and non-horsey friends while trying to do a bit of business, spotting or buying one of the three-year-olds.

“I was lucky to win two Burghley Young Event Horse qualifiers at Tattersalls July Show but just travelled over to the finals the once.

“Unfortunately, I had a bad draw and no joy, being first into the ring at 8.30am, but it proved to be a worthwhile trip from a business side of things.

“That’s what I like to do, produce young horses to a high standard, perhaps give them a few runs in Eventing Ireland competitions and then sell them on.”

Successful deals

As with houses, selling of horses goes on all year round and two of those on whom John competed in 2019 have since found their way to the United States.

Ariel Grald, who stayed with Bannon last year while preparing to compete at both Millstreet and Burghley with Leamore Master Plan, will this season partner the Tolan R gelding Curraghoe Brilliant when he makes his eventing debut.

Bannon qualified for Dublin last year on the bay when second in a four-year-old section of the Young Eventhorse Series qualifier at Tullylish.

A one time resident in Ireland, Kylie Lyman will be in the saddle this season on the 2013 Watermill Swatch gelding All In who won the Burghley five-year-old Young Event Horse qualifier at Tattersalls in 2018 and started last season by competing in EI100 classes under Bannon.

The grey finished the campaign being partnered by Elizabeth Power at CIC2* level at Kilguilkey House, Camphire and Millstreet.

“I have four four-year-old geldings this season who are ready to start as soon as the Young Eventhorse Series does and they all look pretty smart at this stage. They are by Financial Reward, Quantino, Blueprint and OBOS Quality.

“Should the Young Eventhorse Series, and Dublin, fail to get going it won’t be a major problem as I can carry the four on to next season. It doesn’t look like the office job is going to be too busy this year but it’s too early still to batten down the hatches. I could well end up with more time to buy and break more horses!”

In the last few years, Bannon Auctioneers & Valuers has been manned by John or his sister Anne who, having had her own office in Navan, started working in Dunshaughlin in 2016 and covers for her brother in his absence.

“I can mainly do my job on my ‘phone which means I could be working on the way to and from an event or show or while there during the day,” said John.

At the moment, with the Covoid-19 restrictions, Bannon is spending a lot more time in the yard, going into the office occasionally to check on things.

“I’ve rolled the fields, power-hosed everything and have been out with the paintbrush and creosote. In a normal season, I think I keep myself fit enough by riding and mucking out seven horses, so I don’t go to the gym but I do try to run eight kilometres three times a week and do some swimming.”

John likes to go skiing for a week each year and was fortunate to do so again before the restrictions came in when he was among a group of 10 who went to Verbier in Switzerland. Gaelic games are more the norm around Drumree but Bannon only once lined-out for his local team whose ground is adjacent to the family’s farm.

“I would never play but I was out in the field getting the cows in one day when they more or less grabbed hold of me and got me to play a game of hurling.”

While Bannon’s equestrian enterprise is centred around the production of young event horses, there is one older horse at the Drumree yard in the shape of John’s trusty gelding Pope who he hunts with the Ward Union Staghounds. Hunting would seem to be an apt, practical and enjoyable way for an auctioneer and valuer to check out the local country.