I AM based in the townland of Cornascriebe, between Markethill and Portadown in Co Armagh. I combine the job of IT Project Manager for Capita PLC and breeding Irish Sport Horses. I was brought up on the Watson family farm in Cornascriebe, where my parents and now my brother run a suckler herd and breed pedigree Charolais cattle. As a child we were all involved in breeding and showing cattle, so it was through this, I got the ‘breeding bug’.

I started breeding in 1989 after I graduated from Queen’s University and got a full-time job and secured my first filly with the help of my father James and a family friend, John Brophy from Co Kilkenny. The three-year-old filly was Trixie Belle, by Diamonds are Trumps out of Trixie Lady (Bahrain) from Ger Burke (Glidawn Stud). We put her in foal immediately and got a filly foal - Cornascriebe Lady - and that was the first horse to carry the Cornascriebe prefix.

As a three-year-old, Cornascriebe Lady was bred to Ballinvella and produced Cornascriebe Vella, the dam of two of my current broodmares with foals this year and the dam of Cornascriebe Emerald, currently jumping 1.40m with Jack Ryan.

Unfortunately, we lost Trixie Belle foaling, so I went back to her breeder, James Whitty in Kilkenny and purchased a yearling filly known as Cornascriebe Diamond and she is the dam of Cornascriebe Cava Diamond (1.40m) and three other mares retained for breeding.

1. Proudest breeder moment?

There have been several proud moments over the last 10 years.

2015 - Cornascriebe Bluella won the HSI Championship (Northern region) and was sold at the Irish Breeders’ Classic foal sale to Mary Kehoe, then went on to top the 2018 Goresbridge October sale.

2016 - Cornascriebe Glenpatrick represented Ireland and placed 10th in the six-year-old WBFSH young eventing horse championships in Le Lion d’Angers, then went on to top the Go for Gold sale when sold for €160,000.

2021 - Cornascriebe Last Diamond won the HSI championship (Northern region) and has been retained to produce and then breed.

2025 - the eight-year-old Cornascriebe Emerald, competing with Jack Ryan, placed second in his first 1.40m in Arezzo in Italy and has had numerous 1.35m wins, the latest being the Bolesworth under 25 riders’ class.

Then there’s Cornascriebe Emmie, ridden by Emma O’Dwyer, third in the CSIYH1* six-year-old final at Opglabbeek in Belgium and eighth in last year’s RDS five-year-old final. Cornascriebe Rosetta, produced by Susie Berry, and Max Warburton, has just qualified for the Burghley Young Event Horse four-year-old final.

2. How many broodmares do you have?

I have four broodmares with two foals at foot, by Nixon van’t Meulenhof and Dakar VDL. To date, I have three mares scanned in foal (to Carrera VDL, Djanga and Darry Lou) and waiting to cover the last one for this year.

I also have two future broodmares: Cornascriebe Electra Diamond, being produced by Jodie Creighton in seven-year-old classes and I hope to try and put her in foal next spring. The other mare is her four-year-old full-sister, Cornascriebe Last Diamond. I am currently just riding her at home and letting her mature in the field this summer to be produced in the five-year-old classes next year.

3. Standout stallion on the current international scene?

My favourite stallion to breed from is Emerald van’t Ruytershof but unfortunately none of the mares I tried earlier in the season were in foal, so as Emerald is sold by the ‘dose’ it becomes too expensive to keep trying. Ermitage Kalone definitely has the ‘Wow factor’ and, when I saw him two years ago in Lanaken, he was very impressive for a nine-year-old.

4. “Fools breed foals for wise men to buy.” Agree/disagree?

The statement is probably correct from a commercial point of view, but someone has to breed horses and, for me, this is a passion and hobby, but I do try and cover my costs!

I love following my foals as they get produced, it’s all the friends and memories that you make along the way that makes breeding horses an extra special pastime.

5. Famous horse you would like to have bred?

Not an easy question, as I don’t try and compete with the big commercial breeders, but for me to breed a top international/Olympic Irish Sport Horse like MHS Going Global or Kilkenny is obviously a dream. All my mares’ damlines are from the same damline as these two horses, so maybe my dream will come true!

6. Prefixes, your thoughts?

For me, the Cornascriebe prefix is an essential part of the breeding programme, as this is the ‘brand name’ and allows me to market foals and follow ‘Cornascriebe’ horses as they are produced throughout the world. With the use of the internet, it’s so easy to trace horses with a prefix, search for pedigrees, locate stallions, and keep up to date with your progeny results.

It’s important that the breeding prefix is protected and recognised by FEI and all studbooks around the world.

7. How do you market your horses?

Social media is definitely the main marketing tool I have as a hobby breeder and I sell most of my foals at sales, like the Breeders’ Classic, Mayo Roscommon select foal sale and Goresbridge sales.

8. It takes a team. Who’s on yours?

Yes, it definitely takes a team to have broodmares and foals. My small team is family and close friends as this is just a hobby and I juggle all the activities with the ‘day job’, so that means early starts and late nights during breeding/foaling season.

I also am very lucky to have good vets, farriers, dentists, etc who help keep the show on the road.

9. Breeding/owning horses would you do it all again?

Yes definitely, I am passionate about breeding horses and every day is a learning day. Breeding horses is a journey which has its ups and downs, so it’s not for the faint-hearted and you have to enjoy the good days and forget the not so good.

10. Advice on stallion selection?

All breeders have their opinions on stallions, but most will agree it’s important to select stallions to suit your mares not just pick what’s in fashion, as buyers are looking for quality foals with a good pedigree.