I WAS born and spent my early years in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim. My family were totally un-horsey, except for my father, who was an avid racing fan. From a young age I always loved horses and every weekend cycled to a local riding school for lessons and to work with the ponies.

I didn’t own my own horse until I was married and had the facilities to keep one at home. I hunted regularly and enjoyed riding show hunters but never evented. When my daughters Clare and Stephanie arrived, it was then full-time ponies, Iveagh Pony Club and showing with success in Ireland and the UK. Mandalay Only Love, was a prolific winner, supreme at Ponies UK twice and third at HOYS.

Our eventing life started when we lived near to Richhill Equestrian Centre. The owner, the late John McNally, had an event horse in to sell on and asked Clare to ride him. Called Genuine Article, he was indeed that and we bought him. He took Clare to selection for a junior European team.

From then on, it was event horses for both girls and from a small beginning to Europeans, World Equestrian Games and Olympics.

1. Congratulations on breeding Dassett Arthalent (Valent (KWPN) - Timpany Night (ISH)[TIH] by Nigrasine (TB)), the seven-year-old silver medallist winner at Le Lion d’Angers with Piggy March (GBR). Your proudest moment as a breeder?

My proudest moment as a breeder is, without doubt, ‘Arthur’ winning the silver medal. We have competed there ourselves and know the hard work and talent it takes to be placed at that competition.

Arthur has had an outstanding season with Piggy - we are delighted! He looks to be every bit as good as horse as we thought and has continued up the levels with some brilliant results! He won both the six-year-old internationals in Ireland with us and has gone on to win another two-star, a three-star and the seven-year-old British Championships in 2022 with Piggy.

2. How did you follow the Le Lion results last weekend?

I watched the Le Lion competition from trot-up to prizegiving online at home. It was nerve-wracking, but Piggy was excellent and kept us up to date on progress.

3. Tell us about breeding Dassett Arthalent.

Arthur was magnificent from the start! We bought Timpany Night from Davy Lyons as a four-year-old to make an eventer for Clare. She was very successful but in 2014 she got cut in the field and, as she was going to miss the whole season, we decided to put her in foal.

Arthur had character and presence in abundance as a foal and young horse but he was never bold - just so confident and nosey. He grew up with another foal we bought as a companion and any time a horse was being ridden in the arena he spent the entire time standing by the fence watching. We thought it was very funny and it happened every day!

He sure learned something as he was a breeze to handle and break in as three, rising four-year-old year. We knew we had a star in the making and we felt it was so important that we produced him carefully. Arthur was a superb jumper, so we thought the best way to begin his competition career was to begin down the show jumping route.

Arthur started eventing midway through his five-year-old year and combined that with five-year-old age jumping classes. His goal was Le Lion as a six-year-old but we knew as the season progressed Clare needed to sell one of her young horses to help fund a house build. Richard Sheane spotted him at Millstreet in August, told Piggy he had seen a horse and she should get over and see him. Arthur headed off to his new home in England last October and Le Lion had to wait until this year.

We said Arthur will sell himself when the time is right and he landed on his feet at Piggy’s.

4. Why did you select Valent?

We didn’t do any breeding at the time so we just did some research and took advice from friends. My friend Callie Berry was the Rosbotham’s vet for their mares and foals and she said Valent was a lovely horse. He is a top-class jumper, very quality and a lovely model.

We also knew their groom at the time and he said his temperament was fantastic and was gorgeous to ride. Decision made and Callie kept us right with the rest!

5. What are your favourite bloodlines?

Ideally an event horse should have mostly thoroughbred blood with the addition of a good jumping line to meet the demands of the sport now, but in real life it is the heart and mindset of the horse that determines success.

Catherine Abbott, pictured at Burghley Horse Trials in 2017 with competition groom Alexa Grudgings and John and Cormac McKay, longtime owners of horses competed by Catherine’s daughter, Clare \ Susan Finnerty

6. You’ve been very fortunate to watch eventing first-hand with Clare’s successful career up to Olympic level. How do you think the type of event horse you’ve seen in that time has changed?

Definitely the show jumping has got more influential, especially at four-star and championship level.

Ultimately you need a really good three-phase horse. At five-star level, the cross-country is by far the toughest phase and you need a horse who is capable of galloping for 12 minutes and jumping nearly 50 fences. A thoroughbred horse will find that a lot easier so it’s a balancing act!

You need to get to the show jumping first (and hopefully in a good position), before worrying about jumping a clear round!

A more modest mover with a good attitude, who is well balanced and well trained, will always beat a fancy mover who isn’t so well trained or on side with the rider in the dressage phase. Event horses come in all shapes and sizes but to stay sound and have a long career, an athletic model is where you want to start.

7. The Irish Sport Horse studbook has won another WBFSH studbook title. Good news for Irish breeders?

Absolutely, the gene pool of athleticism and intelligence is still here and should be preserved for competition horses. Irish horses have it in abundance.

8. If you could have bred any horse in history?

The one horse I would have loved to have bred is Arkle. He was my idol when I was at school. On March 1st 1966, my father took me to Leopardstown to watch him race and, as he left the paddock, my father leant over and pulled some hairs from his tail as a keepsake.

I still have them and all the newspaper cuttings I saved at the time. He was and still is a legend.

9. Best advice you were ever given?

Never spend more money on a horse that you can afford to lose.

10. Any other outside interests before eventing took over?

Yes, I love dogs and I had Irish Wolfhounds for a time, which I showed successfully, having a Best of Breed at the Breed Championship Show and qualifying for Crufts, only once.

When the dogs died, my dog showing days were over.

(See also page 92 for Le Lion report).