THE first ‘traditional’ news story of 2025 involved the presentation of a Liam Clancy hunting portrait to Chris Ryan in recognition of his dedication to the Scarteen Hunt. Ecumenical in his praise of all Irish horses, it would be fair to say the Traditional Irish Horse is a source of great pride for Ryan. He was a chief contributor to McKinlaigh’s week in the Horse of a Lifetime series in the springtime, which also featured Slyguff Stud’s trio of Highland Flight, Imperius and King Of Diamonds.
In February, the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA), a totally voluntary group running on a shoestring budget, held their AGM in Portlaoise. The extent of that minuscule budget became apparent when their previous year’s accounts showed the TIHA’s annual budget was €11,909, less than other organisations’ mileage expenses.
Bridget McGing and Susan Malee were the guest speakers at the meeting, where one positive development was the future inclusion of a TIH suffix for such horses registered with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).
Two homebred TIHs - Susan Malee’s Carrabeg The Full Irish (Ardcolum Duke x Flexible) and Liam O’Meara’s Sir Jim Jim (Boherdeal Clover x Errigal Flight) - gained Preliminary Approved and Approved classification at the Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) stallion inspections at Cavan in March.
The Limerick Harriers Spring Show was the first of 18 countrywide fixtures to hold TIH classes, where TIHA rugs and rosettes were presented to winners.
Maryanne Casey, Edeline Kent, Marie Reilly and Larry Kavanagh won stallion nominations to Black Shadow (CP), Carrabeg The Full Irish (ISH), Fountain Of Youth (TB) and Steeped In Luck (ID) in a members draw.
Greenhall Treasure Island (Island Commander x Colin Diamond), bred by Derry Rothwell, won the supreme hunter championship at the Royal Windsor Show, one of many champions bought by Jill Day, the ‘Max Hauri’ of the show world, through her support of Irish-breds.
His fan network grew when the Robin Johnston-bred Chance Encounter (Creevagh Grey Rebel x Lord Americo) finished 10th at Luhmühlen with Robbie Kearns.
July’s showring winners included Loretta Hanley’s consistent winner last summer: Be In The Moment Elm (Barely A Moment x WRS Sunrich. Breeder: Seamus Murphy), winner of the All-Ireland TIH broodmare at Ossory.
Another All-Ireland winner was Sadhbh O’Connor’s Griffinstown (Imperial Tiger x Ally’s Bridge. Breeder: Maryanne Casey), the supreme champion at Killusty Show and Greenhall Treasure Island (Island Commander x Colin Diamond) stood reserve supreme at the Royal International Horse Show.
Dublin honours
His breeder, Derry Rothwell - was one of those honoured during the TIHA presentations at Dublin Horse Show in August. Others included David Byrne, Michael J. Kavanagh, Susan Malee and Robbie Kearns’ achievement with Chance Encounter was also recognised. (The horse’s breeder - Robin Johnston - was a previous recipient at the 2018 awards). Also recognised that day were dressage coach and rider Simone Hession and legendary racehorse trainer Jim Bolger.
Aidan and Lucinda Williamson’s three-year-old champion KLF Robinhood (Jack The Robin x Ghareeb) and Alice Copithorne’s Kilkeany Breeze (Munther x Coolcorran Cool Diamond) were Dublin’s traditional-bred and TIH working hunter champions.
Two home-breds shone at Limerick, a longtime host show of the Limerick Lady (two-year-old fillies) and Limerick Matron (Limerick Lady graduates) championships.
Brendan Newell’s Kilcahill Ruby, an All-Ireland filly foal champion at Moate in 2023, won the Limerick Lady sash. Greenhall Treasure Island’s half-sister Greenhall Push Button (Financial Reward x Colin Diamond) saw off the challenge of four previous Dublin champions to win the Limerick Matron title for the Rothwells.
Judging alongside George Chapman and Philip Scott that day was a proud Matthew O’Meara, a great fan of Irish Draught and traditional breeding, who sadly passed away in November.
On to the TIHA performance championships at Mullingar EC in September. Vets Dermot Forde and Daryl Noble went into partnership with Forde’s Banner County holiday buy: Quilty Queen (Pointilliste x Ginger Holly. Breeder: Martin Sexton) was the supreme champion, while Tara Esler’s three-year-old Coolin Lady C (Centennial x Aughrim Knight. Breeder Darragh Glynn) was reserve.
Five-star pair
The Richard Ames-owned Chance Encounter and Robbie Kearns won a team silver medal at the FEI European eventing championships at Blenheim Palace in September and on the home front, Eventing Ireland statistics showed that 117 TIHs competed in EI events last year. Lucy Cruising (Cruising Arish x Shenandoah Prince Holly. Breeder: Sarah Kehoe), Urneypark Big Cat (Mr Big Cat x Gurraun Zidane. Ian Perry) and Ballygreenan Break Point (Pointilliste x Master Imp. Valerie Breen) recorded the most wins, top-three places and top points of the 2025 season.
A review of the seven CCI5*-L events in the October 31st issue showed just two TIHs featured in 2025’s top 10: Chance Encounter and Sunday Times (Cult Hero x Sea Crest), 10th at Maryland International. (The latter’s breeder, Paddy Joyce also bred the exquisite Lackaghbeg Augustus Star, Leonie O’Gorman’s ladies’ side-saddle winner at Dublin). A significant sea change from the previous five-star event results.
More disconcerting statistics were revealed in the HSI report on traditional breeding in the November 29th issue. Foal figures included in the ‘Tipping point for the TIH?’ article showed that an average of 1,070 TIH foals were born between 2020-2024, which does not bode well for future TIH broodmare numbers.
In international show jumping, the TIH element has almost been bred out. One exception is the Patrick Connolly-bred James Kann Cruz (Kannan x Cruising), whose dam CSF Telly Cruz is one of the rare first-generation TIHs now seen in a five-star horse’s pedigree.
At the time of writing, James Kann Cruz and Shane Sweetnam had just finished as Geneva Grand Prix runners-up to add to more top-three 5* results at Dublin, Lexington and Mill Spring. These results have now brought the Galway-bred grey’s lifetime prize money to over €2.2 million.
If a hunt-related story started the 2025 review, hunting dominated the news by year’s end with the Ban on Foxhunting amendment Bill going before the Dàil on December 17th. The bill did not pass, in welcome news to the Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association whose chairman Pat Hayes said: “Conservation and control of wildlife populations is not always a comfortable subject, but it is a job that must be done”.
Andrew Shinnick’s home-bred Asian Brandy (Asian Heights) made it two-in-a-row with his win in the North Tipperary Hunt Challenge in December.
Horseware Bushman and Chance Encounter were two TIH losses in 2025. Also, in the November 29th issue, Chance Encounter was the first week of the latest Horse Of A Lifetime series, followed by Stroller and Kilbaha, two of the most-requested suggestions for future weeks.
Topped the poll
Boomerang unsurprisingly topped the poll. The little-told story of his breeders - the Murphy family in Grangemockler - featured back in the springtime. It was interesting to hear Kilbaha’s rider John Ledingham assert that the Army Equitation School star would be as competitive today.
The problem for TIH breeders is that there’s just not enough Kilbahas. In light of the alarming statistics contained in the HSI report, time has already started to run out in retaining a significant TIH herd for the future.