Irish horse-breeding needs to up its game to be on par with European counterparts

An Irish-bred horse claimed the silver medal for five-year-olds at the World Championships for Young Sport Horses last Sunday — but its owner says team-work is essential here if Irish horse breeding is to ever be on a par with its European counterparts.

Enda Carroll’s Ard Ginger Pop beat 275 rivals in the championships at Lanaken, Belgium, but Carroll says finding good horses here in Ireland is proving more difficult.

From Athenry, Co Galway, he owns Ashford Farm in Belgium, where he produces young horses to a high standard for a ready market. Very few of these, however, are Irish, which he laments.