RUNNING a top-class show jumping yard is a true team effort, and there is a fantastic team of people involved at Stoneville Stables near Pallaskenry in Co Limerick.
Kian (19) and Jack Dore (13) have already made a name for themselves on both the national and international show jumping circuits, but right behind them at Stoneville are their dedicated parents Carl and Edel, grandparents PJ and Betty Dore, and loyal staff who keep the show on the road, especially during the busy season.
It’s early starts – sometimes 5am – many late nights after travelling, and often they must feel like they split themselves in two.
One might be heading to a national horse show with Kian, and the other to a pony show 100 miles in the other direction with Jack. Then there’s the international shows and all the logistics that go into it. It’s 100% dedication seven days a week.
“It’s very busy at this time of year and we often have to go in two different directions,” commented Carl when we met at their headquarters in mid-June. He had just returned from a long trip to Hagen, Germany by road with Jack’s top pony, the 148cms K-Little Hero.
It proved to be a super few days, as he not only jumped double clear in the Nations’ Cup to help Ireland to a second-place finish but then jumped a second double clear to win the coveted Grand Prix on the final day.
Kian, meanwhile, was competing at the RDS qualifiers in Mullingar the same week and booked Adam Ferris’ Newmarket Pretty Lady – his recent Balmoral champion – for the six-year-olds, and the Kennedy Brothers’ Aoc Vivant Clorisa for the five-year-old equivalent. He had also qualified the six-year-old Olga D’Ecaussinnes at The Meadows in May.
Kian Dore and Newmarket Pretty Lady winning the Glebe Equine 6 and 7 year old championship at Balmoral \ Anne Hughes
Happy hunting
Hagen had been a happy hunting ground for Kian too in 2023 when he was on the winning Nations Cup team and finished a close second in the Grand Prix on board the multiple-winning grey gelding Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey.
Having been hugely successful in ponies, Kian is now forging a brilliant career in horses. In 2024 he and Jack completed a unique double in the Main Arena, with Kian winning the seven/eight-year-old international qualifier with Helssinki. Later that day Jack won the 128cms championship on Woodside Jerry-Lee in front of a packed house.
It was a day that made their entire family so proud, including their grandfather PJ Dore who was also immersed in ponies from a young age and who has spent much of his life at Stoneville.
“This was originally my father’s out-farm, and he gave me the land to build a house over 50 years ago. There was nothing here at the time, so we had to reclaim it all.”
Today the yard boasts some 20 stables, several barns for youngstock, a walker, an all-weather arena, and a circular gallop - a perfect setting for a busy jumping yard.
“I rode bareback as a child and then got into hunting,” continued PJ. “Carl hunted, as did my other son Shane and my daughter Michelle. Carl and Shane also show jumped as kids.”
Kian and Jack Dore with grandparents PJ and Betty Dore \ Siobhan English
First ponies
Carl remembers some of his first ponies. “One of them was a 138cms called Aer Lingus who came from Shane Breen. He never got to Dublin, but he did jump in Millstreet and won the Robbie Bailey in Pony Club.”
From a young age Carl had an interest in thoroughbreds too and worked with Michael Hourigan for a time, as well as Davy Fitzgerald and David Wachman. He then took out his own licence in 2007 and began training from Stoneville. “I had a good few point-to-point winners over the years and some on the track also,” he said.
Kian was hunting by the time he was four. He used to go on lead rein with PJ before he was brave enough to tackle the walls alone. It didn’t take long and he was hunting unaided soon after that.
Both Kian and Jack are now regulars on the hunting field. Carl whipped in to their local pack, the Stonehall Harriers, for several years while PJ has previously served as both a master and chairman.
He runs a hugely successful company specialising in pumps and irrigation systems and worked with the National Ploughing Championships for many years. He now works with numerous racecourses and GAA clubs.
Kian Dore and Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey on their way to winning at the FEI Jumping Ponies' Trophy final at Mechelen
Jumping lessons
Having caught the pony bug from his father and grandfather, Kian took jumping lessons at Clarina Equestrian Centre and credits owner Mary McCarthy for giving both him and Jack the best start.
As Kian progressed from pony to pony, life became busy and the thoroughbreds had to take a back seat. “Once we started jumping properly it just got too busy,” Carl added.
Some of Kian’s first ponies include Parc Pixie, Little Lady and Western Gale. He showed immense talent from a young age and in 2015 was winning rounds of the Under 10 128cms Premier Series up and down the country.
Kian recalls his first RDS. “My first time to jump in the Main Arena was in 2017 at the age of 10 on a 128cms pony called Drumcaghey Jacko. I had finished fourth in the qualifier and went on to place fifth in the final.” Kian has competed at the RDS every year since and has made into the Main Arena on each occasion.
The following year he got into the 128cms final with Dooneens Electric and placed fourth. In 2019 the same combination won a qualifier in Simmonscourt and slotted into fifth spot on the final day.
Due to Covid in 2020, Kian missed competing at Dublin in the 138cms division, but by 2021 he had moved into 148cms ponies, and had two serious contenders in Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey (now jumping for Sweden), and Wineport Q Junior.
Both ponies provided Kian with numerous wins in 2022, but the year 2023 proved to be a momentous one in his career.
“The season started off well with Sparkling Lackaghmore Joey as we went to Sentower Park where I jumped double clear in the Nations’ Cup and won the Grand Prix,” Kian explained. “From there we went to Opglabbeek where we won the Nations’ Cup and Grand Prix, and then to Compiegne where we also won the Nations’ Cup.”
The winning didn’t stop there as a few weeks later they were in Hagen and won the team event there (with another double clear) before placing second in the Grand Prix.
Fantastic results
These fantastic results earned them a place on the European squad, and they returned to Le Mans later that summer where they won team gold and individual bronze.
Before the season had concluded they had also been members of the winning Pony Nations’ Cup team at the final in Sentower, with further wins at Lyon and Stuttgart.
It topped off an incredible few months as Kian had also placed fourth in the 148cms final in Dublin with Wineport Q Junior. Last year, the mare returned to the Main Arena and won the championship with Ruben Foley in the saddle.
The Dores have been supported throughout their young careers by Michael O’Sullivan who bred Wineport Q Junior and the mare’s eight-year-old half-brother WHS King Lincoln (by Mr Lincoln B). Kian has been competing this gelding for his owner/breeder since 2024 and won several Grand Prix classes in 2025, resulting in selection for the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in Lanaken.
Kian had also competed at Lanaken in 2024 with Helssinki and placed 11th in the seven-year-old final.
Jack Dore and Woodside Jerry-Lee won the 128cm championship at the 2024 Dublin Horse Show \ Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net
Winning ways
After spending three months in Germany this winter with Richard Vogel, Kian returned to winning ways with WHS King Lincoln, claiming a leg of the Spring Tour and the National Grand Prix at Barnadown.
Jack, meanwhile, rides WHS Classic Illusion, a 148cms mare that Wineport Q Junior produced before her own jumping career commenced. Owned by the Dores in partnership with her breeder, the eight-year-old was a winner of the Boomerang Starfinder Final at Mullingar in 2025, where Jack was also leading rider.
While still in ponies, Kian made a successful transition to horses and in 2022 won a four-year-old qualifier for the RDS with Cape Tribulation. He was sourced in Cavan as a three-year-old. The same pair qualified for both the five-year-old final and six-year-old final before the gelding was sold to the US.
“Selling is all part of our business,” Carl commented. “We buy in foals, and three-year-olds, mostly from Cavan sales, and produce everything to sell on.”
Among the youngsters currently there is a half-brother to the 1.60m jumper EIC Cooley Jump The Q. He was sourced in Cavan as a foal. “I was actually in Sentower the same day and bought him over the phone,” Carl added.
Goresbridge
Carl also buys for clients in Sweden and has picked up some lovely equines from the Goresbridge sales. This includes the five-year-old Connemara mare Farmhill Molly who was the top-priced pony at Goresbridge last September.
Things have been very busy with the Dore brothers of late. In addition to his three young horses, Kian has also qualified Monterrey Bay for the 1.35m young riders. In June they won the Grand Prix at Cavan during the summer show.
“I got him just three days before the RDS qualifier. He came from France and is owned by Jillian Lennon. I will produce him for Jillian’s daughter Lily,” Kian said.
Now 10, the gelding was previously campaigned by Dylan Ringot who Carl works with closely to source some of their own show jumpers too.
Jillian Lennon also owns Jack’s former ride (and his 2024 RDS champion) Woodside Jerry-Lee who has qualified once again for Dublin with Lily, having also made it into the final with her in 2025. In fact, the 14-year-old gelding - who has some 948 SJI points – has qualified for the 128cms final every year since 2022.
Thanks to several coaches available to them, in particular Michael Condon and Jason Higgins, Jack is quickly following in the footsteps of his older brother.
Following a successful campaign in 128cms ponies, Jack is now competing in 138cms and 148cms. Among his 138cms ponies for 2026 are Hashtag Alias who was sourced in France. Runner-up in the RDS qualifier at Maryville, the nine-year-old also won the Masters’ Final during the Mullingar CSI** in June.
Jack has also qualified another French-bred 138cms pony, the 11-year-old mare Farone des Islots, but due to RDS rules he must select only one 138cms ahead of the show.
Busy Horse Show
In 2025 Jack had a busy Dublin Horse Show with two ponies. He was also a member of the winning Children on Horses team and romped home on the final day to win the individual competition on the 11-year-old mare Hermies Vh Bergerhof Z. She is now ridden by Gracie Kelly and earned her golden ticket for the COH at Dublin when third at Barnadown.
Jack only picked up the ride on K-Little Hero in late 2025, taking over from Annie Boland, and previously Rhys Williams, both of whom competed him internationally with much success.
Now qualified for Dublin, and in the running for a place on the European pony team, K-Little Hero is set to give Jack plenty more days on the podium.
“It’s a busy yard with 24 horses and ponies in work but we always have room for more. We have a great team here,” Carl said. “My wife Edel does all the entries etc, and she is busy too with her own job as a national show jumping judge with the SJI.
“My own parents PJ and Betty often help us out, especially when we are away, and we have great staff in Alanna Williams, Megan Campbell and Paddy Costello. We are also grateful to Red Mills who are incredibly supportive, and everyone else behind the scenes,” Carl concluded.
The line-up – qualified horses and ponies
Kian Dore
Newmarket Pretty Lady (six-year-olds)
Olga D’Ecaussinnes (six-year-olds)
Aoc Vivant Clorisa (five-year-olds)
Monterey Bay (1.35m young riders)
Tyfoon Donkhoeve (seven/eight-year-old internationals)
WHS King Lincoln (seven/eight-year-old internationals)
Jack Dore
K-Little Hero (148cms)
Farones des Islots (138cms)
This article is taken from The Irish Field’s Dublin Horse Show Magazine 2026. Order your copy HERE