HORSES have been a big part of my life; all my life. A way of life you could say. My father John, rode in point-to-points when he was younger. By the time I came along, he was retired from riding but worked first for Gerard Hogan and later John Power in Bruff. He was a natural horseman, who just had a wonderful way of dealing with them. I like to think that I have managed to instill some of what he taught me into my own two daughters, both of whom are also working within the industry.

My father would have taken myself and my two older brothers point-to-point racing. While both of them went on to follow in this footsteps, by riding in points, I was always more interested in the breeding side of it. I didn’t have any summer or weekend jobs working in racing while I was in school. It was only after I left, that I went to Mellon Stud where my older brother John was employed.