THE breeding of Lukas is another story in a long tradition spanning a few generations of the Parkhill family, being the first home-bred sporthorse.

I came to Ireland the first time in the summer of 1979 to visit a Swedish family friend Ninnie Odenrick and help out at her riding establishment. At that time I was a student in Stockholm and used to ride out racehorses at Taby racetrack in the mornings. My mother, together with my aunt, had a keen interest in horses too.