Work together to produce results

Madam,

I concur with John Watson’s article in The Irish Field on August 13th.

We certainly seem to have lost our way when it comes to describing an Irish Sport Horse (ISH). I can only imagine how difficult it must be for foreign buyers when they come to Ireland to buy a specific type of Irish horse and find horses from many different gene pools in the same studbook.

At the moment we are world leaders in the breeding of event horses, with the traditional thoroughbred/Irish Draught cross the most significant factor to its success. It is only a matter of time before we breed out this fantastic type of horse and our distinct breed is lost to our European counter parts.

A restructuring of the studbook will have to be addressed if we are to retain our position in WBFSH (World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses).

As the owner and breeder of the recently-approved Traditional Irish Horse (TIH) stallion Hallowberry Cruz (ISH), the addition of the Traditional Irish Horse label to the studbook is a positive move. At least now breeders and prospective buyers can immediately identify with the type of horse they are looking at.

The Irish Sport Horse studbook is ranked 13th in the world for show jumping horses. Hallowberry Cruz has represented Ireland on a Nations Cup in Sopot and competed very successfully in Dublin as the only Traditional Irish Horse to compete in the Grand Prix. We now need to go abroad to compete at four and five-star level. To do so requires the support of Horse Sport Ireland to get invitations to these shows, and at the moment, this is proving quite difficult.

The role of Horse Sport Ireland is more than just the breeding and producing of young horses, it must also be there to support the Irish-bred international horse.

How can we ever improve our world ranking position if we don’t work together?

Yours etc,

Caroline Byrne

Carnew

Co Wicklow

Stop talking down Irish breeding

Madam,

I read John Watson’s column with great interest last week.

It strikes me as odd, yet ever so stereotypically Irish, that we should try to talk down our own achievements.

The breeding of Sir Douglas 10, did not come about because of Belgian, Dutch, French or German ancestry but through the vision and decision making of an Irishman. That is to be rightfully celebrated at every turn!

Sir Douglas, as a gelding, has nothing further to offer Irish breeding. Yet his mother and sisters do, through the assimilation of their clearly favourable genes into the Irish herd.

I look forward to the day when the infusion of foreign genetics leads to a scenario whereby Irish breeders are putting colts and fillies on the ground that can breed the next generation of international competitors from within the national herd itself and we are not so reliant on horses abroad.

Since the question of foreign genetics and their merit coming into Ireland doesn’t seem like it’s going to die anytime soon, I would point towards Micheal O’Muircheartaigh’s analysis of one Sean Og O’Halpin “His father is from Fermanagh, his mother’s from Fiji. Neither one a hurling stronghold.”

Should Cork hurling not celebrate what this infusion of “foreign” genes have to offer both themselves as well as our own” wider Hibernian culture and DNA” despite him not being “technically classic traditional,” Cork breeding!

We could certainly do with some of that infusion for Offaly hurling!

I would suggest that Mr Watson would be better served continuing to highlight the necessity for high TB blood percentages in event horse breeding than worrying about the packaging on horses that were bred in Ireland.

Yours etc

Conor Sheridan

Brosna View Stables

Clara

Co Offaly

Championships thanks

On behalf of Cooley Farm, I would just like to thank all those involved in the Eventing Ireland National Championships at the weekend.

It was an incredible success and a huge effort was put in from all involved which really showed over the three days. I would also like to thank the very generous sponsors, without whom it could not operate.

We look forward to attending it again next year.

Yours etc

Georgina Philips

Cooley Farm

Glenealy

Co Wicklow