OUR family’s story with Connemaras began over 30 years ago when our late father Eamon, who loved horses all his life, sourced our founding broodmare Coillchru Esmerelda from a gentleman called Jim Farrell in Slane, Co Meath.

We’ve been breeding Connemara ponies since at our farm in Monasterboice, Co Louth along with having a cattle suckler enterprise, including a pedigree Charolais herd which my father also had a great passion for, as he constantly tried to breed better and better quality cattle.

1. The Briscoe family have been synonymous with breeding the great Sillogue Darkie, a pony that launched the careers of several international riders, including Michael Duffy on the Irish team at Dublin. Tell us about him.

Darkie, or Sillogue as he was also affectionally known, was a grey gelding by the stallion Ard Talisman, stood by the late Owen Joe Duffy from Shercock in Co. Cavan. His dam Coillchru Esmerelda was a terrific quality mare by Grange Sand Sparrow. Whilst never competed, she did, as we witnessed several times, have a tremendous jump in her and was also successful in the showring, in-hand.

Darkie was broken, riding and ready for competing at the age of five. However, with the outbreak of Foot and Mouth in March 2001, all shows were cancelled that year until August.

Following myself, Alexander Butler took up the ride.

Some highlights with Alexander aboard a seven-year-old Darkie, included second in the 148cm Grade A championship at the RDS and in their first international outings in Belgium, winning against some of the best ponies in Europe, to take the Gazette de Liege Trophy.

With Benny Kuehnle as pilot, Darkie came back and won the RDS 148cms championship. A famous double was achieved one week later when they were placed first in the Millstreet Grand Prix. After they finished second in the Pony Super League at Belfast International Show, a historic treble of Dublin, Cork and Belfast was narrowly denied by less than a second – which is, I guess, the sport!

Benny and Darkie really gelled as a pair, going on to win the English Home Pony International Grand Prix, the German Masters and were part of the Irish Nations Cup winning team at the famous Arezzo venue in Tuscany, Northern Italy.

The next winning pairing was with David Blake. In their first international show together, they jumped a double clear as part of the Irish Nations Cup victory in Fontainebleau, France. They also placed third in the Grand Prix at the same venue.

Other achievements that year (2005) included winning the Wales & West Home Counties International, placed first again in Millstreet, third in the RDS 148cms championship and competing on the Irish Nations Cup team that placed second at Verona, Italy.

In 2007, under Jessica Burke, Sillogue Darkie went on to win a bronze medal with the Irish team at the European championships in Freudenberg, Germany. The following year, the pair dominated the Irish Premier Pony League, winning many Grand Prixs, with Darkie finishing as Leading Pony of the Year.

With another Galway rider, Michael Duffy, aboard in 2009, they started at home strongly, winning a number of big shows and at the European trials in Barnadown, achieved three days of clear rounds at the highest international jumping standard.

Soon after in Wierden, Holland they were part of the Irish team that placed second in the Nations Cup. Keeping this form in Neeroeteren, Belgium, they were pipped to the Grand Prix victory by 0.77 of a second.

A great summer saw them play a key role on the Irish team, bringing home the team silver medal from the European Championships in Moorsele, Belgium whilst finishing seventh in the individual competition.

A successful campaign concluded with Darkie being the recipient of the overall leading Premier League pony for the second consecutive season.

2. Proudest moments as a breeder?

In terms of results, being part of the Irish team that won silver and bronze medals at the European Championships and winning the RDS 148cms championship was special.

Breeding, producing, and competing a pony of Darkie’s calibre is probably rare enough and would be something we would be proud of. At home, Darkie accumulated over 1,000 SJI jumping points in his career and qualified in seven successive years for the RDS which I’m not sure had been done before or since.

Darkie being selected by the Connemara Pony Breeders Society to become a member of the Connemara Pony Hall of Fame, along with being voted Connemara Pony of the Decade for the noughties in a worldwide poll were also proud achievements for the Briscoe family.

3. Favourite broodmare?

Our 24-year-old Sillogue Rose is my favourite. A full-sister to Darkie, she was a Grade A show jumper who was prolific in the Star Finder league and was retired to stud the next year.

Rose also has some real quality progeny on the ground including the eventer Sillogue Sergei, sired by Westside Mirah, who won the Junior Equitation Championship at the RDS in 2019 with Gemma Murphy who evented him nationally.

4. What’s your aim as a breeder?

To breed horses and ponies that will have the ability to compete at a high level in both showjumping and eventing.

5. Describe your regime for keeping Connemara ponies?

Our Connemara breeding stock live out all year round which suits their nature best. We thankfully have largely dry land which has good natural shelter. We try to handle foals as early as possible.

The late Eamon Briscoe (right) and Ronan Corrigan at an SJI awards night where Eamon was honoured for breeding the purebred Connemara \ Laurence Dunne.

6. If you could have bred any horse/pony, which one?

A good few come to mind and of course I’d have to pick an Irish Sport Horse. The world-famous Cruising had such an illustrious show jumping career winning so many Grand Prix and Nations Cups. His breeding legacy was also immense, producing so many champions including Flexible and Mr Cruise Control.

Bred in Co Monaghan the eventer Ringwood Cockatoo who won Olympic individual gold would have also been amazing to breed.

7. What’s your view on prefixes?

For breeders I believe they are important in terms of identification, branding, and recognising the breeding farm’s efforts and achievements. For us, with our Sillogue prefix, we place emphasis on it as part of our efforts to build a brand.

8. It takes a team - who is on yours?

Breeding, breaking, and training take a lot of time and effort, so the team is very important.

My brother Ciaran is centrally involved on the farm, with my mother Elizabeth Gabrielle Briscoe also having a keen interest in equine breeding.

Trusted professionals who help develop our horses are also key. Michelle Murphy of Silverline Stables outside Dundalk has been a vital part of the team.

9. Best advice you ever got?

Breed from the best and hope for the best.

10. Breeding Connemara ponies, would you do it all over again?

That would be a resounding yes. In addition to their capacity to compete at a high level, their temperament and general soundness make them great to work with.