MUCH has changed in the world of Irish breeding since Martin and Mary Frances Donohoe, backed by other members of the Goresbridge Go For Gold team, decided to move their sale to the dual Gorey, Co Wexford locations of Barnadown Showjumping and the Amber Springs Hotel for the 2011 renewal.

That year, 61 lots were catalogued of whom 20 were sired by 10 thoroughbred stallions, three by Irish Draughts and two by Connemaras. For this year’s renewal, seven thoroughbred stallions are represented by eight lots, being outnumbered by 19 Dutch Warmblood sires (24 lots), nine Belgian Warmblood stallions (19 lots) and eight Irish Sport Horse sires (12 lots).

There are no Irish Draught or Connemara stallions listed as sires of any of the 80 lots catalogued although the selection triumvirate of Sally Parkyn, Chris Ryan and Clare Ryan, who were joined again by guest selectors Bridget Speirs and Nicky Roncoroni, would be happy to include stock by such stallions if they were brought forward for inspection and considered good enough to select.

The majority of the lots catalogued are ISH-registered as are most of their dams.

Among the thoroughbred sires represented at the 2011 dispersal was Chinook Eclipse who is also the sire of one entry in this year’s sale, Trevor Horgan’s traditionally bred ISH gelding, Hidden Eclipse (Lot 8), who is out of a Templebready Fear Bui mare. The bay finished third in the four-year-old Stepping Stones league and fourth in the four-year-old division of the RDS national young event horse championships.

Also by TB sires and ISH (TIH)-registered are two grey geldings being consigned by Sue Ryan, SBT Solo (Lot 17), a four-year-old by In Seclusion from the family of Tipperary Liadhnan (CCI4*), and Ballinglen Alainn (Lot 67), a three-year-old by Financial Reward from the family of Newmarket Vasco One (CCI4*). Another is Raymond McChesney’s unnamed four-year-old Pointilliste gelding (Lot 20) who is out of a Master Imp mare.

Other horses in the sale who are registered as ISH (TIH) are Edward Condon’s Cruisin Over Clover (Lot 5), a five-year-old gelding by the ISH sire Cougar who has been schooled cross-country, and the Thomas Quigley-consigned Oughterard Errigal (Lot 73), a three-year-old Loughehoe Guy (ISH) gelding out of an Errigal Flight mare.