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Growing up, our family lived outside Ballina until Dad [Tiernan Snr] bought a site on Church Road and built a house.
As we had a big garden, instead of a lawnmower, he bought a Shetland and that was my first pony.
The first instructor I had was Cherie Devaney, who lived just 300 yards away and used to train racehorses.
I remember a lead rein class at Louisburgh when George O’Malley was judging, it was such a wet day that Dad was wearing wellingtons.
Tiernan Gill. Photo/Susan Finnerty
George said to me ‘You’re very well turned out’, then turned to Dad, saying ‘but you’re a disgrace!’ That was George though, a great character.
I bought a good 12.2hh pony named Joanna, from Frank Gordon.
She would go in the riding class, then jump in the 12.2s.
I sold Joanna to Frank McGarry and made a few pounds from her, that was the first time I made a profit from horses.
Work ethic
Later, when we had Flogas Papillon, bought from a lady in Dublin named Hilary O’Byrne, Dad sent me to Philip Scott for lessons and that is how we became and remained great friends.
Philip was very strict but very knowledgeable and I admired his work ethic and turnout. Even to this day, the way my horses are turned out was learned from him.
We’ve been Flogas distributors in Mayo, Galway, Sligo and Leitrim since 1979 and they’ve been long-time sponsors too.
Sponsorship makes a difference and we have a good relationship, we try and promote them as much as possible.
I have 12 horses in now, including three or four show horses, I have a nice yearling, two two-year-olds and I’d also hope to show Flogas Liqueur again.
I’ve sat down and thought about what to cover her with, but it’s difficult to come up with a suitable stallion, particularly if you want to keep with traditional.
She’s owned in partnership with Felim Clarke.
Felim and Dad were very friendly, he [Felim] always had a very good knowledge of thoroughbred stallions and mares.
When Dad died, Felim said ‘I’d love to own a share in a horse’ and I thought Liqueur would be a nice one to have together.
It’s great to have someone like him, he’s like a father figure and the further away the show, the happier he is!
Edmund [Hennigan] is brilliant. He’s been with us for about 10 years, although he doesn’t work for me, we work together.
He has a huge passion for showing and has a great feeling for each of the horses. He’s like part of the family, like a brother.
Mission impossible
I love to get a nice horse, there’s nothing better than having a good one. It’s so hard to get the one that I’m looking for and nearly impossible to try and breed it.
Now what’s happening is people see in the paper about such a stallion and they’ll use him on their mare, but their mare isn’t suitable.
The market is going down the way of the Cornet Obolenskys and Kannans and trying to go continental.
I completely understand why breeders do this, it’s a way to get money for their foals but the risk is you could end up with a horse that’s neither a top show jumper or show horse.
The show horse market is fine, it is still there. It doesn’t make a huge profit as people don’t go over their maximum limit of €15,000 - €20,000 for the very, very top horse.
I do enjoy the occasional day judging. I’m very much my own person and I’m not into ‘favourite matching’.
Even if it was my wife [Caroline] showing a horse, it would not make the slightest difference to me. The best horse should always win.
Broken-hearted
From May to September, I concentrate on showing and from September to April, concentrate on show jumping.
One of the funniest memories is when Vinnie Duffy brought myself, Darragh Kerins and Richie Nallon to an indoor show in Ennis years ago and went head first into the steps fence you were supposed to jump up.
We went home brokenhearted in the Bedford lorry!
My first proper good memory of Dublin was when I was 21.
I won the Dublin five-year-old qualifier on the Fair Green in Ballinasloe on No Problem, bought from Padraig Howley.
We went to Dublin and I thought ‘This is brilliant’. It was always my dream to ride in the main arena where we won the five-year-old final.
We had a couple of nice Dublins and I wanted to give something back. Life cannot be one-way traffic.
So since 2008, we started sponsoring at Dublin through another of our companies Brooklands Bedding.
My favourite
My favourite horse was Corrado B. He knew exactly what you were thinking.
He was the first foal I ever bought in Holland and I jumped him from a four-year-old up to Grand Prix level.
Then I gave him over to Alex Duffy, who won the Grand Prix in Vienna before we sold him to Dubai.
I work hard and I find it hard to switch off, I like to be busy.
I have a very considerate wife! But we’ll go away for family weekends and holidays.
[Daughter] Alli went to Dublin in the lead rein class and hasn’t set up on the pony since!
I don’t push her one bit whatsoever.
Alex likes rugby, although he got a new riding hat at Cavan last week.
I think there’s no panic until they’re older and the proper balance develops. You’ve got to enjoy what you do.
Tiernan Gill was in conversation with Susan Finnerty.
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