Standing with Eamon and Gladys McArdle at Drumhowan Stud, Scrapman, the full Irish Draught stallion, has become a firm favourite with Irish horse breeders looking to breed traditional Irish Sport horses and modern Irish Draught multi-purpose performance horses.

Bred by Carol Dempsey, the nine-year-old stallion by Crosstown Dancer out of Radiance, boasts an impressive line, with both parents holding Horse Sport Ireland gold merit credits. Crosstown Dancer, competed up to Grand Prix level and comes from a family of high achievers. The dam Radiance is by Kildalton Gold who was also RDS Champion Stallion, while the grandam Madden Lady is the daughter of Powerswood Purple. With such a strong pedigree, it comes as no surprise that Scrapman was awarded 10 pedigree bonus points by the Horse Sport Ireland Inspection panel pedigree committee.

Owned by the brother and sister team of Paul and Joanne Maguire, Joanne explains how the stallion’s direction in life could have gone a different way. “I spotted him as a foal and kept an eye on him as a yearling. He always caught my eye, but at the time I wasn’t too keen on his colouring. When the opportunity came to purchase him from John Bracken, I couldn’t say no!

“Paul joked at the time that he was bought with scrap money and hence the name stuck. It was Paul’s intention to have him castrated and to hunt him and he gave me one chance to get him through the inspections. If he failed, he was destined for the hunting fields with Paul. Thankfully his career took another path much to Paul’s disappointment at the time,” she laughed.

“Although the name Scrapman stuck, he is far from anything that should be considered as scrap. In 2011 as a three-year-old, he was awarded absolute fulfilment of his Horse Sport Ireland Inspection Panel summary. Under the guidance of Tom Slattery, Scrapman showed good form and accumulated almost 100 showjumping points. His jumping performance meant that he went on to be fully approved for the Irish Sport Horse Studbook and the Silver Merit on the Irish Draught Horse Studbook.”

Growing interest

In 2014, Scrapman’s career took another turn when he moved residency to Drumhowan Stud. Owned and managed by Gladys and Eamon McArdle and situated in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, all stallions marketed from this farm are resident in the flesh.

“At the time we were looking for a stallion to stand at Drumhowan who would command two different markets, firstly pure-bred Irish Draught breeders and secondly, those looking for an Irish stallion to breed sport horses on a commercial basis,” explains Gladys.

“With an offer of around 10 RID stallions, one stallion’s credentials stood-out, this was Scrapman. Viewing of the stallion was arranged. I Iike to see stallions at their homes, in their ‘everyday working clothes’, that can tell so much of the bigger story - photographs are powerful, but the naked eye, with experience, on any horse still cannot be beaten, I believe,” adds Eamon. “One quick glance at Scrapman and he was obviously the right stallion. We reached an agreement that Scrapman would stand at Drumhowan Stud in 2014, for one season. He arrived on St Patrick’s day in 2014 and has lived at Drumhowan Stud since and now embarks on his fourth season in 2017.”

For the McArdles, Scrapman oozes presence. “He is a magnificent model, he has a powerful resemblance to his great sire Crosstown Dancer and the equally impressive dam’s sire Kildalton Gold. With time, he has furnished into a fine example of the breed, he embodies oceans of quality with strength and fantastic movement. Wrapped in a deep liver coat, breeders love these qualities in Scrapman.”

Scrapman’s results stand for themselves. From his earlier breeding days with the Maguire’s, he had two foals registered to him in 2014.

In relocating to Drumhowan Stud, he recorded 31 foals registered in 2015. His new location and management propelled Scrapman to becoming Ireland’s most popular RID breeding stallion, despite challenging breeding times. The Irish Draught Horse Breeders’ Association most recent study of Irish Draught foals born in Ireland in 2015 again record Scrapman as the top sire of both Irish Draught colt and filly foals born that year, the only sire to have double figures of each, colt (15) and fillies (11).

Scrapman’s progeny have increasingly appeared on the show scene and their popularity at the national sale has become robustly evident. They have found new homes with showing, breeding and show hunter producers alike. 2016 proved hugely successful for Joanne Maguire when she showed John Bracken’s filly foal by Scrapman to claim all the major Irish Draught foal championships, including the RDS and Ballinasloe supreme ribbons. Previously in the RDS Young RID mare class, Aidan Flanagan’s daughter of Scrapman was placed third in a competitive class.

Without a doubt, breeder interest has grown in Scrapman as an Irish Sport Horse sire. Covering thoroughbred and lighter types of mares, Scrapman, in time, may become as fashionable a Sport Horse sire as Crosstown Dancer was. Scrapman undoubtedly has big shoes to fill, but his breeding career is now well underway at Drumhowan Stud.

Through premium management with top class facilities and the success of Scrapman at the Drumhowan Stud, this is developing into a new registered Irish Draught stallion centre where owners can locate suitable stallions for training and breeding. The stud now stands Matt Loughnane’s registered Irish Draught stallion Dunsandle Diamond.

Completing the registered Irish Draught stallion roster at Drumhowan Stud in 2017 is Castleview Inisfree Farmer, a four-year-old dapple grey, this young stallion was bred by the renowned Irish Draught breeder Eddie Murphy. This new addition is owned by Kenny and Wendy Bell. Other sport stallions available at Drumhowan Stud for 2017 are VIttorIo, Exquis Oliver Q and Exquis Powerfee, Cormint, Primary, Cobra 18, Colandro, Creevagh Ferro, Tolan R, Ringfort Cruise, Hiello Blue, Arkan and Road to Happiness.