Sport Horse population needs infusion of new blood

WHETHER it was by design, or co-incidental, one major theme emerged at last Tuesday’s National Equine Conference: The need for more thoroughbred blood in the sport horse population.

Another constant was the critical importance of the brood mare stock to improving the standing of Irish horses.

The conference organised by Teagasc and held in its Moorepark facility in Fermoy, Co Cork, was a sell-out. Attendees heard presentations from a diverse group, including show jumper Edward Doyle, British eventer Ollie Townend, Dutch stud owner Wiebe Yde van de Lageweg, Ireland show jumping team manager Robert Splaine and Teagasc’s Wendy Conlon, Norman Storey and Declan McArdle.

Conlon’s presentation was “Building on the Strengths of the Irish Horse, but one statistic stood out: Less than 1% of the annual foal crop go on to compete internationally.

She noted that Ireland this year had just four horses in the world top 200: Flexible and Larkhill Cruiser, both by Cruising; Roller Coaster by High Roller, and Fresh Direct Kalico Bay, by Limmerick. On the flip side, she said the immediate future looked good, as the last three of the above were aged just 10, while there were a number of young horses ready to break into the rankings, such as HHS Fortuna, Will Wimble and Annestown.

She advised breeders to focus on ShowjumpingIreland’s Premier Series, as research had shown it was a good representation of the type of horse that could make it internationally.

She stressed that a good dam greatly increased the chance of a success. Mares were the basis of long-term breeding progression, but she encouraged that they be inspected and performance tested, while AI should be embraced, she said.

Wiebe Yde van de Lageweg of the renowned Dutch VDL Stud was candid when I asked him what happened to sub-standard mares in his homeland: “We shoot them.” While he may have been exaggerating somewhat to make a point, his advice was that breeders should avoid any emotional attachment to their mares, but if determined to proceed, they should select the mare’s five weak points and source a stallion that could compensate.

Storey spoke on the performance of Irish horses in eventing and opened with an attention-grabbing prescient declaration from an IFA paper... in 1987. It warned that the Irish horse was in “grave danger” of declining.

He tracked the reduced thoroughbred (TB) input from 62.5% of horses to 36.4% in the years since the ending of the sport’s long-format in 2004.

He highlighted that Ireland’s 1994 champions were born in 1981 when 65% to 70% of the 3,000 foals registered were by TB stallions, but, in comparison, the 2011 horses were born in 1998 when 30% to 35% of the 4,698 foals were by TB stallions.

Ultimately, he called for a planned breeding programme, based on identifying mares/fillies with breeding potential and matching them with nominated stallions. Education and advice for breeders; breeders initiatives and discussion groups were key, he said.

Edward Doyle, international rider and owner of nations cup stallion Samgemgee, said when assessing a sire, one should look for performance, pedigree, blood, conformation, temperament, rideability and its progeny. He believes the flat-bred thoroughbred has desirable traits for show jumping.

Apart from being a star of eventing, Ollie Townend has purchased three stallions from Ireland with his business partner Nina Barbour to develop Harthill Stud: Ramiro B, Power Blade and Stormhill Miller. He believes Irish breeding has gone astray and should be looking for more TB input.

Sheila White, of Richmond Park Stud, pointed out that the hugely influential Cavalier was representative of many warmblood stallions in that he had a high percentage of TB blood.

But for all of the above, there may still be confusion among breeders, awash in a flood of information.

SEE: http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2011/1052/index.asp

- ORGANISERS of next Friday’s Show Jumping Greyhound Night Fundraiser in Cork are disappointed at the lack of support it has received.

Last year, it raised €17,000, which was matched by the ShowjumpingIreland. Shows that ran competitions supported by the fundraiser put up a similar amount, resulting in a prizefund of €50,000 for a number of leagues.

The SJI input is capped at €10,000 this year, meaning an even greater effort is required by ticket sellers.

“I ask every member in Munster to get out and sell one book of tickets for the fundrasing night. They are supporting themselves by doing this,” said main organiser Jerry Sweetnam. “There seems to be a lot of apathy around and there is a serious threat that the night could actually lose money,” he said.

- The SJI’s Cork/Kerry branch will hold its AGM next Monday, starting at 8pm in Oriel House Hotel, Ballincollig, Cork.