Susan Finnerty
A DECISION on the format of this year’s inspections for new stallion candidates is expected to be made at a meeting of Horse Sport Ireland’s Breeding Sub Board next Friday, (March 4th). Meanwhile Hector Van D’Abdijhoeve, who recorded his best result to date in the Longines Masters Grand Prix in Hong Kong last weekend with Bertram Allen, is being hailed as one success story from HSI’s previous inspection system.
“I’m happy as Larry with him [Hector] and Bertram is just a pure natural talent,” said Noel Delahunty, the delighted owner of Hector, who was classified as Preliminary Approved at the 2013 stallion inspections in Cavan. “He’s now automatically fully approved having jumped his double clears at 1.60m level.” Delahunty explained about his stallion who first made his mark in the ISH studbook show jumping series with Thomas O’Brien.
Speaking from the Sunshine Tour where Allen is competing Guinness, another Delahunty-owned stallion, the Galway owner revealed he had planned to “go down the exact same route” with his Dutch-bred Nabab De Reve five-year-old, but felt his options were now limited.
“He isn’t eligible for the ISH studbook show jumping series and now there’s no inspections so there’s nowhere to go.”
According to a HSI spokesperson, the Breeding Sub Board has met twice this month to consider review submissions and that it was hoped to announce and advertise springtime inspection arrangements for new stallion prospects after next Friday’s meeting.
“In the meantime, the owners of Irish Sport Horse Stallions who wish to have Stage 2 of the inspection process carried out have already been contacted with a view to have their assessed prior to the end of April,” said the HSI spokesperson, regarding arrangements for Stage 1 stallions already in the former system.
“I haven’t heard anything yet about Stage 2,” stated Liam Lynskey on Thursday evening. The Derryronane Stud owner was jubilant at last year’s inspections where he successfully presented a variety of stallions including the Frances Horgan-owned Kingship Courcel (ISH) and his own Kojak (KWPN), DS Ballagh Bouncer (ID) and Hans.
“He [Hans] was the first stallion in the new Irish Sport Pony studbook and probably the last, the way things are going. I was delighted to be part of the inspections and stallion parade last year, I really thought it [inspections] was going in the right direction,” said Lynskey who emailed HSI in December about his intention to present his Stage 1 stallion Cruising For Chics (TIH) and Knockaleery Dancer, a three-year-old Irish Draught colt.
Lynskey, who spearheads the new Concerned Western Shareholders group describing it as, “a group of 15 to 20 owners, producers and riders with everything from warmbloods, traditional, Irish Draught to show horses, who want to see the job done properly,” now plans to present his Crosstown Dancer colt at the Irish Draught Horse Society (GB) inspections. Seven Irish Draught stallion potentials have been entered for the cross-channel alternative which will be held at Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire on March 23rd.
He found it ironic “that in the anniversary year of the 1916 Rising that native Irish horses have to go to England to be inspected there by Irish inspectors!”.
“I got a letter from HSI in the 11am post this morning [yesterday]. The Stage 2 inspection is to be held at Coilog Equestrian Centre on the 29th of April. It’s the middle of the breeding season, if he fails I’d be looking at gelding him at the start of the five-year-old qualifiers,” said Kingship Courcel’s owner Frances Horgan.
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