WELL done to Sligo farmer/horse breeder John Anthony Cogan who has racked up another breeding success.

A member of the Irish Horse Board for Region 5 (Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Roscommon), Cogan is leading by example, breeding the winner of the 2017 Horse Sport Ireland-sponsored young event horse league for four-year-olds.

A delighted John Anthony received his prize in Naas from new Horse Sport Ireland CEO Ronan Murphy.

The aptly named horse ‘John A’ is by the Fast Silver Irish Draught stallion Baltydaniel Silver Fox out of the Cruising mare Union Connaught Cruise.

Ridden by Michael McNally from Summerhill, Co Meath, the gelding belied his young age by competing a total of eight times this summer, giving a good account of himself on every occasion.

John Anthony, from Corlisheen, near Castlebaldwin, also bred Grass Valley, ridden by top international New Zealand event rider Sir Mark Todd.

Bred from his Connacht Gold mare and by his Legal Pressure stallion, Grass Valley enjoyed top-drawer success and the same dam also produced Riverstown Express, who went on to enjoy national eventing success.

This latest achievement with John A is another breeding feather in the cap for the Sligo man who has been breeding horses since 1970.