IF Fleur Bryan was to ever write a book, it would be fascinating. In this feature, we only scratch the surface of her busy life surrounded by horses, one which has brought her all the way from Co Offaly to the spectacular bluegrass state of Kentucky, and a lot of places in between.

Born in 1972 and the second youngest of four children to Ken and Dorothy, Fleur got the bug from both her father and her grandfather, Frank Bryan. Both were true horsemen.

“My grandfather stood a horse called Golden Years. He was the maternal grandsire of the great Rockbarton. In later years, Dad stood such stallions as Rosheen Yeats.”

Fleur’s eldest brother Gordon is also involved in the equine industry, while sisters Judith and Norma pursued other interests.

A native of Cork, Ken Bryan settled in Portarlington when he met his future bride, Dorothy. As well as running a clothes shop in the town, he continued the love for horses and kept a variety between Irish Draughts, Connemaras and thoroughbreds.

“Dad was always buying and selling. I remember going to Ballinasloe when I was three or four. He would buy a few ponies for £50 or £75 on the way and throw me up on them. He would then sell them for £250 each! Then he might buy another few on the way home,” Fleur said.

By the age of three, Fleur was riding by herself. “I remember one day riding a young pony and galloping around a field, only to be bucked off onto a hayrack. I had often thought I’d be a jockey and did a bit of pony racing as I got older.”

Grafting

Fleur was always a grafter and, by the time she was 13, had three jobs while still attending school. “My first paid job was working in SuperValu.” Immediately after she finished school, an opportunity came up to study under the legendary Iris Kellett.

“Gordon had been there before me, as had Kevin (Babington) and Pat Dwyer, who is now based in California. I worked there as head girl for a while.”

Fleur also worked with Neilus O’Donoghue in Co Waterford. “I was then at a crossroads, but took up a post with Gisela Holstein. She was a hard task master, but I learnt so much from her.”

Fleur Bryan with her Basset hound, Fred

When Fleur was in her 20s, she and her brother Gordon set up Barrowside Stud and Equestrian Centre. “Along with our father, we were standing a few stallions, including the Irish Draught Parkmore Pride.” Around the same time, she was vice-chairperson of the Laois branch of the IDHBA.

Barrowside continued for nine years but, in the meantime, she was making good contacts, as well as buying and selling Irish horses.

“I had been over and back to the States a good bit. Gordon and I ended up doing Equitana in Louisville one year, as he was doing some work for a tack company. While there, we bumped into some people from the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America. They were there to do demonstrations, but had no idea what to do, so Gordon and I offered to help. He did the choreography and I did all the announcing. They had four stallions there, including Rockrimmon Silver Diamond and Mountain Pearl.”

Travelling to and from the US, she had started buying nice horses from the likes of Tim Beecher at Loughnatousa Stud. “Tadgh (Beecher) is one of the best to produce horses for the amateur market, and I sourced several from them, including Loughnatousa Victoria and Loughnatousa Damaan.”

She has also sourced horses from such producers as Eric Pele, Gay Parkinson and Francis Connors.

For a long time, Fleur had no base, or secure work. “I never had a paid job as such; I haven’t had one of those since I was a kid.

"I used to do mad things like getting in a car in New York and driving to Wellington, Florida, because I heard there were horses to be ridden or money to be made.”

Irish Village

By 2010, Fleur had eventually settled and made Kentucky her home. “A few years earlier, I had brought out the Irish Draught stallion Parkmore Pride. He was to be part of the demonstrations in the Irish Village at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky that same year, but sadly died just before they started on August 10th.”

From what started as Fleur’s small idea, the Irish Village at the Games proved a massive success. It was a special pavilion and exhibition area dedicated to showcasing Irish horses, culture and breeding heritage.

“We were signed up to do one demonstration a day using Irish Draughts and Connemara ponies, but they loved them so much we ended up doing two and sometimes three a day.”

One of the ID stallions on show that year was Steeped in Luck, who had carved a hugely successful career in top-level dressage. Bred in Ireland, he is back here since 2024 and standing at Tullaghansleek Stud in Co Westmeath. He has produced some fabulous show-winning youngstock this season.

Fleur admits that those few weeks in the Irish Village were special. “I was even invited to meet the then Irish ambassador to the US, Michael Collins, at his embassy.”

Around that time, Fleur was on the board of the Irish Draught Horse Society of North America. She later served as president (2013-2017), although she said it was a difficult period trying to advocate for change.

Sadly, Fleur no longer rides, having suffered a serious injury to her collarbone in a fall 10 years ago. She does, however, get immense satisfaction from matching horses and riders. Irish Draughts, she said, are always on the wish list.

“Anything with Irish blood really, like Irish Draughts, Connemaras, or crosses between both work well for my clients. I believe the bond is so important, so I ensure clients go over to Ireland to try them.”

Riding a horse in its natural environment in Ireland and then riding them in the US can be very different.

“I love the ads that say a horse ‘will go in a snaffle’. The question is, will he stop or turn left or right in that snaffle?

“The horse might well have hunted, but when they get them back to the States it’s a different story. Some will only ride them for 15 minutes a few times a week, so I like to find one that has maybe done some hunting, but also show jumping and eventing. Then you know they have the brakes, and steering, and a shake of polish to them.”

Transatlantic business

Fleur has often attended sales here in Ireland and is surprised at the large numbers of warmbloods on offer. “I was at one sale, and it was full of German horses. I thought, why would my American customers come to Ireland to buy German horses?”

The cost of buying in Ireland and exporting to the States is enormous, so Fleur needs to get it right. “You are looking at about $18,000 to ship a mare, and $25,000 for a stallion. That’s not including the tariffs, commission, vetting etc.”

For the past few years, Fleur has put another feather in her cap and has been working closely with her brother Gordon selling horse and canine supplements. She recalls how it all started.

“Gordon suffered a bad fall from a horse many years ago. He was a long time on the flat of his back. He couldn’t ride or fix a problem from the ground, so he was coming up with supplements. He kept sending me these studies, and reviews, and wanting me to get involved, but I kept saying no.

“It was only when my father Ken was raving about them that had me convinced. I told Gordon that if I could figure out how to do it and find a manufacturer, we’d have a go.”

Fast forward a few months and Fleur was still struggling to piece it all together. “I called him back and told him I could not find anyone to work with.

“The next day, I got a phone call from a lady at Alltech asking me to contact a man called Dr John Lew, head nutritionist at McAuley Feeds in Versailles. I handed him a piece of paper containing some codes that Gordon had put together. He looked at me and asked me to get Gordon on the phone. ‘He’s a genius,’ he said. ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before’.”

Fleur had finally found someone to produce these supplements, but financing it was another issue. “I had no money. I was teaching a bit and importing a few horses, but I had 28 acres with a mortgage, and some 15 horses. I was also going through a tough time personally.”

The next morning, her phone rang again. “It was August time and I was busy. I missed the call, but returned it that evening. It was a lady from Colorado looking to buy a horse in Ireland for her daughter. We discussed it and decided it would be better to go in October. However, the next day she called me back and asked if we could go that same day instead. A few hours later, I was on a plane to Dublin.”

Over the following two days, they tried horses in Down, Kildare, Cork and Waterford. “We tried a lot of horses, but eventually settled on Loughnatousa Shauna, who was later named Fendi. I got a hefty commission, and that commission paid for the first pallets of the test vitamin supplements and the detox.

“Once the product got going, any other time I needed funding, I either got on a plane and sold a horse or did some clinics. Apart from trade shows, I have not spent any money on marketing.”

Fleur Bryan with four-star event rider Maddie Temkin and Fernhill Bertus, who was sourced from Carol Gee

Evidence

Here in Ireland, Gordon trades as Bryan Equine, while Fleur operates as Parkmore Supplements. “We now have products for horses and dogs. We launched four new products in the States this year. I also sell into Canada, and we are available in Mexico and Brazil via Amazon. Gordon has a lady in Sweden working with him. He’d like to tap into the British market too.”

One of their biggest sellers is the crown, a medical grade, fully-patented magnetic strip created by Gordon several years ago. It fits on the bridle using Velcro straps and releases serotonin, relaxing the horse while helping it to focus. “There was only one crown used at the Dublin Horse Show in 2025. That was on the winning horse in the Grand Prix, with the only clear round.”

The product works well with a hugely popular supplement called the Devil’s Own Detox, which cleans the gut. It is one of many products endorsed by retired American event rider, Karen O’Connor. “I have been doing horses for over 50 years and obviously supplements have changed a lot through the decades,” she said. “I have never seen such a wonderful company as Parkmore. They take very good care of their clients, they are very visible and the supplements combine themselves together to make a wonderful recipe to help the horse work at his optimum level.”

Four-star event rider, Maddie Temkin is also a huge supporter. “Fleur is incredibly knowledgeable in nutrition, and I am honoured and grateful to have her and Parkmore as part of my programme.”

Fleur has recently used the crown on a weaver with success. “I have evidence that we have stopped a thoroughbred from weaving since I put the crown on him.”

These days Fleur Bryan - often accompanied by her Bassett hound, Fred - travels the length and breadth of the USA, working hard to help horses and riders perform to the best of their ability.

Speaking honestly and openly, she said that if it was not for the supplement business taking off, things could have been very different.

“By pushing me to set up this business, my brother Gordon saved my life. He really did, and I will forever be indebted to him for it,” she concluded.