Izzy, by I’M Special De Muze out of a Larino dam, won this year’s National Horse Discovery Final for four-year-old horses at the Millstreet CSI2* International Horse Show. In front of a packed Millstreet arena, the grey mare impressed show jumping judges Mike Florence and Rowland Ferneyhough to score just shy of the top marks for scope/agility and conformation.

Twenty-eight horses contested the final but it was Colm Cuff’s mare, ridden by Shane Quinn who claimed the top spot, three points clear of their nearest rival.

Cuff and his wife Cathy own a small farm just outside Athlone where they produce horses and ponies with the help of their four daughters. The Cuffs regularly travel to Holland in search of future show jumping stars, dealing directly with breeders and small farms.

“What’s important for us when we do buy a horse is that everything has to be right, clean X-rays and vet certificates, because we are buying the animal with a view to selling it on. We tend to buy as three-year-olds and sell as a four/five-year-olds”, Cuff explained.

Izzy was bought by the Cuffs from her breeder, J Saaltink, last year when they were in Lanaken for the World Breeding Championships. “We brought her home and brought her to the WSI inspections, where she scored incredibly well. She got excellent scores for type, athleticism and jumping technique so overall they were very impressed with her on the day.

“We then gave her to Shane to produce, all we had done was handle her a bit and take her to the inspections. Shane took her from the breaking stage through to riding and competing.”

Shane Quinn and Ita McDermott run Sure Farm Stables, based in Co Mayo, along with the help of Patricia Farrell.

“A lot of good horses have come through here at one point or another”, Quinn begins, “Ardcolum Duke came through here and Ramiro Cruise. We had Ramiro Cruise here twice and Ardcolum Duke was broken when he came here but he had very little done as a six-year-old, but he was just an unbelievable jumper from the very start.

“Izzy has a big personality, she’s very smart. The biggest thing with her is she always wants to jump clear, if you printed out all of her results I think she has only knocked one or two fences. She is very careful.

“It’s pure delight to have won the National Horse Discovery Final at Millstreet, you would be trying to win those classes all the time.

“I was placed in it a few times but to win it was fantastic and it’s a culmination of a lot of hard work.”