MY three sisters – Aoife, Orla and Sadhbh – Mam (Cathy), Dad (Colm) and I are from Glasson, Athlone.

We are all involved in horses and my sisters and I have competed in show jumping throughout the years.

I went to UCD and studied Agricultural Science and then went on to do an MSc in Animal Science, so I have been really interested in animals, especially horses, my entire life.

When I went to college, I sold my competition horses and got into breeding. I’m living in Australia at the moment, but I’m currently home for my sister Aoife’s wedding, which happened over the same weekend as Monbeg Dunard Blue’s big win. Interestingly too, Blue was born the same weekend exactly five years ago!

1. Congratulations, a special week, starting with Monbeg Dunard Blue’s big win in the Balmoral Star of the Future final. Tell us about him.

Monbeg Dunard Blue is by Zirocco Blue VDL out of a Monaco x Animo mare. He was broken as a three-year-old by Brendan Donlon at Shannogue Stables and proved to have a lovely temperament.

I sold him as a four-year-old to Damien Griffin of Lissyegan Stables who then produced him on further and sold him to Monbeg Sporthorses, who produced him as an event horse.

He then was in the top-five Go for Gold prices at the Goresbridge Go For Gold sales in 2024, being sold to Ella Boyle. Ben Rainey and Ella have done a fantastic job on Blue and I’m looking forward to watching them in the future! He was born exactly five years ago last weekend and his dam, Samenta, also came from the same yard (Stephen Reilly’s) as the horse who came second in the same class – Creevyquinn Ace.

It was really special to celebrate both my sister’s wedding and Blue’s big win in the same weekend as Aoife and her husband Killian both produce Connemara ponies and show jumpers.

2. You’re one of the youngest sport horse breeders featured in the Breeders’ 10 series, what do you aim to breed?

My preference is show jumpers, as they’re what I’m more familiar with. I have also bred Dunard Trixie Mix, who is going great with Juliette MacIntosh on the international pony circuit at the moment.

Studying Animal Science at UCD gave me a solid foundation in genetics and how to match stallions with mares to produce the type of offspring we’re aiming for.

Maeve Cuffe's new brother-in-law Cillian Bannon and sister Aoife at their wedding in Kilronan Castle last weekend

3. Tell us about your Australian adventure.

Australia is great, the nice weather really makes a difference, as we all know here in Ireland! I’m currently doing my regional work in the Pilbara in Western Australia. Unfortunately, there aren’t any horses around that area, but I was sure to be in Melbourne to watch Kildare’s Robbie Dolan win the 2024 Melbourne Cup on Knight’s Choice.

I plan to move home in February 2026 and get back into breeding again.

4. How many broodmares do you have?

We currently have five broodmares on the farm, with two foals on the ground so far. One is by Verdi out of an Air Jordan Z mare, who placed in the Young Event Horse Series at the RDS, and the other is by I Am W out of a Clarimo mare who competed up to 1.50m.

We’re looking at using United Touch S and Verdi on these mares for the following season.

In addition, every year we buy a number of two-and-a-half-year-olds, break them, bring them on and sell them when produced. We send some of the younger stock to Shane Quinn and Ita McDermott in Killala to be broken and produced.

We have some lovely three-year-olds at the moment by Chacoon Blue, I’m Special De Muze, Eldorado, Grandorado and Verdi.

5. “Fools breed foals for wise men to buy.” Agree/disagree?

Breeding a horse that turns out to be a superstar is incredibly rewarding – not just for the breeder, but for everyone involved. It makes all the hard work worthwhile and it’s something that I’m really interested in.

However, sometimes, it’s beneficial to buy foals or young horses with good breeding and potential and produce them from then. At the end of the day, breeding can be a gamble – you may have taken all the right steps to produce a fantastic animal and sometimes it might not turn out that way.

Baby Pix: A future Balmoral champion Monbeg Dunard Blue as a youngster

6. Famous horse/pony you would like to have bred?

We are big fans of Luidam in our yard, so it’ll have to be him!

7. Prefixes, your thoughts?

Dunard is our prefix, and I think prefixes are really important – they help build a connection between you and your horses and track their progress, even after they’ve moved on. Prefixes are a form of marketing, which is essential for any business.

8. The standout stallion on the current international circuit?

United Touch S – he has super technique.

9. It takes a team. Who’s on yours?

Having a great team is extremely important. You can put all your focus into breeding the right genetics, but it’s also the environment a horse is raised in that shapes its performance.

I’m very lucky to have an amazing team, including my family, our vet Tom Flanagan (Park Vets Ballymahon), Olive Broderick in Kylemore Stud, Shane Quinn and Ita McDermott, who produce our young horses, and Brendan Donlon from Shannogue Stables, who broke Blue. Having a great team involved makes the celebrations a lot more worthwhile.

10. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received when it comes to horses?

One that’s always stuck with me is, “You can’t rush a good horse”. Whether it’s breaking a youngster, waiting for a mare to come right, or even finding the right home for a horse – patience and timing are everything.

That mindset has definitely shaped how we breed and produce horses today.

Horses aren’t machines and the best ones usually take a bit of time – but they’re worth the wait.