A TOTAL of 36 stallions will be paraded at the inaugural Sport Horse and Thoroughbred Stallion Show at Emerald Equestrian Centre today (Saturday, March 9th.)

Organised by a group of sport horse breeders, led by Michael Doherty and Mark Bolger, the stallion show welcomes a total of 30 sport horse stallions, 10 of which are traditionally bred, and six thoroughbred horses.

Among the stallions are two Olympic performers in Parco (BWP) and Vivant (BWP). The 27-year-old grey Belgian-bred Parco, a son of Darco, who is managed in Ireland by The Stallion Company, finished fourth in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and fourth at the 2003 European Championships under Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts.

The now 21-year-old Vivant van de Heffinck came to stand in Ireland at Kennedy Equine Centre in 2017. The Fuego Du Prelet-sired horse was selected for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2015 European Championships in Aachen before his retirement.

The clones of the late great Cruising – Cruising Arish and Cruising Encore – head the list of 10 Traditional Irish Horses (TIH) who will be on show at the event, and spectators will have a chance to see them ridden by Edward Doyle in the afternoon, while the 2018 Dublin Horse Show six-year-old champion Castlelawn Captain Junior (TIH) is one of three Captain Clover progeny to line out.

Ganesh Hero Z hit the headlines last week after it emerged he has been sold to a group of investors, however the five-year-old son of Gemini CL xx, the clone of Gem Twist, will remain in Ireland until the end of the 2019 breeding season, and Irish breeders will have the chance to see him ridden by Damien Griffin.

Ballywalter Farm, home of international show jumper Bertram Allen, have entered the five-year-old Nettuno Della Caccia, who is a half-brother to Cian O’Connor’s 1.60m jumper PSG Final.

Another well-related type is Carmel Ryan’s four-year-old Cornet Obolensky-sired Creme de la Creme Z, from the same mother (Cara Mia Z) as Peter Moloney’s top mount Compelling Z.

Among the six thoroughbred stallions is Elusive Emir, the winner of the last renewal of the now defunct Croker Cup in 2015.

DETAILS

Session one will kick off at 12pm with each stallion paraded in-hand. The event will be compered by Michael Doherty, who will give each stallion owner a chance to speak about their horse. The second session will see some of the stallions go under saddle at approximately 3.30pm.

The Irish Field will have a stand at the event, offering subscription deals, while other trade stand exhibitors include Equilume, Bit-Media, Connolly’s Red Mills, Bluegrass Horse Feeds, Tattersalls International Horse Trials, Cheval Liberte, Janni Bars and the Mayo Roscommon Breeders Group. Stallion owners will also have their own trade stand area.

Doors will open at Emerald Equestrian Centre at 11am and the event is free of charge for spectators.

Emerald Equestrian Centre address:

Mucklon, Enfield, Co Kildare