I WAS very surprised when Susan asked me to take part in the Breeders’ 10 feature, as I would consider myself a small-scale, amateur breeder. However, when I started breeding horses in the ‘80s, small breeders formed the backbone of the traditional horse breeding industry.

I grew up in Inistioge, Co Kilkenny. Both my parents grew up on mixed farms, where horses played an important role and were used for both work and leisure. My father, Tom Murphy, bred and trained a few thoroughbreds and, as there was no way of transporting horses back then, they had to be ridden everywhere.