Fahys win foal and broodmare titles

Sport Horse breeders Iris and Kieran Fahy from Enniskeane, Co Cork, had a successful day at this year's Bandon Show when their bay filly foal by Master Imp won the Champion Foal title.

The mother of this foal by Mister Lord and out of a Kildalton Gold mare. The foal was subsequently bought at the show.

The Fahy's have a strong record in breeding circles in Ireland and bred the winner of the 1999 Millstreet Young Irelander competition, Samson, who is now owned by Corkman Tim O'Shea and campaigned by show jumper Joan Greene.

Their policy is to buy free-moving foals and produce them to four year-olds.

One of their recent exports, a Ricardo Z stallion, is proving to be a very successful eventer in the United States.

Later in the afternoon there was further success for the renowned West Cork breeders when another of their broodmares, Kief Princess, won the prize for Champion Mare.

This one was by Nautilus out of a Knockboy mare. Knockboy is, of course, the sire of Sea Crest and grandsire of Cruising. Kief Princess was second in the Tullamore Dew 2004 Mare and Foal Championship at Piltown.

Her filly foal by Master Imp was second in the All-Ireland at Moate Show last July and was bought for breeding by Terence and Bridget Godwin from Co Galway.

Kief Princess is now seven years old and was bought as a foal by the Fahy's from Tom McMahon in Craughwell, Co. Galway. This year she presented at Bandon Show with a lovely three-week-old foal by Ghareeb.

Ghareeb is a thoroughbred gaining some very good reviews and is owned by J.J. Bowe in Kintealy, Co. Wexford. While the foal was somewhat young for this show, the Fahy¹s have high hopes for the season. Among their plans is the e20,000 Irish Horse Board sponsored Mare and Foal Breeders Championship in Dublin.FM