MAURICE COUSINS is the third generation to run a successful business on his family’s land in Gorey, Co Wexford. His father ran the farm there, he had keen interest in horses and always kept a few broodmares.
These days Maurice, his wife Felicity and her sister Louise Holohan run a state-of-the-art equestrian centre which hosts over 90 equestrian events each year.
Maurice began his equestrian career when, on finishing school, he travelled to Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, to study Horsemanship. After qualifying, he then went on to work with horses in the UK. Once home in Wexford, he began to concentrate on producing horses for sale.
“We breed a few foals each year and the others I buy in to produce. When looking at a prospective purchase I always look for them to be a good model. They should be attractive and ideally be able to do a few different jobs,” Cousins explained.
“Of course, you are always on the lookout for the ones with potential to be a Grand Prix jumper, but I think it’s important to also look out for the ones that can have a dual purpose.”
After many years as a successful rider, Maurice stopped competing in the early 2000s, a couple of years after winning the four-year-old final in Dublin aboard the superb stallion Ramiro B.
A Belgian warmblood by Calvani, a son of Caretino, the late Ramiro B has been called ‘the undisputed king of sport horse stallions’, as the sire of several Nations Cup level show jumpers as well as four-star event horses.
He was bred in Belgium by Ludo Janssenens in 1994 and was sold at auction to Maurice as a three-year-old in the winter of 1997. On arrival in Ireland, he was backed and broken-in by Maurice and went on to provide his new owner with one of his best memories.
“One of my best and most memorable days would have to be winning the four-year-old championships in the RDS with Ramiro B in 1998. We then went on to record some good results when he was a five-year-old.
“I’m in the business of producing and selling so I sold him on to the late Michael Earls who then stood him at Hartwell Stud. At that time, Edward Doyle rode him and they went to Grand Prix level. In 2011 he was sold to Nina Barbour from Harthill Stud where he stood until his death last year from liver damage.
Maurice Cousins and Ramiro B as a four-year-old
“We currently have another very successful Belgian warmblood stallion, Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet (by Clinton), standing here at Tullabeg Stud in. He started out being used for show jumping mares but now after the success of some of his progeny, he’s being used for eventing and show horse mares too.
“Last season we sold a home-bred six-year-old mare Luxie B, by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of Barnadown Lux Out by Lux Z, to Anna Carway and they are doing very well.
“The seven-year-old mare Be The One, by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet out of the Ramiro B mare Diro, is another one I’m excited about she will compete in Spain with Steven Smith soon.
Last August, Moonahaw DVZ Diamond by Dignified Van’t Zorgvliet - Moonahaw Diamond Nadia by Lux Z was ridden by Sophie Richards to second place in the six-year-olds in Dublin.
“Our new resident rider Aoife Dooley has a couple of youngsters to work with this year; they include a nice five-year-old Tullabeg Sapphire, by Tullabeg Fusion.
“Over the years, we have produced many horses that have gone on to perform on the international stage, Fernhill Fugitive (Lux Z – Barnadown Ramiro) is a four-star eventer under Phillip Dutton. Another one, Sight and Sound Bluebird (by Spectrach), who won the Hickstead Derby in 1997 with John Popely also came from us,” said Cousins.
SHOWCASING IRISH HORSES
“After many years in the business and having travelled all over Europe, I could see just how far behind we were and what was needed in Ireland, so in 2002 we began a major redevelopement of Barnadown.
“I sometimes think that the sport horse industry is treated like the poor relation in this country. We need major input into facilities. We lose so many talented riders because we don’t have what they need to keep them here year round. It makes it very hard for the breeders and producers in this country.
“We have been lucky over the past few years to host a leg of the Irish Studbook Series and the RDS qualifying classes here and these do serve as a good platform to showcase Irish horses.
“In 2011 we teamed up with Goresbridge to host the Go for Gold event horse sale. The selection process begins in mid-summer and 60-70 are chosen to go forward. They are vetted and are then shown for two days over show jumping and the all-weather cross-country course,” added Maurice.
“Some of the graduates of this elite sale include Cooley SRS and Castlerichmond SRS; both of which were owned and produced by Stevie Smith from Barnadown.
“Go For Gold sales graduate Copper Beech is now ridden at four-star level by Bruce Davidson and other successful sales graduates include Red Curran who went on to represent China at the Asian Games and Michael Ryan’s three-star horse Tomgar Rembrandt.
“Meanwhile, in the show jumping sales division, Dougie Douglas (ISH) earned the highest price ever paid at an Irish sport horse auction when he was sold to Katie Dinan from the USA for €1.4 million.
“Another Goresbridge/Barnadown sales graduate is the brilliant Lanaken silver medal winner Ard Ginger Pop (ISH), who was sold for €95,000 to Carl Hanley and Enda Carroll of Ashford Farm, Belgium, and after doing very well in Europe is now with American rider Alison Robitaille for the next stage of her career.
“In addition to the event horse sale, Barnadown also hosts a select foal sale during the €50,000 Irish Breeders Classic Show. Some 15-18 foals are preselected by Ronan Rothwell, Ger O’Neill and Greg Broderick and go under the hammer at the September show.
“The Breeders Classic show, which boasts the richest young horse classes in the world, is held the month after Dublin and two weeks before Lanaken, so for many of the talented Irish-bred youngsters, it is the perfect opportunity to have a final class before heading to the World Championships in Belgium.”