I’m from Oughterard, in Co Clare and I’m a plasterer by trade. Horses have always been in my life. My father Patrick (Patty) bred mares back in the day when horses were doing the farm work, ploughing, and hay. He bred Snaefell (Vixens Cottage x Prince Rupert), a horse that represented Japan in the 1964 Olympics.

I started off by buying two or three foals every year and keeping them until they were three-year-olds. That was working out fine until things changed and I couldn’t buy the type of foal I wanted. I said there was only one solution and that was to buy a few well-bred mares and breed foals.

I bought my first mare, by Cruising. She was 18-years-old and in foal with her first foal, having competed until then. She had a Puissance filly which I still have as a broodmare.

I then saw an ad in the Irish Farmers Journal for another Cruising mare who had two good Thoroughbred crosses – Sky Boy and Awkward Brief - which is why I decided to buy her, as well as for type and blood. That was Oughterard Sky Cruise (Sky). We broke and jumped her as a four-year-old. She was a real talent but got injured and I then put her in foal to the great Puissance, and that resulted in her first foal, Oughterard Cooley (Rich).

Her second foal was a Puissance filly, Oughterard Diva, now a 10-year-old four-star eventer with Patrick Byrne of BGS Sporthorses in Co Wexford. He’s having great success with her.

Her third foal is an OBOS Quality nine-year-old, another four-star eventer, owned by Ginnie Wellings in the UK. The rest are up-and-coming youngsters.

We also keep cattle, we buy a few calves and rear them every year.

Wills Oakden with Oughterard Cooley (GBR) [ISH] finished fifth at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials \ EquusPix Photography

1. A memorable Burghley weekend, was that your proudest moment as a breeder?

The proudest moment would have to be when Oughterard Cooley and Wills Oakden crossed the Burghley cross-country finish line after not only a brilliant display but also within the optimum time.

Wills has done a phenomenal job with Oughterard Cooley. We try to get to as many events as possible to support them and were in Badminton in May this year when they finished 12th. Wills and his whole team, including owners Debbie and Liz, are great to keep us up to date about Rich and we’ll continue to support them.

2. Tell us more about ‘Rich’?

Oughterard Cooley was very difficult as a young horse, and up until very recently! He was the most difficult foal I ever haltered, but was always very intelligent. I sold him as a foal to Clem McMahon, he then went to Cooley Farm and then onto Wills Oakden.

It took years to break him but Wills saw potential in him and kept at him. We are very lucky he is with Wills, he is without doubt one of the top event riders in the UK, a real talent cross-country. A fantastic horseman, it is great to see him get the rewards of all his hard work after developing Rich up through the ranks. He has many top horses in his yard and some very talented youngsters too.

3. Oughterard Cooley was the highest-placed TIH at Burghley. Your thoughts on traditional breeding?

I like traditional Irish breeding but you won’t get paid for a traditional Irish foal anymore. I bred Sky to the thoroughbred stallion Pointilliste last year as I wanted to breed a traditional Irish filly for breeding and to keep the TIH on the farm, but she had a colt!

We have a few traditional Irish broodmares but have had to incorporate foreign sires, whilst still producing correct foals with blood, step and presence, for market demands.

4. How many broodmares are on the farm?

I have nine broodmares:

I plan on keeping every filly foal Sky has until we retire her from breeding.

5. Oughterard Cooley was originally named Oughterard Sky Boy. There’s another Oughterard in the Banner County? And your thoughts on prefixes?

Oughterard is my townland and it’s very important to have this prefix in all my horses. The name can be changed but not the prefix. Once Oughterard is kept, the rest can be changed if needs be, for example how Cooley Farm added their prefix.

6. Do breeders get enough recognition?

Breeders don’t get a lot of recognition and I think there should be more incentives considering the work involved. It’s a long process from picking a suitable stallion that best complements your mare, considering everything from blood to movement, height, agility, athleticism, conformation, temperament, market demands and what discipline you are breeding for.

There’s the research, scanning, timing, travelling to stallions, or arranging semen, that is all before you ever have any foal on the ground. Then, years later, you see that it worked and the horses go on to be successful.

These breeders should be taken care of as breeding is where it all begins.

7. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

My wife Eileen, my three children Gearoid, Ciara and Owen who all help with different aspects involved, from paperwork and research to training foals and keeping track of all the horses I’ve bred. It does take a team.

8. That famous horse you’d like to have bred?

It would have to be Cruising. He was a great jumping horse and sire of broodmares. I have him in the back-breeding of most of my mares.

9. Best advice you ever got?

Over 40 years ago my father told me, “When everyone is running you’d be better to walk and when everyone is walking, you need to run,” and I’ve always bred horses with this in mind.

The Lynch family's sign of support for Oughterard Cooley

10. Who did the artwork for the ‘Good Luck Oughterard Cooley and Team’ photos on the Oughterard Sport Horse Instagram page?

My daughter Ciara did the good luck sign with a sheet of plywood and paint. Trying to bring the luck of the Irish!