THE third edition of Connect, Select and Grow, hosted by Michael Doherty and Emma Thorén Hellsten, took place at the Bridge House Hotel, Tullamore, on Thursday, February 26th. Sponsored by BB Equestrian, the sold-out event brought together breeders, stallion owners, riders, veterinarians and industry professionals from across Ireland for an evening of knowledge-sharing and networking.

This year’s event comprised four sessions, and included contributions from Horse Telex chief data officer Pieter-Jan Stijns, Commandant Geoff Curran and Swedish geneticist Emma Thoren Hellsten. Industry prizes totalling €4,000 were awarded to attendees, before the evening drew to a close.

Reflecting on the event, Michael Doherty said: “Connect, Select & Grow has become an annual energiser for many within Ireland’s sport horse breeding community. I’m amazed by the level of enthusiasm that attendees bring to the event year on year. A big thank you to our excellent contributors, full house of attendees and to Dominic and Nathan Bligh of BB Equestrian for generously sponsoring this year’s event.”

DHS Sport Horses’ Ciara Barrett said: “It was great to chat with like-minded people and to get the opportunity to make some new connections in the industry. It is so important for breeders to share their experiences and support each other. Thank you to Michael and the wonderful speakers for a great evening.”

Catriona Fitzgerald of BLF Sport Horses said: “It was lovely to experience how open other breeders were to meeting new people and sharing their knowledge. The ‘Grow’ workshop has really motivated me to take action towards reaching my 2026 breeding goals.”

Cheryl Broderick of Ballypatrick Stables commented: “It was very pleasing to see so many breeders gathered together, all with the same goal of breeding top horses. The speakers were very insightful and gave us a lot of new ideas. Congratulations to Michael on another successful event. A lot of hard work and commitment goes into organising and running such events. I’m looking forward to next year already.”

Finally, Chapel Field Farm’s James Moriarty said he was “delighted to be part of an exceptionally unique and worthwhile evening for horse breeders at the Connect, Select & Grow event. The value of meeting fellow breeders face-to-face, sharing conversation, and building genuine connections cannot be overstated. The insights gained, including statistical data we’re rarely privy to, made it both informative and refreshing. A thoroughly enjoyable event that I’d welcome far more often.”