MY father Jimmy and uncles Malachy and Pat had a big love for horses and we always had horses on the family farm. Val, my brother, has Connemara ponies and is very successful, both breeding and showing them.

In 2003, I bought an Irish Draught mare Creggan Princess (Creggan Emperor), who we’d a lot of enjoyable days showing. Four years later, I bought an Irish Draught filly foal, Crusheen Breeze (Coolcronan Wood), off the late Jerry O’Donoghue. She turned into an exceptional show mare, who won numerous championships and bred fantastic championship-winning stock.