HORSE SPORT IRELAND: IRISH BASED STALLIONS DOMINATE BRITISH EVENTING YOUNG HORSE TABLES

Source: News Release/Colin McClelland

IRISH BASED STALLIONS DOMINATE BRITISH EVENTING YOUNG HORSE TABLES

IRISH based stallions are very prominent in the British Eventing young horse sires tables for the 2011 season.

The tables, which were published just before Christmas, show that 11 the top 15 stallions of 7 and 8 year old event horses in the UK are the progeny of stallions standing or who stood in Ireland. Eight of the top 15 sires of 5 and 6 year olds are by stallions that are standing or stood in Ireland.

Three Irish based stallions featured in the top three in the 7 and 8 old tables these being Cult Hero, Master Imp and Limmerick, which finished 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.

Three Irish based sires also featured in the 5 and 6 year old table with Harelequin Du Carel coming out on top with Accondy in 3rd and Ghareeb in 4th.

Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Joe Walsh said the results were encouraging and were further evidence that Ireland was the country to come to to buy event horses.

"The eventing market in the UK is a huge outlet for Irish-bred horses and the prominence of the Irish-bred stallions in the tables shows how well Irish horses are doing in eventing the UK," he said.

"One issue that I would highlight is the need for sport horse breeders to consider using thoroughbred sires on their mares. Only 12 per cent of foals born last year were sired by thoroughbred sires," he said.

'I do hear complaints from time to time that we don't have enough quality thoroughbreds available to the sport horse sector.

“However, I'm not sure that this is the case. It is probably fair to say that we don't have a lot of proven TB sires and it is a great pity that Master Imp and Cult Hero who appear on these lists have passed away.

“However, there are a number of thoroughbred stallions in the country and other stallions with a lot of thoroughbred blood and the thoroughbred percentage in stallions is now available on CapallOir," he said.