CONGRATULATIONS to the Woods family of Killacorn Stables of Emyvale, Co Monaghan, whose mare, Tosh C (by Pacino) now has three offspring qualified for the Dublin Horse Show.

Tosh C is a 16-year-old Sean Woods has owned for six years, producing five foals in that time.

Her qualified offspring include Alpha SRC, a five-year-old by Corporal VDL who is now owned by Jim Ryan. Still with Sean is Alpha Miss A, a four-year-old by Alicante who qualified in Mulligar with John Mullingan from Leitrim in the saddle.

The third qualified is Sean’s three-year-old filly by Vittorio named Alpha Miss V, who took first place in the filly loose jumping class at Sligo.

“For us as small breeders this means the world,” said Sean. “This mare never jumped in her life and it’s just means so much qualifying three for the RDS in the same year out of the same mare. Honestly it’s unreal.

“We have four mares we breed from and we try to keep them til three or four, although we plan to keep the four-year-old. I grew up with them, my sister and brother got into riding. I never got on one myself but I developed a bit of an addiction to breeding them!

“We were in Mullingar for the four year-old’s qualifier and she held on for seventh. The three year-old qualified in Sligo. We were getting ready for Kernans so it was meant to be a trial run but then we got the phone call that she won it!

“It’s what everybody aims for and it really tops things off, to get one in and then to get three. What makes this achievement even more special is that all three sires stood at Drumhowan Stud her in Monaghan, and all three qualifiers are out of the same remarkable mare. To have three offspring from one mare qualify is a testament to the quality, consistency, and athleticism she continues to pass on to her progeny.”

And to make the year even more special, this lovely mare recently produced a beautiful colt foal by Avos Jordan Z, adding another exciting chapter to her remarkable breeding story.