Cheryl Broderick’s passion for breeding Irish sports horses is the driving force behind Ballypatrick Breeding in Tipperary. Her new 220ac breeding farm Fortwilliam House was bought in 2017 for €2.2m and has recently been developed as a state-of-the-art breeding facility equipped with a stallion collecting area, lab, stocks and facilities for producing young horses. There is also a large house which will eventually host breeding conferences and open days.

Family affair

Cheryl is sister to Olympic show jumper Greg Broderick who, as many know, represented Ireland in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Since his Olympic partner, MHS Going Global, was sold to Athina Onassis in 2016, the family have focused on building an elite show jumping facility and stallion roster. The breeding programme is its foundation: “We foal down 50-60 foals a year and also buy several foals to upgrade,” explains Cheryl.

“There are around 40 broodmares in the herd and six that are working under saddle with Greg, and that come in for repro work when required.”

Cheryl’s drive to breed ‘the best from the best’ was borne from her love and particular connection with mares, believing that: “If a mare is onside, she’ll fight for you.” In the early days, she watched her brother buying young horses and producing them, but it soon became apparent to them both that they should breed themselves.

Passion

Like most breeders, Cheryl’s journey hasn’t been an easy one, it’s a challenging game, but she is quick to focus on what is at the heart of her passion: “I love seeing new life, seeing the foals safely on the ground, seeing them growing and going on to have a job. Each season the dream begins again, and the hope of what can be. It never stops amazing me to see the characteristics of the mare unfold in the foal. I see it time and time again when they are born, and it’s incredible; all the quirks and characteristics of the mother can be seen coming out as it grows and is handled and ridden.”

For Cheryl, breeding isn’t a fluke; it’s a combination of top families, top crosses and top care. It is all well and good choosing a stallion for your mare that is fashionable and produces a mare for sales, but Cheryl’s focus is on the long road. It is on improving things for the future. Breed for soundness, quality, and modern sport – look at the mare objectively; what does she need? What does she lack?

Seventy per cent of the breeding at Ballypatrick is done via embryo transfer, and for that purpose, Cheryl also keeps around 60 recipient mares at the farm. Despite the herd numbers, the breeding facility has a calm atmosphere, Cheryl has a natural ability to settle mares into a comfortable routine and maintain it, and her favourite saying has always been: “Don’t tell a mare, ask a mare.”

Symbiotic relationship

As breeder and rider together, Cheryl and Gregs’ talents work symbiotically, and they closely monitor how a mare reacts to reproductive procedures and adjust her workload accordingly. “For all mares, ridden or not, the least disruption as possible leads to better reproductive results. However, different mares respond differently, and we are sensitive to that.”

Olympic rider Kevin Babington’s successful 1m60 mare Shorapur (Stakkato – Darina x Drosselkland II) joined the herd at Ballypatrick for breeding and has a foal to their own exceptional stallion Rock n Roll Ter Putte.

“We are very excited about Rock n Roll,” admits Cheryl. “He’s one of the best-bred stallions in the world and is doing everything right under the saddle this winter after a busy breeding season. His first crop of foals are showing the balance and blood we really need, and there has been great feedback from breeders with his foals sold to top jumping and eventing stables already.

“We are expecting another busy breeding season with him before we really start to concentrate on his jumping career and producing him to the highest level.”

The siblings’ combined knowledge feeds directly into their stallion choices and makes a lot of sense in the context of long-term improvement. “I’m lucky; it’s not every breeder that has daily access to a rider of Greg’s ability,” says Cheryl. “It’s all about feel; an intuitive feel for a mare, the feel the rider has for the horse. Greg often gives me indications of a mare’s riding characteristics, such as weak canter or if she is better in front.”

A favourite

There are many outstanding and significant broodmares in the herd, but a particular favourite is Mrs Quinn (Laughton’s Flight - Kyle Flower x Sky Boy xx), and Cheryl says of her: “Mrs Quinn is everything you could ever want in a mare.

“If she lacks anything in talent, she makes up for it in heart. Mrs Quinn is an incredibly important mare at Ballypatrick and is really at the heart of things. She even played a part at my wedding,” Cheryl admits.

“There was a large photograph of her for guests to sign, and it now hangs pride of place!”

Traditionally bred Mrs Quinn was bought in Cavan sales as a five-year-old and campaigned in Canada under Alan Kruger before returning to Ireland as an 11-year-old. She had immense success on the National Grand Prix circuit with Greg and is sister to 1m60 Shannondale.

“Her first foal, a colt by Plot Blue, was born in 2012 and is now successfully competing in the young horse ranks under the name Quinnton,” Cheryl explains.

“There is also a very gifted seven-year-old. CBS Adrenaline, by influential stallion VDL Cardento from her. He is riding with Greg and is looking very talented. He is very like his mother in many ways. Her six-year-old son CBS Khantastic won the prestigious Breeders Classic this year and has a yearling by Luidam, which was her last pregnancy, but she was generous and gave three embryos too, so there is still plenty to come from this special mare.”