SELL them with the dream still attached”. This could be described as the ideal scenario for both the seller and buyer of any horse, and is the way that Ronan McLaughlin likes to do business.

Born and raised in Malin, Co Donegal, Ronan has spent most of his life surrounded by horses. He has ridden and produced animals which have gone on to compete at the highest level, while all the time recognising the importance of knowing when it is time to sell. He took some time this week to chat to The Irish Field:

“I started out at six years of age going to my local riding school, Lenamore Stables. Everything kind of accelerated from there.

“I came up through the pony ranks, did the classes in Dublin every year and so on. My parents were fantastic and supported me the whole way through. My late father Martin especially had a great interest in it.

“I think back, and we talk about it a lot; back in those days you had to sit back and watch and analyse yourself and pick up what you could.

“The coaching thing was a novelty to go to a couple of times a year when some of the reputable riders like Trevor Coyle etc were available and did a clinic in our local riding centres. That would have been a one off, not like now. It was very different; standing back and observing that was how you found your way.

“I was always lucky to have good ponies, and then horses also. I probably focused on the young horse classes more as time went by. I was lucky that my dad made sure I had some nice ones and I could focus on the four, five and six-year-old classes. During my pony years, Jimmy McCloskey gave us a lot of help and support.

“Then came young riders, which I won a couple of times in Dublin. Actually, I was the first recipient of a fantastic thing that was brought in 25 years ago in 2000; the RDS Young Rider Bursary to go for training with Missy Clarke in the States, which was brought in by Gerry Mullins and Jimmy Doyle.

“That was a huge incentive, and still is, for the youth coming through today. That was a real turning point for me, which set the tone for what I really wanted to do.

“It led to other great opportunities, like going to work for Jan Tops in Holland, which was amazing. While I was there, the young horses at home were kept ticking over and I had them to come back to. In 2004, we had four or five horses based in Karlswood with Cian O’Connor, which was also great experience.

“We have about 25 horses in work now. We don’t really take horses in any more, most of what we have is our own. It was in 2010 that I stopped bringing in liveries and stuff and began to just focus on our own. It began as three little stables built on a green field, and now we have about 40 boxes and two indoor arenas, all the facilities.

On the look out

“There is no set pattern for finding the horses I buy. Every day you are on the look out. Ideally, if you find a nice four or five-year-old who has already done the basics, that saves a lot of time. It has got tough. When you sell one and go to buy another youngster and you see what you are being asked for it; you begin to think, did I really sell that one well?

“It’s definitely got harder; the game has accelerated into atotally different level. The numbers involved are much larger. Everyone is looking for that special animal; and it’s the pressure you’re under to reinvest. You are happy with the sale of your six-year-old and then you are being asked for the same money for the four-year-old you want to take its place. You start to doubt yourself.

“The market has opened so much globally. If you have a nice horse, the way shows are being covered; everyone has access. You don’t have to really try to sell him, there’s already eyes on him.

“It is like the youth coming up through the soccer ranks; the special ones stand out, and all eyes are on him.

“We have done a little bit of breeding over the past few years. We have a mare who did the four-year-olds in Dublin, she got injured so we put her in foal. She had a filly and we have taken our time with her. She (Miss Dawn VHP) is six now and looks like she will be nice. Anything we have bred is looking good, but we are fine keeping breeding on a small scale. It is a specialised game and takes a lot of time, dedication and knowledge.

“My dad used to breed quite a bit in the early two thousands, the most reputable of which was the mum of Pacino Amiro, Carnone Dancing Queen. In 2007, we began to cut back on the breeding.

“Operations like Ballypatrick and the Hughes’ are setting the bar. They are breeding and producing such good horses from grass roots right through to the top end of the sport. That takes some doing and is something to be very proud of.

Top quality

“The quality of the horses being bred in Ireland is up there with them all. When you go to the Dublin qualifiers, you can see just how high the standard is. We have 25 to 30 in work at all times. We are very lucky to have some talented riders working here. Ben (Walsh) grew up here, his father has been with us for over 30 years. We also have Leon Van Cauwenberge (17), who joined us last summer, and Beth O’Leary (23), who do a terrific job.

“From 2007 to about 2019, we would produce the horse up to about seven and then choose a rider in Europe who we thought would suit them best to compete them. Over the years, we have worked with people like John and Robert Whitaker, and Neil Jones whose riders include Lorenzo De Luca. Then, after a few years, a few things happened. Ben came of age after a fantastic pony career (he was on Nations Cup winning teams and won the World Cup in Mechelen). So, for the past few years, we have been keeping the horses here.

“At the moment, I think we have our best group of horses from five to eight years old ever. We have the seven-year-old Creamcorde HDH (Cream On Top x Gaetano Musterd) and the eight-year-old Zenith Vd Donkhoeve Z (Zirocco Blue VDL x Vivaldi Du Seigneur), who finished second and third in Eglinton Grand Prix last Sunday. The five-year-old El Bayo Z (El Barone 111 Z x Ghost Z) and the six-year-old Orette H (Falaise De Muze x Coreland) plus a few more.

“We don’t ask a lot of them, but they will be kept going, even at a low level, we don’t rush them. We produce them slowly and quietly. If they prove that they are worth putting the time and money into, we will hold on to them until they are seven or eight and see how far they can go. We try to keep it as tight as we can. They have to give us the feeling they are worth investing into.

“We have four daughters. Emma who is studying Law in Liverpool, Sarah, who used to ride but has decided to step back a bit from it, and the twins - 11-year-old Chloe and Kara - who are pony mad. They are quite dedicated, so maybe they will choose to do this in the future, who knows.

Bright future

“We are quite excited about the group of horses we have now. I think I’m in a good position, having been an owner in the past who sent horses to other people to produce at the higher level and now, having to look at it from the other angle; as the owner and the producer, so I get to see both sides.

“When I had Omega Star, probably one of the more high profile horses I’ve owned, I produced him from a foal to seven and then sent him to John Whitaker.

“He ended up as a reserve for Mexico at the London Olympics. Every time he jumped a fence, I had my heart in my mouth. I was so worried that every twist or turn could be the end of him. I was lucky that we ended up eventually selling him to Tim Gredley; but that worry you felt, and the stress of it stays with you.

“What I do know is a horse is only worth what you get for him the day you sell him, and there are always people out there willing to give a good price for the right horse. I always remember; ‘Don’t ever override the dream; let everyone have their big moment’. If it’s your living, sometimes it’s simply about protecting your investment.”