BREEDERS and veterinary surgeons are invited to attend a two-hour online workshop next Tuesday. Among the topics being discussed by four expert panellists will be mating plans, fertility, foaling and nutrition.

The breeding season preparation workshop is being organised by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, as part of its annual educational programme.

To register for the workshop, simply email Kerry Ryan at ITBA at kryan@itba.ie

The ITBA’s Kerry Ryan said: “While Covid-19 has done its best to discommode us all, breeders transitioned very well to the ITBA’s online educational workshops and webinars during 2020. I would like to thank all panellists for giving so freely of their time and expertise, given that December is a very busy month for so many people.”

Veterinary surgeons will receive two CVE credits for attendance.

Workshop topics and speakers

  • Assisting your mare during foaling: Breeder Cathy Grassick.
  • Preparing your mare for foaling & postnatal care: Veterinarian Andrea Ryan.
  • Best nutritional plan for your pregnant mare during & post foaling and nutritional plan for foal: Nutritionist Lorraine Fradl.
  • Smart approach to preparing your 2021 mating plans: Breeder Cathy Grassick. Influence of weather on the fertility of broodmares: Equine scientist Ulrike Voigt

    • Workshop info

    ITBA 2020 Breeding Season Preparation Workshop, co-funded by Department of Agriculture - Equine Technical Support & Equine Breeding Schemes Project

    Date/time: Tuesday, December 15th (7pm to 9pm) via Zoom

    Fee: Waived during Covid-19.

    Register: Email kryan@itba.ie

    Meet the speakers

    Cathy Grassick

    Cathy assists her mother Sheila in running Brian Grassick Bloodstock. She has many years’ experience working with horses in a wide range of roles and also has a degree in Business and Law from UCD. She joined Brian Grassick Bloodstock as an agent in 2008, having previously worked alongside her father as his assistant for many years.

    In recent years she has been responsible for purchasing such good horses as Grandeur, Klassique, and Majestic Queen under the Brian Grassick Bloodstock banner. She is now a director of Brian Grassick Bloodstock as well as of the family’s Newtown Stud. Newtown Stud has been responsible for producing or consigning many top-class horses such as Approve, Phoenix Of Spain, Three Sea Captains and Dress Rehearsal. Cathy is vice chairman of the ITBA.

    Andrea Ryan

    Andrea (MVB MRCVS CertEP Cert EM (Stud Med)) qualified from UCD veterinary college in 1994 and has since accumulated almost 20 years’ experience in equine practice. During this time, she had spells working in England, New Zealand and England again before returning to Ireland to set up her own veterinary practice.

    In 2001, she was awarded a certificate in equine practice by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. She then went on to specialise in equine reproduction and stud medicine and in 2009 was awarded a certificate in stud medicine by the Royal College. She now jointly runs Kilcash Equine Clinic with her main areas of interest being stud medicine and reproductive problems in barren mares.

    Lorraine Fradl

    Lorraine is a member of the Connolly’s Red Mills export team. Her role of international business development includes technical and nutritional support for the international markets and customer. Lorraine graduated from University College Dublin in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science – Equine. Lorraine has previously worked with Coolmore America and Moyglare Stud in Ireland in the area of thoroughbred breeding stock and also with show jumpers, both in Ireland and abroad.

    Ulrike Voigt

    Ulrike (MSc, Dipl. Kff.) graduated from the University of Applied Sciences RFH Cologne, Germany, in 2005 with a diploma in media management with the focal points marketing and communication management.

    After this she went on to the University of Edinburgh, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in the United Kingdom where she graduated with Master in Equine Science in 2014.

    Ulrike has just finished her Ph.D. at the Justus-Liebig-University Gießen in Germany on the topic of the influence of weather on the reproductive cycle of broodmares.

    Since 2012 Ulrike has been working at Boehringer Ingelheim in the global headquarters as an equine brand manager. Here she is responsible for the global vaccine portfolio as well as the endocrine portfolio.

    Prior to taking the role at Boehringer Ingelheim she had been working for Fort Dodge and Pfizer Animal Health in various local and European equine marketing roles.