Brian Hennessy

BALLYPATRICK Stables in Co Tipperary, home of winning Aga Khan team member Greg Broderick, hosted the last of five events run in conjunction with Teagasc last Tuesday, which focused on the assessment of conformation and athleticism traits in sport horses and the suitability of stock for the marketplace.

The event attracted a huge crowd of spectators, with up to 300 people travelling from all over Ireland including HSI CEO Damian McDonald, SJI chairman Tony Hurley and equine specialists from Teagasc.

Broderick began the evening by showcasing a home-bred foal by the stallion Presley Boy, owed by Lee Kruger, owner of MHS Going Global. He explained that the foal is out of the dam Maja, who Broderick won his first ever Grand Prix with before he was sold to Kruger in Canada and that was how the Irish/Canadian partnership developed.

A Plot Blue foal named Mandella, out of a Cruising dam was then show in hand before being left to run loose as an example of good movement in a young sport horse.

A striking foal again out of a Cruising dam, by the World Championship winning-stallion Vigo D’Arsouilles, was next with Broderick revealing the dam is now in foal to For Pleasure.

Stressing the importance of using mares with a strong pedigree and proven dam lines, the Vigo foal was the star of the evening.

Broderick outlined specifically what he looks for in a foal: “They must have an uphill canter, be very balanced on corners and they should be able to change leads effortlessly even at a young age.”

The team of riders at Ballypatrick then showed two four-year-olds, giving a detailed demonstration of a grid that they use to improve technique and balance in the early stages of a horse’s jumping career.

Broderick himself then saddled multiple international winner MHS Automatic and spoke of how the partnership between the two has developed over a period of years.

Those in attendance got a chance to watch Broderick school one of the most talked about horses in world show jumping, as he rode stable-star MHS Going Global.

A video clip of the two in action during this year’s Aga Khan win was greeted with huge applause by those watching.

The Thurles rider gave details of how Ballypatrick Stables extensively uses embryo transfer in its breeding programme and suggested that this is the way forward with top level show jumping mares.

Broderick stressed that if your current breeding programme is not working, you need to change.

“You shouldn’t keep trying with a mare that is not producing results, you should move on and try something different,” he said.

Broderick said that in his opinion, the sport horse industry has never been so strong and if you breed or produce the right animal, you will be rewarded.

“I am on the continent all the time and I cannot get enough good young horses at the moment,” he said.

Spectator Davina Ni Mhuineacháin said: “A brilliant evening, thoroughly enjoyed it, very informative while Anthony Gillespie added: “A great presentation, nice to see the movement required at the top-end from the foals to older competitive horses.”