There are many people with lots of opposition to the inclusion of the modern warmblood horse in Ireland. It is my feeling that the negative emotion that this manifests in the “traditional” irish sport horse breeder, is merely a matter of mistaken perspective.
By using warmblood influences, you are only taking back what is rightfully yours!
More than forty years ago, Ireland and Irish bred horses were dominating the sports- horse world. Horses of Irish breeding were household names due to their athleticism and charisma. The attributes of these light, sporty horses were seen by the dutch and the germans who had long range plans in place to improve their heavy, draught-like, un-athletic horses. The plans were set in motion via the purchase of not only thoroughbred super sires-to-be like Cottage Son and Ladykiller, but also the acquisition of top performance mares for breeding. Via a careful study of physical, temperamental and athletic components of the breeding stock they were using and a central data bank of information, the dutch, germans and later on the French, started their gradual ascent of the world sport horse breeding ranks until they reached where they are today; firmly on top of the world.
Not only did these countries take dramatic steps to improve their genetics, they continue to do so by keeping their minds open to new possibilities and new genetics. It doesn’t take much research to come across young stallions being approved across the KWPN and the holsteiners, to see german mares being bought by the Belgians and being covered by KWPN stallions. By this open minded and scientific selection of breeding stock, the modern European horse has become the gold standard for todays sporting endeavours.
As Irish breeders we must see ourselves as the future. The use of artificial insemination and embryo transfer has opened up the world. We in Ireland have a base stock of genetics, which while weakened through time by our inevitable sales orientated mentality and injudicious use of either non performance mares or stallions, is nonetheless enviable. Careful performance selection for these genetically desirable mares is essential. Our sport horse mare stock with the lingering traces of draught breeding is substantial enough that crossing with top quality continental stallions can produce the first generation of our potential performance stock.
Meanwhile, our information database on both our performance and breeding genetics needs to be massively extended and improved. Our selection and grading of our own stallions needs to be changed out of all recognition. We must apply the tenets of transparency, consistency and honesty. Young stock must be examined to allow assessment of stallions. All this information is instantly accessible and published with all the overseas continental stallions and we must show the same degree of commitment in our drive to succeed.
None of this improvement is an overnight job. In the short term we need to look to the continent where we will find that the work in finding genetically superior animals has already been done for us. We must never forget that we have an edge. We still have Irish mares however to compete in today’s environment, we need to refine and enhance their characteristics. Some people will undoubtedly raise their noses at this supposed pollution of their pure Irish bloodlines. However, the days of Clover Hill and the King of Diamonds are past and I would far prefer to breed an international jumper, with some continental genetics than what is currently on offer.
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