THE news that Jonty Evans’ Olympic mount Cooley Rorkes Drift (ISH) may be sold in a crucial Championship year (see A63) reinforces the notion that Ireland is a selling nation, capable of breeding and producing horses to make it to the top level, but unable to keep such horses under the Irish flag.

Wealthy owners making huge offers to buy horses from Ireland is the age old story. The most recent and high profile case was the sale of Greg Broderick’s MHS Going Global to Greek shipping heiress Athina Onassis last November.

A vital part of the Irish team for two years, Broderick and the Quidam Junior-sired gelding, who was bred in Co Kilkenny by the late Ita Brennan, jumped a double clear round in the Aga Khan in 2015 and 2016, and eventually went on to represent Ireland as the sole individual at the Olympic Games.

Canadian owner Lee Kruger of Caladonia Stables reportedly turned down large offers before agreeing to sell to Onassis for a sum believed to be in the region of between €10 and €12 million, making him the most expensive horse to be sold out of Ireland.

Earlier this summer, the Irish show jumping team suffered another blow when Michael Duffy’s top horse Belcanto Z was sold to Karl Schneider and subsequently to Al Shira’aa Stables after a fantastic, albeit short campaign at Nations Cup level.

Interest started to grow around the 11-year-old after impressive performances in Al Ain and Lummen and he was eventually sold after La Baule.

Darragh Kenny has also been unlucky to lose the ride on good horses in the lead up to major championships. With Hyperion Stud’s Imothep he placed 12th individually at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France. He contributed to team performances before they announced their split due to schedule conflicts. The horse went on to represent Japan in Rio with Taizo Sugitani. Kenny also lost the ride the talented Sans Soucis Z, the horse he rode to victory in the 2015 Aga Khan Nations Cup.

Shane Breen sold another big championship hopeful in Balloon back in June 2014, to Mexican young rider Eugenio Garza. Part of the Aga Khan team that finished third in 2013, Balloon was tipped to do big things before the large offer was accepted.