HAVING farmed all my life in Oranmore, Co Galway, and grown up with horses, I’ve always kept a few broodmares and show horses. We’ve had a long history of showing at the RDS, starting with Frenchfort Jennifer Rose who won first place in the in-hand Connemara pony class in 1997.
Over the past 30 years, we’ve consistently done well in the Irish Draught and young horse classes.
Winning The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship has always been a dream of mine, as these mares represent the best of the best. I am absolutely thrilled to be the breeder of both winning mares this year! My own mare, Penelope, was reserve champion and [daughter] Ruth’s mare, Oilily, secured fourth place in the show jumping section of the Breeders’ Championship.
It’s truly a delight to see years of dedication culminate in such a wonderful achievement.
1. Congratulations, you bred both winning mares in The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship. Tell us more about them.
The show jumping section was won by Becca Baby, a horse I sold to Valerie Davis as a foal in the Fair Green in Ballinasloe. Her dam is Frenchfort Loughehoe Lady (by Loughehoe Guy out of the Cavalier Royale mare Cavalier Lass) and Becca Baby’s sire is OBOS Quality.
In the Breeders’ Championship eventing section, Castlegate Sweet Emotion took the win. I sold her as a foal to Martin Murphy. She is out of Frenchfort Limerick Lady (by Limmerick out of a Vasco mare) and her sire is Mermus R.
Sadly, I lost Frenchfort Limerick Lady at 20 years of age, foaling in May of this year. I purchased her from my good friend Valerie McAllister. I saw Valerie exercising her as a yearling at the RDS the night before the yearling class, and I asked if she was for sale. Valerie said she would be once she finished competing in the in-hand classes at three years of age.
True to her word, Valerie called me when the filly was available. This mare was incredibly successful, placing second in the RDS as a yearling, first as a two-year-old, and second as a three-year-old for Valerie. She was a very fortunate purchase, as she bred a foal every year, and I have some lovely fillies from her.
2. Breeding eventers or show jumpers, what’s your aim?
We aim to breed both eventers and show jumpers. Our approach involves carefully matching stallions with our mares. Ultimately, whether our foals go into show jumping or eventing, we’re happy to see them go to good yards where they will be produced and well looked after.
Pat Finn (second on right) with Gerard Grace, breeder of Frenchfort Kildysart Lady, shown at Tydavnet last Saturday by Tiernan Gill. Also pictured are Pat’s daughter Ruth and her children Amy and Aaron \ Susan Finnerty
3. How many broodmares do you currently own?
We have 15 broodmares, including sport horses and a few Irish Draught mares. We have some very well-related mares.
My favourite foals are out of my mare Elandra (Coconut Grove), whose dam Nellandra is also the dam of Baltic VDL. His half-sister has a filly foal by Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve. Geneve D (Numero Uno) is a 1.30m mare and she has a Carrera colt foal. Both foals are going to the Cavan Elite foal sales.
I have a selection of Hardrock, Diarado, Carrera and Chacoon Blue foals going to Goresbridge foal sales in October.
4. “Fools breed foals for wise men to buy.” Agree/disagree?
In my experience, if I wasn’t actively breeding mares, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to produce these two winning mares.
Similarly, if I wasn’t looking to buy fillies, I would never have acquired Frenchfort Kildysart Lady (Chelis HC Z x Rusheen Lux) from my good friend Gerard Grace. She was the Dublin yearling champion and now, as a three-year-old, won the Laidlaw Cup for the young horse supreme champion at Dublin this year, plus all three of the All-Ireland filly titles at Bridgetown (2023), Kildysart (2024) and just last Saturday, at Tydavnet (see show report on page 105).
Her full-sister Frenchfort Kildysart Bridget won the All-Ireland yearling filly final at Bridgetown this summer.
It seems to me that the act of breeding and buying in this context often goes hand-in-hand and contributes to the success and growth of one’s stock.
5. The current international standout sire?
I’m really impressed with Diarado. I have a few foals by him this year. It’s my first year using him and I’m extremely impressed with his foals, they are top-class quality, temperament and have a lovely, athletic appearance.
6. Best advice you ever got?
My father William once said when you’re buying stock, let it be horses, cattle or sheep, always buy better than what you have at home. That way, you are always improving your stock
7. Prefixes, your thoughts?
FSH (Finn Sport Horses) and Frenchfort are our prefixes. It’s important to us to use our prefix for traceability and to keep track of our horses and know where they end up.
8. That famous horse you’d love to have bred?
Cruising. He was a truly exceptional horse. He was not only stunning to look at but also an incredible show jumper. What’s more, he produced top-class show jumpers and eventers.
9. It takes a team, who’s on yours?
It takes a village as they say. Pakie Whelan from Ardrahan is truly one of the greatest showmen I know. He has a remarkable gift for preparing horses for sales, shows, and various events, and I honestly couldn’t manage without him.
He’s been with me for over 20 years and I’ve often left a foal with him in the morning, only for them to be going on a headcollar and ready for showing by that same evening.
John Burke from Claregalway is another invaluable member of my team. He has been showing horses for years alongside his late father, Pakie Burke, who was also a gifted showman and hurler. John is naturally gifted at showing horses and I’m so grateful to have him as part of my team over the past few years.
The same with Tiernan Gill and his son Alex, Susan McGinty and Philippa Scott. Tiernan takes the younger horses and shows them for me. This year, his team showed Penelope and her foal FSH Ruby in the Breeders’ Championship and were the reserve champions. Tiernan is a tremendous showman, a great friend and always there to offer good advice.
My daughter Ruth manages everything: paperwork, registering foals, entering shows, entering sales etc, her husband Paul and their children, Amy, Conor and Aaron. Aaron is an invaluable member of my team and my right-hand man, consistently by my side.
Rory Burke, a fine young man and a talented Galway hurler, works with me over the weekends and summer holidays when he’s not in college. He’s another great help.
10. A measure to improve Irish Sport Horse breeding?
As a horseman said to me once, you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, meaning you can use the best stallions but a quality mare is essential for producing a good foal.
I believe there should be an incentive or breeding programme where mares must pass a certain standard to be eligible for breeding. There are many mares in this country that, in my opinion, are not suitable for breeding and should not be producing foals.