BARBARA Allen was immersed in horses as long as she can remember, born into a family with wide and varied connections across the industry. Now, the Sligo native is based in Waterford with partner Edward Widger and their two-year-old son Alex.

“Horses have been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember. My grandad Brian Wall was a well-respected vet and Irish Draught producer. He passed on his expertise and love of horses to his daughter, my mother Joan and, in turn, she instilled it in me,” Barbara told The Irish Field.

“My mam was, and continues to be, my inspiration and the driving force behind my passion for horses, she has a pretty impressive backstory herself.

“Growing up she was friends with, and competed against, such well-known riders and producers as Harold McGahern and Eddie Macken. When she began working she didn’t go far from home, initially starting off with Mervyn Clarke Snr in Cavan producing horses for him.

“After that she went to work for Betty Parker and with more experience under her belt she then travelled to Switzerland to Max Hauri’s where she remained for several years. My mam has broken and produced most of the ponies and horses I have ridden over the years. At 70 years of age, she is still riding out and a big part of my business.

Barbara Allen with her mum Joan and her son Alex Widger

“My aunt Alison Wall is a well-known rider. She competed in many amateur Nations Cup classes across Europe. She enjoyed a huge amount of wins over the years including in Dublin on her home-bred mare Marny who was by First Consul. Alison’s first cousin is a former Horse Sport Ireland Chairman, Professor Pat Wall, and I’ve been fortunate to produce a number of young horses for him. My Sister Lynn competed in the show ring for a while and was quite successful taking several wins at the RDS. She now lives in Melbourne, Australia.”

Early career

“I competed at my first show 33 years ago when I was just three years old in lead-rein classes. I went on to do well in ponies including a win in the under-10’s championships in Balmoral on a pony called Zipper,” Barbara explained.

“Mam had bought him as a youngster for £500, he was one in a million, a real mini Milton. I enjoyed many years of success with him. He taught me a lot and went on to be the first pony for talented riders Emily Turkington and Kellie Allen after me. Zipper was just one of the successful ponies which mam found and produced and which I was fortunate enough to compete and earn some brilliant results with, including qualifying for Hickstead and HOYS.

“We were in the business of producing so many of the ponies were sold before I had a chance to compete them at a higher level, but I did get to go to Dublin in 2002 for the 148cms class on a pony called Align.

“When I was 17 I went to work for Mel Clancy, there I got my first opportunity to compete at Grand Prix level. I learned a huge amount during my time there.

“Back at home I had some success as a young rider up to 1.35m on an Irish-bred horse called Carlton Flag who mam bought from Liam Filan as a five-year-old and he went on to jump at Nations Cup level for Norway after we sold him. I was also hunting during those years with the Ballymacad Foxhounds with my good friend Alexander Butler.”

Education was calling next. “I then went to college to study Biomedical Science and this was followed by a short stint in Budapest studying veterinary medicine. After a year I knew that veterinary wasn’t the right path for me and made the decision to do horses full-time.

“Next I moved to Munich in Germany to train with Irish rider Ciaran Howley, and spent three and a half years there. While there I bought a little five-year-old grey mare by Cruising which Ciaran’s brother Vincent had sent over, called Sligo Cruise Capitol. Mary McCann had bred her and I produced her up to 1.40m.

“We won the seven-year-old championship at the two-star show in Linz. I’d say she is definitely my horse of a lifetime. Probably the most difficult horse I’ve ever ridden, but also undoubtedly the best. Unfortunately she suffered a career-ending tendon injury, but is now proving to be a superb broodmare.”

Breeding

Sligo Cruise Capitol’s first foal was the mare Laska, who has appeared in these pages in recent times for international results achieved under Susan Fitzpatrick. “Her first foal Laska was born in 2014 and is by Cardento. She produced fantastic results as a five and six-year-old for me and Susan Fitzpatrick did an incredible job producing her while I was pregnant with my son Alex, including two international wins in France. She has since been sold to a junior rider in Italy so it will be nice to watch them progress.

“Sligo Cruise Capitol has also produced two other lovely horses by Je T’Aime Flamenco, one of which is four this year. She is currently in foal to Chacoon Blue.

A short stint in the USA was followed with a return to Ireland once again. “After leaving Germany in 2013 I moved to America to work for event rider and show jumper Marilyn Little where I got brilliant experience and the opportunity to compete. Here I placed second in a 1.40m class in LA on a mare called Udonna.

“After I had been in the States for about six months I decided I wanted to be closer to home due to my late father’s illness. My uncle Brian, mam’s brother, was incredibly supportive of me after my father died and has been a great supporter of my career.

“Once home, I began working with Judy Murphy in Dundalk and her Java horses for a year. Following that I spent a short time in Ger O’Neil’s yard and that’s where I met Edward and that is how I ended up moving to Waterford in 2014!”

Partnership

“Edward and I have produced and sold many horses together since then. In 2019 I was joint winner of two studbook classes and competed in Dublin on a five-year-old mare named Jolie Demoiselle. By Je T’aime Flamenco she was bred by Shane Quinn in Co Mayo. She also got selected for World Breeding Championships in Lanaken with a top-20 placing in the consolation final.

“She’s now part of the breeding program having produced a lovely Tangelo colt this year and is back in foal to Kafka vd Heffinck. Last year I qualified a lovely five-year-old mare called Hera Star, by Goodluck VDL (bred by Damien Conway in Mayo), for Dublin and she is now with the Army Equitation School.

“This year I will compete with the Ballydun Group’s seven-year-old mare Carnlea Beach Oke (Beach Ball x Germus R), her half-sister by Luidam for the five-year-olds and then I have my four-year-old out of the Je T’Aime Flamenco mare. I also have Edward’s eight-year-old gelding J’Diago who I will do the Spring Grand Prix Tour with so I’m looking forward to that.

“We have 15 horses in at the moment and we are lucky to have a great rider in Chloe Sheridan to help us out. With 20 or so more horses on livery we are kept busy but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Barbara concluded.