This is a subscriber-only article
"Irish Horse breeding is a joke”; so said Paul Schockemole as I sat with him during the Aachen International of 1988.
I thought it was an odd thing for him to say, since he had just bought Trevor Coyle’s, Seoul Olympic team horse, True Blue for £250,000.
Whether or not, some 30 years later, he would still be of the same opinion I do not know.
But having spoken to both Barry O’Connor and economist Jim Power following their recent tour of some top continental studs, it would appear that our European neighbours now have some positive things to say about us.
Barry O'Connor demonstrates to the Teagasc young breeders.
When visiting the Peelbergen Equestrian Centre and Stal Hendrix in the Netherlands, they found a degree of admiration for the Irish scene.
Paul Hendrix said: “Ireland has a lot going for it in terms of long standing tradition, climate, soil and culture.”
Barry O’Connor told The Irish Horse: “I have found the continentals somewhat envious of the enthusiasm for the sport here.
"They also have great respect for our top end of the equestrian scene and our world class teams.”
Weakness
However, O’Connor also found that they see great weakness in the area of bringing om young horses from three-year-olds to saleable five-year-olds.
Just selling foals is not going to bring the true return for our breeders.
"We need to create the elite facilities for them to mature.
"Innovative supports, funding and a far reaching business plan is essential if we are to ensure that our producers can achieve high-end results at home,” O’Connor says with conviction.
“We need not copy some of the big continental establishments, but we must find an Irish solution to our Irish situation,” he added.
This dilemma will no doubt feature in Jim Power’s report which is in the final stages of editing.
Since the time back in 1988, when I was stunned by Paul Schockemohle’s comment, much has happened here.
Facilities like Cavan, Millstreet, Barnadown, Goresbridge, Mullinagar and the Meadows have been developed.
But in more recent times, we appear to have rested on those few laurels and have not really ambitiously progressed.
Surfers will say “when on the crest of a wave your greatest enemy is complacency”.
Despite all that we have going for us, a new burst of innovative and progressive development in terms of our national circuit of shows and training facilities is needed.
It will have to be funded, but as Jim Power says: “That investment will come back one hundred fold.”
Last week’s superb results in Cheltenham are a case in point from the innovative and well funded Thoroughbred sector.
Michael Slavin: Ireland's historical association with the horse
SHARING OPTIONS: