AN invitation to The County Clare Hunt meet at The Honk Bar on the Shannon Estuary by Amy and Paul Kinane was too good to pass up. I had reported and hunted with the Clares with three of their past huntsmen, James Costello, Sean Kilkenny and Pat Lynch. Amy and Paul had hunted with current Clare huntsman Paddy Considine, when he was whipping-in to Ryan Carvill, huntsman of the South Tyrone Foxhounds, when Paul was honorary whipper-in for 16 seasons. Courtesy of local farmer, Shane McNamara, I had a grandstand view on the hill overlooking the Estuary, and enjoyed the wonderful voices of Paddy Considine’s hounds.

The trip also allowed me to have an uninterrupted interview with Amy and Paul, who have had a fascinating broad-based journey in equestrianism involving hunting, producing, dealing, racing, bloodstock breeding, showing and show judging. Their lives have been all about horses. Even when they married in Barbados they were not far from horses, taking in racing at Garrison Savannah Racecourse. On their farm in County Laois, they keep hunters, thoroughbred broodmares, young stock, Amy’s ‘Racing to Riding’ horse and have some in training with Andy Slattery.

Amy, originally from County Waterford, is an Equitation and Equine Science Lecturer in the University of Limerick, where she is Course Director of the Equine Science Diploma Programmes.

It all began after she completed her Bachelor of Equine Science Degree in University of Limerick, followed by a Masters in Multimedia Systems at Trinity College in Dublin. Amy takes up the story. “Following that, I worked as a researcher in radio, but I felt the horses calling, so I chose to complete my British Horse Society (BHS) and Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) Level 2 teaching qualifications under the tutelage of High-Performance coach Denis Flannelly of Kill Equestrian Centre,” she said.

Amy had spent part of her youth with the Flannellys and learned so much about show horses through Fintan Senior, having spent many summers observing his exceptional Irish Draught and Irish Sport Horses. She particularly recalled the Irish Draught stallions Silver Granite by Glenvara and Holy Cross by Ben Purple.

Amy continued: “I had the opportunity to produce for Frances Cash, who shared so much knowledge with me and who was widely known for finding, producing and riding show horses, having ridden seven Dublin Horse Show Supreme Hunter Champion winners. She was such a natural horsewoman and never pushed an animal or over-faced them, instead always encouraged rhythm and suppleness and let horses work within their own frame.”

Show judging

Amy’s first show judging appointment was about 2010, when she judged Connemara Ponies in the early days of the Show of the East. Her ability was noticed and developed from there. She already had wins in Dublin under her belt at that stage, with the well-known lightweight show horse Corrileas Imp, who won in ridden classes and side saddle including at the Horse of the Year Show. From there, she got invitations to ride judge at shows, which she attributes to Denis Flannelly for his coaching on classical training, to her husband Paul for adaptability, and to hunting in South Tyrone for ‘stickability’.

“I was lucky to partner with the 10-year-old off the track thoroughbred gelding Khafaaq by Helmet, who ran 58 times, won eight times and placed 12 times. We had an incredible year last year in the show ring, culminating in winning the Treo Eile Novice Racehorse to Riding Horse Pathway Series outright. Paul knew he would be ideal for the job when he spent a short time in our yard from trainer Andy Slattery two years prior, and he was right! The specialist knowledge that I have accrued at University of Limerick has really helped me with insight into retraining thoroughbreds, along with my experience of riding out at Andy Slattery’s Yard near Killenaule.”

Racing background

Paul Kinane comes from a family of jockeys. His father Tommy and brothers Michael, Jayo and Thomas are all involved in the sport. He started on the pony racing circuit, having a confidence that he transmitted to ponies and later to horses that otherwise may never have won.

Paul’s father Tommy won the Cheltenham Champion Hurdle on Monksfield and his brother Michael has won on every continent, including Group, Classics and Breeders’ Cups. His father Tommy maintained Paul was a gifted horseman, a stylist, neat in the saddle and was the best jockey in the family. Paul rode his first racehorse at five years of age, riding My Puttens, the granddam of Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Denman. He rode his first winner, Champagne Brigade, in Leopardstown when he was 17 years old.

Paul worked and rode winners for Joe Crowley, father-in-law of Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien, and maintained that Crowley was before his time, as he was training fillies off the flat to run successfully over fences in the 1980s. Paul was Champion Conditional Jockey in Ireland in 1988, while with Crowley, and won the Purcell Exports Hurdle in Fairyhouse, and the Four-Year-Old Champion Hurdle in Punchestown on Clusheen.

He went on to ride in England, Australia, and as a leading jockey in New Zealand, where he was second on Go Noble in the prestigious McGregor Grant Steeplechase and the horse went on to win The Wellington Steeplechase. Count Sian won six races in a row from Novice to Open company. He rode work in Japan while with the Mogami Farm in Hokkaido. He was also associated with a colt named Kargali that won the Group 3 Gladness Stakes on the Curragh.

Hunting

A riding injury in 1997 put an end to Paul’s promising future as a jockey. So, another career in horses beckoned as Paul renewed his interest in hunting that he got from his uncle Danny growing up in Tipperary. Similar to racing, Paul always enjoyed going faster, jumping higher and wider over natural hunt country, particularly as honorary whipper-in to the South Tyrone Foxhounds, where he was a difficult man to follow. It also demonstrated how Paul could get into the mind of a horse, as he developed a reputation for producing quality made hunters that he supplied to customers in Ireland and the UK from a perfect schooling facility at home.

The best they kept for themselves, horses named Two Bob and Dexter, who had so much scope they were a class act leading the field crossing the really big country in South Tyrone. Recently, Paul stepped down after 16 seasons as honorary whipper-in to the South Tyrones, as he was busy with stock at home, so has been free to visit other packs.

Caring for Horses

Paul and Amy have very high standards in preparing horses either for hunting, showing, sales, rehab or racing with regular worming and shoeing. In addition to a carefully worked out feed routine, all their horses in work are given supplements such as copper, vitamin E and calcium pellets. They also have regular acupuncture by chiropractor John Roche. This care and attention, together with career experience, has proved so successful in pre-training, and rehab of horses off the racecourse, which they look after for trainer Andy Slattery.

Breeding

Their well-bred broodmare Lady Stormborn by Ballydoyle Classic winner Camelot won by 16 lengths in Leopardstown. Her first foal named Eastwatch by Makfi is currently in training with Andy Slattery rated 96. They are also looking forward to following their runners by Dig For Gold.

A new market opened up in Europe, where the couple sold horses to the Czech Republic, Italy and Slovakia. They had considerable success as their consignments produced a number of Grade 1 winners, including three Derby winners, a St Ledger and a Guineas winner.

They have brought their combined experience to the showing ring and last year they judged at Iverk, Clogher Valley and the Nugentstown Horse Show. But the invitation to judge at the prestigious Balmoral Show was special, where Amy judged the Ladies’ Hunters and Paul judged the Lightweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight Hunters and the Championships.

They now look forward to the upcoming showing season, when they will be fulfilling invitations to judge at shows around the country, which they really enjoy. This includes an invitation to judge the Working Hunters at Balmoral Show and all ridden classes at Armagh County Show in Gosford Forest Park.