ANNE Bannon of Gorsehill Sport Horses in Co Wicklow has bred and produced many sport horses that have gone on to success both at international and amateur level.

As a result, she is in an ideal position to provide an informed insight into the business of producing horses for both advanced and leisure riders for all disciplines.

“What we need is to concentrate more on marketing the premium product we have; a safe animal with a good head which will compete well at the highest levels of the lower end of the sport,” Bannon told The Irish Field.

“It is great for our sport that Team Ireland is having such great success in eventing, show jumping and dressage at the top level and it is money well spent promoting this abroad, but there seems to be a gap in the market when it comes to promoting the horse that maybe won’t ever jump 1.60m or compete at three-star level.

“The powers that be need to take a look at how they market the more average horses that we produce. Far more of them exist than the ones that will enjoy international success,” she continued.

“The Irish horse, with its good head and steady manner makes the best type for leisure riders and more could be done to market this idea abroad.

“Irish Horse Gateway online is a start and seems to be gaining traction. It is a source of good quality horses but it’s a slow burner. We need more of this type of thing, maybe employing a person who is specifically tasked with promoting the Irish horse as a premium product for the leisure rider.”

The beginning

Anne doesn’t come from a family steeped in horses. She was late getting into breeding but pushed herself to learn as much as she could in those early years, and has reaped the rewards ever since.

“I was born and raised on a farm in Westmeath and my first introduction to horses was myself and my brother trying to ride our neighbour’s Clydesdale bareback in the field,” she explained.

“It wasn’t until my early 20s that I began to ride properly. I had started working and bought a cob to hunt and do hunter trials with. I then had the idea that I would like to get into breeding. I couldn’t afford a broodmare so I bought a yearling called Princess Harrie, by the RID stallion The Squire out of Aherina Princess, by King Haven.”

Her next move was to be the start of a list of successful competition horses. “I brought her [Princess Harrie] to Master Imp and she had Fleuries Imp. She was small but talented and she became my foundation mare really.

“During that time I took a few trips to Holland and Germany to educate myself more about breeding sport horses. I took Fleuries Imp to VDL Arkansas and Gorsehill Amber was the result. She has bred a number of successful horses including the gelding Gorsehill Horatio who is by Pacino; he won the six-year-old Irish Sport Horse eventing championship in Ballindenisk in 2016. She also bred Gorsehill Jack, by Jack of Diamonds, who is currently competing at one-star level with Luke Drea.

“Fleuries Imp’s second foal, Gorsehill Star, a gelding also by VDL Arkansas, was sold to Barry O’Connor and Conor Swail as a six-year-old and then went on to be sold to British eventer Oliver Townend who rode him to three-star level before selling him to Australia.Her third and fourth foals, again by VDL Arkansas, Gorsehill Lola and Logo both went to one-star level with Luke Drea.”

Gorsehill Pearl

“Gorsehill Pearl (Hermes de Reve - Holly Clover, by Minstrel Bouncer) is a mare I had that went to three-star level with Luke Drea before being sold at the Go For Gold sale in Goresbridge where she set a new record when sold to Irish Olympian Joseph Murphy for €85,000 in 2015.’’

Anne took three embryos from Gorsehill Pearl before she was sold, and hopes the last of those will continue on the pedigree line as a broodmore.

Speaking of the three embryos, she said: “Gorsehill Jewel, by Jack of Diamonds, was sold at the 2019 Go For Gold sale [for €22,000]. Gorsehill Ruby, a mare by Flexible, is six years old and is being campaigned by Joan Greene. The last of them is a four-year-old mare by Oldtown KC who I am hoping will become my main broodmare for the future as I want to keep the line going. My other four-year-old is out of Gorsehill Gabby and she turning out to be nice too so we’ll have to wait and see.”

Anne likes to break her young horses at home before sending them to different riders in order to progress their career. “I break the youngsters at home and have had different people help me over the years. Until recently, the late Brian Franey, who had done so much with retraining racehorses and for the Irish Horse Welfare Trust, was of great assistance to me with handling and backing. He will be greatly missed, he was so good with the animals.

“Over the years I’ve sent some of the horses on to different people depending on what they are suited for. Luke Drea has been involved with many of the successful event horses so he plays a major part in their success.”

The Wicklow-based owner/breeder takes great pride in watching her horses’ progress. “It’s great to see the horses go on to excel in various disciplines. Gorsehill Maya, by Grange Bouncer, is doing very well in pure dressage with Rachael Coulter. They won the best traditional-bred Irish horse at last year’s Dressage Ireland National Championships.”

Long may Gorsehill horses continue to impress.