A SECONDARY school teacher and amateur horse rider, I like to take breaks from schoolwork and state exam corrections during the summers by competing or judging at agricultural shows.

I started riding ponies at a young age, developed a grá for side-saddle at 12 years of age and enjoy showing, hunting and jumping.

1. Congratulations on Greenhall Will I Ever’s HOYS heavyweight hunter championship win. Tell us more about him?

Thank you, a breeder’s dream come true. How did Will I Ever come about? Well, that’s quite a story. I purchased his dam, Walnut Chase (Huntingfield Proud Tim x Parnell), from Willem Savelkouls in 2013.

Willem, a Dutchman living in Ireland, was a gentleman who lived for the Irish Draught. His passion for them was infectious. I had met him on the hunting field and at summer shows.

One Friday, the school happened to be closed, which coincided with a sale in Goresbridge, so I decided to head over by myself for a look. At the sales complex, I spotted Willem and the Corrigans and learned he was selling his horses to return to Holland for better healthcare, and that Walnut was up for sale.

I took a chance and placed a bid on her, my heart breaking for Willem as he looked so sad. Having a very limited budget, I was outbid quite quickly, but she went out of the ring unsold.

I was relieved in one sense that I hadn’t purchased her, so I wouldn’t have to face the response at home if I came home with a broodmare!

About a month later, I spoke with Jackie Corrigan, and he brought up Walnut; Willem still had her and wanted her to come to me, so he could follow her and her progeny. A deal was done.

She was in foal to Willem’s stallion at the time, Castle Crest (Coolcronan Wood x Grey Macha). Willem and Anneke came to say goodbye to Walnut before leaving and said she wouldn’t foal before they left Ireland, as she always carried a specific number of days.

About a week later, ahead of time, Walnut produced a big colt foal. I rang Willem straightaway and he returned to see them both before he left. As a nod to Willem, I christened the foal Will I Am and he went on to win the four-year-old heavyweight hunter class in the RDS, produced by PJ Casey.

It was lovely that Willem got to follow Will I Am’s career and enjoy the successes. I kept them updated with pictures and while, sadly, Willem has since passed away, Anneke and their daughter Isabelle have been back to the RDS the last few years, cheering on Stroller [Greenhall Stroll In The Park] and myself in the side-saddle from the ringside. They are a lovely family.

Will I Am has two full-brothers competing under saddle in the UK: Will I Be and now the HOYS champion, Will I Ever.

A very sharp horse judge, Wendy Phipps, spotted Will I Ever. Wendy came into the yard to look at another horse, but caught a glimpse of Will I Ever and had to have both horses for her friend Helena Hogarth. I couldn’t have asked for a better home; he’s been given time to mature and is being produced slowly. Will I Ever actually has another full-brother, foaled this year, Will I Always.

2. Proudest breeder moment?

Definitely October 9th, 2026. Venue: NEC Birmingham! Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there, but I’m very grateful to my friends who were there, sent pictures and videos, and even came home with official photographs for me.

3. More Irish Draught blood appearing in the Greenhall lines, how do you find the market for them?

Yes, there’s more pure ID creeping into Greenhall! I’ve retained the only filly I have from Walnut, as she is 25 years old now, so there will be pure ID blood in Greenhall for a while to come, hopefully.

Dad [Derry] has always used Irish Draught stallions on our sport horse mares; one outcome was Greenhall Wishing Well (Crosstown Dancer x Cruising), who stood reserve supreme ridden hunter mare champion in the RDS, and her full-sister evented to three-star in the UK.

There’s a market for the nice Draught; they have a great brain and rideability. They’re a horse that can turn their hooves to so many disciplines, from flat to performance. Owners can do a lot with a Draught, especially in the UK, with all the Draught and part-Draught classes.

4. You’re also involved with the interschools show jumping league. What breeds are the next generation competing on?

I organise a leg of the Equestrian Interschools Ireland league for my workplace, Coláiste Bhríde, in Barnadown each October. It’s an unbelievably busy time trying to teach full-time and organise the event, but I have some very good helpers. I’d say the predominant breeds are Connemara and warmbloods.

5. Greenhall is the family’s prefix. Thoughts on prefixes?

I think prefixes are vital.

If Will I Ever had no prefix, his HOYS success would not have been traceable to an Irish studbook, as HOYS don’t seem to require passport information to be submitted with the entry. He appeared in the catalogue as sire unknown, dam unknown, breed ‘hunter’ and no breeder listed.

It’s lovely to follow where/what a horse goes/does and, without a prefix, it’s almost impossible to trace. I think a horse with a prefix should not be allowed to be renamed or have the prefix dropped altogether.

6. Internet/social media - a positive or negative?

Definitely serves a purpose. It has lots of uses, including finding out how long to leave the chicken in the slow cooker for! But unfortunately, there are negatives; it makes it too easy for keyboard warriors to surface. #BeKind

7. That famous horse you’d like to have bred?

That’s a tough one, maybe Cruising. He was so influential in the Irish horse industry.

8. It takes a team – who’s on yours?

Mam [Emily], Dad, sister Sharon and nephew Stephen, no matter what task I’m undertaking. For the interschools, Mum polished trophies, Dad ferried the prizes, Sharon handled entries and Stephen sorted rosettes and labelled prizes.

We’ve travelled together around Ireland bringing mares to stud and made lots of trips to Littleton over the years, so it feels fitting to wish one of these legends, Paddy Quirke, a happy 100th birthday this weekend.

9. Best advice you got?

Advice in words… Grandad [Derek] always said in relation to judging, ‘Once you’re happy, the decision is right; you’ve got to please yourself first’. But practical advice? The late show ringmaster, Dessie Gibson, for showing how it’s done.

10. If you won the Lotto, what would you spend it on?

That question always brings me back to a childhood memory… when I was a single-digit age and asked if I won the Lotto what I’d buy, my response was always “I’d build my granny a new henhouse!”

Now Granny has passed, and responsibilities have kicked in, so I’d pay my mortgage, do some building work, and treat myself to a new horse lorry, a Chanel handbag and a holiday.