IT was in Cookstown that I first met Roy Workman, while looking at horses at the stud farm of SR Bolton, who was standing some stallions including the influential Dikusa. In these early years, I got to know Roy well while travelling around the North looking at horses. He was a very complete horseman with an equal passion and interest in breeding as he had in producing young horses.

It was impossible to disassociate Roy from his beloved stallion Euro Clover. Bred by John McKay, Euro Clover (by Clover Hill out of a well-bred Lukretia) was injured as a young horse in his paddock and had a very reserved prognosis for survival, never mind recovery. Roy cared and nursed him back to full health and he rightly claimed that the horse knew what he did for him and expressed his gratitude for ever after. The horse went on to represent Ireland with Samantha Duffy and with Roy and Yvonne’s son William at international level.