I LIVE in Rathgormack, Co Waterford with my wife Katherine. We have four chil-dren: Laura, Lucy, Sarah and Paul and I’m a full-time dairy farmer and milk a small herd of Holstein Friesian cows.

I’m also one of 19 shareholders in our local pub ‘The Village’ bar and café. The back-ground to becoming 1/19th of a publican is during lockdown, our local and only remaining pub was due to close when the owner Maudie Kennedy decided to retire.

So a group of 19 locals got together, formed a company and bought the pub. It reopened in July 2021 and a café was added. It’s now thriving and has kept the village, near the Comeragh mountains and Nire Valley, alive.

For as long as I can remember, I have had an interest in horses. We kept working horses for the farm as a youngster and this transferred to breeding and showing them as I got older.

1. Congratulations, you’ve qualified again for The Irish Field Breeders’ Championship at Dublin, this time in the eventing section at Charleville. Tell us more about your mare/foal finalists?

Golden Moments is a seven-year-old mare by Golden Master out of Coragh Pride, a Pointilliste - Don Tristan mare. I bought her as a yearling from her breeder Mosie White in Co Wexford.

Due to Covid-19 and not having a foal last year, this is her first year making it to the show ring. Her colt foal is by the thoroughbred News Anchor, who stands with Michael Murphy in Clohamon Stud. This is his first season to have foals on the ground.

2. What’s your aim as a breeder?

My aim has always been to breed a good looking foal that will go on to show or event.

3. Favourite bloodlines?

I try to stick to traditional breeding lines. My very first mare, Laura’s House, was by Wilton House and she was sourced for me by Jack Kearns, who stood the stallion at the time. She became my foundation mare and I am still breeding from the same bloodlines today.

Among her family was her grandson Laura’s Ghareeb, by Jay Bowe’s stallion Ghareeb out of the Kildalton Gold mare Laura’s Gold. He was a beautiful horse and went on to three-star level with German event rider Anna Warnecke, a great supporter of Irish-bred horses.

4. What’s your view on prefixes?

I don’t use prefixes as I usually sell my youngstock as foals, so I don’t feel using a prefix is of any great benefit.

We have an Instagram account - feddans_sport_horses - to update people on our horses.

Spreading the good news: Waterford dairy farmer Richard phones home after qualifying again at the recent Charleville show \ Susan Finnerty

5. How many mares/foals do you currently have?

I currently have three mares breeding. Along with Golden Moments, I have Lucy’s Princess (or Blondie as she is known around the yard!), by Power Blade out of Sarah Rhodes (Porter Rhodes), another daughter of Laura’s Gold.

Lucy’s Princess has qualified for the Breeders’ Championships on numerous occasions in the past and this year she has a striking Cruising With Diamonds filly foal at foot.

I recently purchased Graceland, last year’s All-Ireland three-year-old filly champion, from John and Julia Crosbie in Co Wexford. She is by Cavalier Land out of a Ghareeb mare, Cloughabrody Esther and was also the highest-placed filly in the All-Ireland three-year-old final at Bannow & Rathangan Show. She is foal to Move To Strike and we’re looking forward to showing her next year.

6. Describe your regime for keeping mares/youngstock?

I foal my mares indoors and during the winter, they are turned out by day and stabled at night. They are kept mostly outdoors all summer.

7. If you could have bred any horse?

It would have to be the great Dundrum, who went from pulling a cart to the local creamery to the world show jumping stage. I was privileged to see him and Tommy Wade jumping in Dungarvan Show many years ago and it was at the same show that Graceland won the All-Ireland three-year-old filly final last year.

8. It takes a team - who is on yours?

My wife Katherine is always on hand to help out. My daughter Laura shows with me and my other children all lend a hand whenever needed. I have 12 grandchildren and some of them are already showing keen interest in horses and enjoy going to the shows.

9. Best advice you ever got?

Keep the numbers low and the quality high.

10. How to do you like to spend your spare time?

Having a pint in my local and attending GAA matches, dreaming of Waterford finally winning an All-Ireland hurling final.