THE Meath Hunt Ball of 2003 had a major impact on the lives of two of its attendees as it was there that locally-born David Geraghty first met English native Georgette Harvey, this despite the fact that both had attended Writtle University College in Essex at the same time.

Georgette takes up the story: “I had come over to visit friends and go hunting but missed the hunting as it had snowed overnight and all flights were delayed. However, I arrived in time for the ball and the rest, as they say, is history. We got married in England seven years later.”

While David was always keen on hunting and racing (he rode in point-to-points), Georgette was more involved in competition when she first moved to Co Meath.

“I arrived with an event horse named The Fox who didn’t like dressage and so became David’s hunter; they hunted 10 seasons up front with the Ward Union. We then bought a Master Imp four-year-old in the Cavan sales in 2004. He was named Lisdeen Flier and I evented him up to the old two-star level. He jumped clear around the Tattersalls and Necarne internationals and nearly every intermediate track at national one-day events. He last competed in 2012 and is now nannying the babies here.

“Also at Cavan, in 2012, we bought a three-year-old skewbald gelding named The Masters Artist who, ridden by Clare Gundry (nee MacMahon), was reserve champion in a strong coloured class at Dublin the following year. He subsequently won most side saddle championships in Ireland with Joanne Quirke on board, while I rode him to win a training level (EI90) competition first time out at Killossery Lodge Stud that season. He is now competing at two-star level in The Netherlands.”

That year, 2013, also saw the couple purchase their present home and yard, setting the foundations in place for the establishment of Geraghty Sport Horses.

“We bought a very small farm in Rathfeigh, Tara, Co Meath and have since built the yard of 10 boxes, an arena, walker and lunge pen,” continued Georgette. “We are lucky to have miles of quiet hacking around where we live with access to the stubble fields of our neighbours, the McAuley family.”

David, who at one time worked for Goffs Bloodstock Sales, told us about the type of horse he and Georgette buy, be it for hunting, showing, dressage or eventing, with an emphasis on matching clients to their potential purchases.

Traditional breeding

“Our preference is for traditional Irish-bred horses, mainly geldings, who are selected primarily for their temperament and rideability. We started the business by buying unbroken stock in the west of Ireland, breaking them and producing them to a level that the typical amateur rider could crack on with. One of our very first discoveries was a little Young Carrabawn gelding who is now competing at three-star level in Sweden.

“As we are getting older, we are buying more established horses ready to turnover for hunting and eventing. However, we are still producing some quality three-year-old event types and think we might have a real one in the pipeline this year. Along the way, we have also picked up a couple of broodmares and are looking forward to what that brings in the future.

“While we love to see a nice horse going on to fulfil his potential, the best part of the business is the new friends we have made around the world and we have lots of invitations to follow up on once things get back to normal. We both get a kick out of watching local children having fun on horses or ponies we have sourced or produced. There are several now being ridden by members of local Pony Club branches.”

It’s little wonder that the Geraghtys are developing this part of their business as, during their younger days, both were competitive members of their local Branches, the Meaths (David) and Essex and Suffolk (Georgette). They know exactly the type of animal needed for children to compete in the various Pony Club disciplines on just the one mount.

Like all others, the Geraghtys and their ability to trade were badly impacted by the first lockdown but they didn’t let the grass grow under their feet, preferring instead to find new ways of promoting their business as Georgette explains.

“One of our lockdown projects was getting our website (www.geraghtysporthorses.com) up and running. With the help of the local enterprise board Covid-19 grant and Eimear Duffy of Fitsocial Media in Trim, we have developed our online presence through Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

"In the times we are in, we are finding people are buying more and more horses online and through social media.

“I do most of the online stuff and prepping for the photos when David is behind the camera but, basically, we work as a team. In general, David starts the youngsters and I do the finishing touches. Nowadays I would always let him ride a new one first!

“We firmly believe in correct training of the young horse and we give them plenty of time to develop. All the glamourous jobs are as evenly split as possible and David has even been known to muck-out on occasion!”

The Geraghtys were both born into racing families, David being a cousin of jockeys Barry, Ross and Norman Geraghty and their sister, Sascha, a former editor of the Irish Horse World.

David’s grandfather, Laurence Geraghty, bred the legendary Golden Millar who won five Cheltenham Gold Cups in succession (1932 to 1936) and the 1934 Grand National at Aintree. Kevin Geraghty, David’s father, breeds both thoroughbreds and sport horses with the Kings Master gelding Merrywell Tradition who, first produced here by Jane O’Flynn, now competes at international three-star level under Britain’s Harry Meade. Kevin also bred the thoroughbred gelding Moyle Park, who, trained by Willie Mullins for Rich Ricci, won the Goffs Land Rover Bumper at Punchestown in 2013.

Georgette’s mother, Helen Cybulski Fitzgerald, was a successful point-to-point rider in the early 1970s, while her sister Alexandra Robinson, an amateur event rider, owns Red Kite who is currently competing at four-star level with Harry Meade.

Not for sale

One equine resident at Bellew Lodge not for sale is Shrek who, much-loved by David and Georgette Geraghty’s daughter Polly, has a popular blog on a variety of social media platforms.

As she ‘ghosts’ for him, Georgette is best-placed to tell us about the 19-year-old piebald gelding whose many duties include keeping the youngstock on the farm in check. It seems, however, that he is more intent on teaching the youngsters things the Geraghtys would rather they didn’t know!

“Shrek came to us from our next-door neighbour, Jimmy Darcy, three years ago. He is a Shetland but oddly not a Shitland! He seems to have been around before and the bond he has formed with Polly, our five-year-old daughter, is remarkable; he won’t be caught by anyone else. He has a kind soul; Polly took him to school one day and he stood like a statue while 20 children pulled and dragged out of him for an hour.

“The blog started as a bit of fun during the first lockdown – a view of yard life from Shrek’s perspective. His mischievous character was a godsend as Polly couldn’t socialise with her friends and her school had closed. When we were emerging from lockdown, it was a great way of getting the children out while maintaining distance.

“Shrek often comes into the house for tea. He looks at us, at times, as if he’s talking. If he was human, he would be sitting in front of the fire smoking a pipe with his smoking jacket on, looking for his next party. That would be one with plenty of food as the way to his heart is through his tummy!

“On a more serious note, Shrek has a surprisingly good jump which I think we will see more of in the future as Polly does more with him,” said Georgette who added that the social media star’s fan club isn’t confined to children. “We were at the sales recently and several adults asked after him!”