THE farm is based near Kilcock, over the Meath border, but we are steadfast Kildare supporters!

I have always been mad about the ponies, reading every horsey book from a young age until I was lucky enough to get my own pony, Tora. My late grandmother Mary Rose Hayes (whose month’s mind is today, Saturday) gave us a stable in her yard on the Curragh to keep Tora in, and we’d go down every day possible to see her. Granny had broodmares alongside her racehorses, so I was surrounded by breeding from the get-go.

The whole family works full-time outside the farm, making it a busy, relentless household.

I drive from my own home near Mullingar to the farm every morning I need to, apart from my two days each week in the Dublin office. Mum and Dad are brilliant, they do the mornings and evenings when I’m working and it’s a team effort most of the time. Foaling season is the best time of year, but we are all exhausted as we take turns watching the cameras!

I’ll be at home for a lot of the foaling, and we never tire of having the foal out safely and taking its first breaths, then steps.

I’m a qualified judge with the IDHBA (Irish Draught Horse Breeders’ Association) and I really enjoy seeing the variety of horses out there. It is very rewarding to give back to the shows we have brought horses to every year. I really enjoy judging and hope to further my affiliations as soon as I can.

1. Proudest breeder moment?

Every time we have a foal born that comes out physically as we saw it in our heads when we viewed the stallions 12 months prior, it’s a great day. You also cannot beat leading one you bred to a rosette in the RDS!

2. How many broodmares do you keep?

There are two active thoroughbred broodmares, and I have a lovely three-year-old Irish Draught filly going to the spring inspections, which I hope to breed from. She is out of our lovely TIH/Grade-Up mare Lady Dolanne (Dolly), by Coolcronan Wood, who won the AID mare class twice at the IDHBA National Breed Show and has been in-hand champion and reserve so many times.

Dolly is now retired, so I’m hoping the three-year-old can continue her line. I’m excited to see her mature, and hopefully we’ll get her to Bonniconlon for their three-year-old final.

3. Standout stallion?

For the Draughts, it has to be Crosstown Dancer. He was some jumper and, while I never saw him in person, his progeny are all excellent physically and they can perform too. He has some lovely stallion sons and grandsons at stud. No horse has shaped the thoroughbred breed like Sadler’s Wells. His taxidermy is displayed in Coolmore - need I say more?

4. “Fools breed horses for wise men to buy” - agree or disagree?

I disagree, but I am biased. Without the breeder, there’d be no horses. But, without the buyers, we’d have no breeders.

While I think there are too many horses being bred, the decline in the thoroughbred foal crop should be a concern for sport horse/leisure horse buyers, as with the rising costs, less people will breed that type of horse off their one or two mares.

Those mares should be protected. The elite mares will look after themselves in my opinion. I was also thrilled to hear the Irish Draught foal crop is on the rise of late.

5. If you could have bred any famous horse?

It has to be Sea The Stars. He has perfect conformation, size, scope, an incredible race record, an even better maternal line, and has produced some outstanding racehorses. The pinnacle of the last three generations for me.

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/Niamh%20Ponytale.jpg.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Dniamh%2520condell

Condell Clan: Niamh and her TIH Waiting For A Sunny Day with her sister Róisín and parents Sheila and Declan

6. Thoughts on prefixes?

I am not sure. I understand the merit, to put your own stamp and have a famous line. When you are at a show, looking at the catalogue, people know exactly where the horse has come from.

However, the ability to change a horse’s name negates this; I do not believe a horse’s name should ever be changed, and there have been concerning incidents in which the prefix has been erased entirely by the next owner. That is some slap in the face to the breeder, especially, who is responsible for the horse’s being there in the first place.

I am also aware of some very generic prefixes that prevent someone naming a horse a nice name without seeking a prefix or brand, which I don’t agree with, for example Duchess or Lady.

7. How do you market your horses?

Mixed modes; word of mouth, out at shows, Irish Horse Gateway, Facebook. I have a fabulous four-year-old TIH gelding who has been advertised numerous times, but I rarely get a phone call. I must be doing something wrong!

This horse - Waitin On A Sunny Day (Rosier - Lady Dolanne) - was champion foal in Tullow and the highest-placed TIH at the Bannow three-year-old final. I have heard Horsequest is good too. If anyone has any advice, let me know!

The market is incredibly strange at the moment, especially for the likes of us with one horse to sell every few years, so we have no established client base.

I know for the thoroughbreds, who we sell as foals at auction, things have changed. The nice, well-topped horse that can walk doesn’t always make money any more; it’s all about the fashionable sires.

8. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

Mum (Sheila), Dad (Declan), my sister Róisín and her partner Dylan are great to lend a hand and are the cattle experts. My fiancé Darragh has also come into his own, an expert at fetching horses and ponies from the field and now getting stuck into pedigrees. We also have excellent neighbours when we are short-handed.

Lisadell Equine Hospital provides excellent care to our horses and we use Mark Kane and Joyce Gaynor for the teeth and the backs respectively. It is most certainly not a one-man band!

9. Breeding horses - would you do it all again?

Probably, because of the heritage. My great-grandmother, Maeve Robinson, founded the stud in 1932 on the same land we have today, and continuing her and Granny’s lines is incredibly precious to me.

I also love the Irish Draught horse. Though many are very large, they are as gentle to deal with and hardy as you need in the changing climate to stay out 24/7.

10. Any good advice to share?

I was only discussing with a like-minded friend at the recent IDHBA AGM that you cannot beat bringing a young horse to a show. Regardless of their prospects, a young horse gains invaluable experience by attending a show for the sights and sounds.

Travelling them, getting them washed and plaited, being led up at walk and trot, and being taught to stand is all hugely beneficial.

I always show our foals, even just to one or two small shows, to get them used to it while they have Mammy as a safety net. Showing them later as yearlings and older is so much easier then, as they understand they are going to a party!

Plus, the shows need our support more than ever. I was saddened to see declining numbers in mare and foal and youngstock classes across the board in 2025. The shows cannot go on without entries.