Results - Report 2005

It beggars belief that while Irish bred horses have headed the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horse in Eventing for the past ten consecutive years, this fact has passed over the heads of most Irish breeders. Notwithstanding, the majority of native sports horse breeders aspire to breed show jumpers with bizarre strategies that defy all known genetic theories derived since Gregor Mendel tinkered about with sweet-peas almost one hundred and fifty years ago. Federico Tesio (the breeder of Nearco) simplified the art of horse breeding to a very basic rule: "Breed the best to the best and hope for the best". There is no mitigation or derogation for using inferior ingredients, and to engage them is a fanciful fusion of faith, hope and folly.

Six years ago, the promoters of the Future Event Horse League seized upon the pre-eminence of Irish-bred horses in the world of Three-Day Eventing and produced a kindergarten competition to identify, promote and produce the elite of Irish-bred horses on home turf. The notion of quantifying "Suitability and Potential" was a quantum leap for some competitors, but gradually the concept was accepted and adopted as a legitimate aspiration.

Each year introduced another modification or twitch in the competition equilibrium to test without taxation the qualities of an emerging equine superstar. Dressage in Ireland is a euphemism for an activity "more honoured in the breech than in the observance". So, for the 2005 Finals, the flat work phase was performed in a 20m x 60m dressage arena, but all that was required was the presentation of basic paces in walk, trot and canter! The result met with the universal approval of competitors, judges and spectators alike. However, the true litmus test of the adjudication process will be whether "King's Marshall" - the magnificent King's Master chestnut gelding beautifully produced by Andrew Bourns - wins a 3 or 4 star Three-Day Event within the next ten years or whether Gilly Crawford's eye catching "Mr Aero", by an anonymous randy yearling colt out of a Galland Knight mare does likewise.

A conclusion, even casual observers cannot fail to make is that 11 out of the 12 prize winners at the finals, which Tattersalls Ireland generously sponsored, were by thoroughbred stallions or out of mares by thoroughbred stallions. Likewise, the Irish Horse Board sponsored League, which identifies the most consistent performances from 5 of the 7 preceding qualifiers, was an unmitigated testimonial to traditional Irish breeding. The 4-Year Old League was headed by the mare BM Belwin Babe, by King's Master ISH (Master Imp x King of Diamonds) out of a Leabeg xx mare. The 5-Year Old league winner was the magnificent thoroughbred gelding DSL Duke Ellington by Duky out of a Quisling mare. This latter dominated 3 of the season's qualifiers and is perfectly placed at Dollanstown Stud to continue his eventing career without re-location.

Ironically, an innovative competition format which set about formulating a recipe for identifying young Irish-bred horses capable of competing at the highest level in eventing, also re-defined the value of traditional Irish breeding. The last two Olympics and the recent European Eventing Championships again reinforced the position of Irish-bred horses at the very pinnacle of the sport of eventing. Hapless Irish Sports Horse breeders should revise Mendel's laws of genetics and adopt Tesio's mantra for success. Alternatively, a visit to www.fehl-ie.com or, better still, attendance at the 2006 qualifying venues and final should help focus blurred eyes with the phenotype of the modern competition horse. Excellence requires analysis, not definition.