AUTUMN has certainly set in and the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA) performance championships experienced traditional Irish weather too last Sunday. Host venue Mullingar Equestrian Centre’s facilities were a considerable asset with the three-year-old loose jumping competitions, for example, held in the indoor arena.
The weather conditions didn’t deter the hardy traditional-breds and their crews though and many were in their element, both in the grass arena and over Mullingar’s track of natural fences and banks.
It was second nature too for Quilty Queen, the Clare-bred mare that ended the day as the supreme champion.
Dermot Forde’s holiday buy has some hunting experience to her credit. “Myself and my wife Geraldine were on holidays in West Clare and stayed in an old cottage in Quilty. The owners Martin and Loretta Sexton said ‘We have a mare and foal’, so I went and I loved this foal. The mare was an old traditional-type of Irish Draught mare, so I ended up buying the foal. When I came home, I convinced a friend and colleague of mine - Daryl Noble, who’s another vet - to take a half-share and we’ve had the mare ever since.
“She’s four years old now, so we thought we’ll do a little bit with her and put her up for sale. She has been produced by Kevin Donohue, the huntsman of the Ballymacad Hunt, he broke her and gave her a few hunts at the back end of last year.
Great surprise
“So, as an education, she went last week to her first-ever show in Trim, where she finished fourth in the novice working hunter. We came here today to observe her on her second outing, to enjoy the day and not expecting to take first prize, so it was a great surprise.”
As with last year’s champion - Aidan Flanagan’s RSH Strings Attached (Gortfree Hero) - the opening ridden class for four and five-year-olds proved to be the one to provide the supreme champion at the end of the day.
Quilty Queen, with Grace Lumley aboard, won this class, judged by Valerie Davis (conformation) and Damien Griffin (ride), ahead of Emily Murphy’s Lilly Bobtail (Harzand) and Gerry Whyte’s Sleehaun Showtime (Watervalley Cool Diamond).
The Vet Syndicate: Daryl Noble and Dermot Forde with their TIHA supreme champion Quilty Queen with Grace Lumley aboard and Horse Sport Ireland’s Edel Whyte \ Susan Finnerty
This and the entire day’s classes were funded under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) breeding support programme, overseen by Horse Sport Ireland. Another welcome measure was random drug testing, as part of the HSI breeding grant initiative.
In the second flat class, this time for six-year-olds and over, Irish Draught blood shone through. Deirdre Rafter’s mannerly Lawnview Diamond (Young Carrabawn x Heigh Ho Silver) topped this class, ahead of Draught and working hunter class constants: Chris Carter and Damien McCormack’s Cloonan Hector (Clewbay Bouncer) and Lady Perdita Blackwood’s Clandeboye (Scrapman).
These championships are open to traditionally-bred Irish Sport Horses and their component breeds, such as pure-bred Irish Draughts and Connemaras and, as one of last year’s Connemara owners Abbey O’Driscoll said about her Caoranbeg Commanche lining out against his bigger ‘cousins’, it was a bonus to compete with a variety of people and horses in an open class.
Over hurdles
Another perfect fit in the schedule was the addition of a thoroughbred performance class. The inaugural winner of the Treo Eile rug and ribbons at this event was Rachel O’Callaghan’s Just Be Cool (Canford Cliffs).
This nine-year-old, bred at Lynn Lodge Stud, completed Ballindenisk International’s one-star class two years ago, won the Treo Eile class at the Stepping Stones league this spring and has been well hunted with midland packs.
Second in this class was Dot Love’s Blackfield (Califet) and third was Bernadette Curry’s Teo’s Chance (Teofilo).
This and the championships’ other two performance classes, ran like clockwork, with entrants completing their flat, jumping and conformation sections (judged by Caroline Moore, Patricia Hoey and Valerie Davis), in quick succession across the Mullingar arena.
When the scores were totted up again for the four/five-year-old class, Quilty Queen scored a double, matching her earlier ridden class win with a performance class win too.
Dermot Molloy’s Cummermore Lad (Heigh Ho Dubh), the recent supreme ridden champion at the Irish Draught Horse Breeders’ Association national show, stood second with Diarmuid Ryan.
In third was Amy Grady’s Murrisk Paudie (Farmhill Highlander), another versatile Draught performer out of Michael Grady’s good Agherlow mare Ashlawn Star.
Other seasoned campaigners filled the six-year-old and over class, headed by Lady Perdita’s Clandeboye, the 2024 Dublin and, more recently, the IDHBA national show working hunter champion. The Scrapman seven-year-old had his regular pilot and another Kilkenny producer in Louise Lyons aboard.
“Something for me?” Clandeboye, with Louise Lyons aboard and judge Valerie Davis, checks out his TIHA rug packaging \ Susan Finnerty
Ciara Dennigan stood second with Owen Cullen’s Paulank Easter Bunny, the reserve supreme champion at last year’s show. By Nazar, the mare was bred by Frank and Paula Cullen, whose Paulank Miracle Road - a relative of their Paulank Brockagh - was placed in the previous class with ‘Brock’s’ original producer Susan McDonald on her rider’s birthday.
Laura Snow, just back from a bucketlist trip to the Spruce Meadows 50th anniversary Masters and western Canada, placed third with another consistent pure-bred Draught and former Dublin winner in Drynam Hero (Gortfree Hero).
Supreme choice
Across in the indoor arena, Damien Griffin assessed the three-year-olds in both of the loose jumping competitions.
Tara Esler’s Coolin Lady C won out in the opening filly section. By the thoroughbred Centennial and out of the Aughrim Knight mare Mary’s Lady, she was bought from her breeder Darragh Glynn, whose younger brother Lorcan is Tara’s partner.
Tara Esler with her Coolin Lady C, the three-year-old filly loose jumping winner and overall reserve supreme champion \ Susan Finnerty
Mary’s Lady has already produced a number of All-Ireland traditional champions and this year’s Dublin lightweight broodmare class winner, Crannaghmore Elusive Lady, a half-sister to Sunday’s winner.
Ashfield Bouncer and Killinick Sky are two previous TIHA championship winners for Ann Lambert, who notched up two reserve places this year in the loose jumping sections. Her Killinick Masha and Killinick Bouncer (both by Ashfield Bouncer) finished runner-up in the filly and following colt/gelding classes respectively.
Third place in the filly section went to Jenny Williams’ pure-bred Draught Killayne Jasmine (Hollypark Diamond). An honourable mention must go to Charles Dullea’s home-bred Killountain Cruise (Killountain Cross), last year’s Limerick Lady champion, who placed sixth after her four-hour journey from West Cork for the finals.
In the colt/gelding section, Chris and Sue Ryan’s handsome grey, of which Jason Furlong also owns a ‘leg’, was the winner. Bred in Co Wicklow by John Brady, the son of the Connemara sire Pumpkins Pondi and out of a French Buffet - Temple Clover dam, has been selected for this year’s Go For Gold sale.
Sue, Emma and Chris Ryan with the Connemara/Irish Sport Horse cross winner of the three-year-old colt/gelding loose jumping \ Susan Finnerty
In third place, after Ann Lambert’s second blue ribbon winner, was last year’s winning producer Keith Clogher, this time with his own Smooth Kriminal (Smooth Daddy).
In the supreme championship, Davis, Hoey and Moore opted for Quilty Queen with Coolin Lady C as their reserve champion choice.
“She’s got an excellent temperament and is typical of the best qualities of an Irish horse. She’d make a lovely all-rounder and working hunter horse,” said joint-owner Dermot Forde, busily snapping the beribboned mare for his client list.
“The hard work and commitment of the TIHA organising council was clearly reflected in the very successful event that brought our 2025 calendar to a close. It could not have taken place in a better venue than the excellent facilities at Mullingar Equestrian, without whose help the show could not have been run,” TIHA chairman Kevin Noone commented afterwards.
“As with any recap of how the day went, there is that typical thank you to be paid to our sponsors, but it’s a heartfelt one, as we are genuinely so grateful to our sponsors whose annual support makes this event possible. We simply couldn’t do what we do at the championships without them.
“There are many other avenues for their sponsorship, so to have this financial and practical backing provided, just makes us strive harder and takes the financial pressure off us. Otherwise, it’s canvassing for hard-to-obtain sponsorship from constantly-tapped businesses.
“Horse Sport Ireland, through the DAFM scheme, generously provided much of the prize money; Treo Eile supported our first thoroughbred class, which we hope will be the first of many; Agria, with whom we look forward to building a strong working relationship, and Loop Mobile have faithfully sponsored our TIHA rugs over the past number of years.
“A new development is the Irish Horse Board’s undertaking to incorporate this event into a proposed marketing package for the Traditional Irish Horse. This, along with witnessing our events grow year on year, is heartening,” Noone added.
THERE is no better event to wrap up this year’s show coverage than ringside at the TIHA championships. The hands-on team, whose USP is equal measures of good humour and professionalism, is headed by Kevin Noone, who was as happy putting up poles for the three-year-old classes as his ‘front of house’ chairman role.
Without results, shows are invisible and, despite her birthday celebrations the previous night, Jennifer Haverty had a full set of TIHA results available immediately. Her infectious good humour and common sense, paired with Joan Bateman’s professionalism, makes them a peerless stewards’ double act.
And then there’s the Energiser Bunny energy of Liam Lynskey’s next generation clan of Katie, William and Grace, who stuck it out in all weathers as scribes and runners.
One of Mullingar’s huts provided shelter and seating on a blustery day of downpours, plus the bonus of catching up with vet and agent Dermot Forde, who has worn a multitude of hats throughout his storied career.
In between texting Quilty Queen’s delighted breeder Martin Sexton, (see Breeders’ 10 page 74), the era of Bord na gCapall stallion purchases, such as Carnival Night, Colourfield, Edmund Burke and Stan The Man, were reminisced over and other famous horses Forde is associated with in his role as sport horse agent.
Standout horse
“Well, Flexible would have to be, he was an outstanding horse in a different category. And another one is Leapy Lad, he jumped double clear in the Nations Cup with George Stewart when Ireland won the Nations Cup in 1984.
“I said, ‘This is an Irish horse I’m going to promote in America. Nobody went to America then [to sell horses]. I went to Madison Square Garden where the National Horse Show used to be, we all dressed up in our tuxedos at night and the ladies in long dresses and I promoted the horse.
“I showed him to George Morris on an old-type video and he said, ‘Dermot, not enough scope for me’, and that was okay. Then I showed it to Norman Dello Joio, who’d won the World Cup final the previous year in Vienna and he said, ‘Okay, I’ll come and see him’.
“The following week, I met Norman at the airport and drove north to George Stewart’s place in Co Down. He tried the horse, said nothing and just before he left Dublin airport to get on the plane, he said ‘No, not for me. Not enough scope.’”
It proved to be a case of third time lucky when Jay Land, a son of a friend in Atlanta, and Frank Gombolay arrived in November to see Leapy Lad.
“Jay’s only a young guy, 20, 21 years of age and he arrived with his trainer Frank, who, like Bertalan de Némethy, was a former Hungarian army officer who left when the revolution took place in 1956.
“He [Frank] established himself first in Canada and then in the United States and is one of the greatest horsemen I have ever met, in true de Némethy fashion. An absolute horseman and a fabulous trainer, who was never really recognised as such, except by a few people in the States.
“We went up to my great friend Leonard and Marion Cave’s place and they tried the horse, I mean they tried the horse. They jumped him over a combination that you would only meet in the Olympic Games.”
Trial passed, Leapy Lad went stateside where he won the Hampton Classic and a host of American classes. “He came to Dublin on the American team in 1986 and finished second in the Grand Prix, beaten only by a fraction of a second by Gerry Mullins and Rockbarton.
“Leapy Lad went to the World Cup finals in 1986 and there was one particular line of fences... himself and the winner [McLain, ridden by Leslie Burr-Lenehan] were the only horses to jump that particular line.”
US tariffs
How about the current US market and the tariff situation? “I would concur that the tariffs don’t help anybody and the currency devaluation means the dollar is now $1.17 against the euro. That doesn’t help either and the other problem is shipping costs.
“It costs about €15,000 to get a gelding from door to door, mares are affected by the extra quarantine, so therefore the market for the moderate-priced horse is not realistic because if a horse costs 15 or 20 grand, you add in shipping costs and it’s doubled. Then the tariff. Maybe if they’re very wealthy buyers, no problem, but if they’re normal people with normal income, they could probably find a horse that will do their particular job for less money in the United States.
“Thankfully, some of the buyers are very dedicated to the Irish horse, but that’s the realistic economics of it.”
“I’m from North Yorkshire and I came to Cavan where I was riding horses for Stuart Clarke. I still ride there a couple of days a week and am producing horses for Glenn [Farrell Walker, her partner] too.” - Winning jockey Grace Lumley.
“The many positive comments we received from participants reaffirm the importance of the work being done to support and promote the Traditional Irish Horse.
“As an association, we recognise the vital role of breeders, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure they are supported. It is only through ongoing support that traditional horses will continue to be produced for future generations.
“We always love to see new members joining and the new ideas that they bring with them.” - Kevin Noone, TIHA chairman.
“He was a great horse. The Lands loved him dearly and he was never for sale. They had him right until he died in his late 20s on their farm outside Atlanta, Georgia.” - Dermot Forde recalls Leapy Lad’s career.