I work as a full-time farmer and have been breeding Charolais cattle and pedigree bulls since the mid-’60s. Unfortunately, I had an accident with one in 2000 and stopped training them for shows after that.

My equine background: I have loved horses all my life and have many fond memories of working with them since my teens, together with my late brother, Michael. I have been breeding Connemara ponies for the last 30 years and, more recently, Irish sport horses, with a focus on producing eventers.

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Achievements: We have been lucky to have seen various successes with Sillogue ponies over the years. Breeding, training and competing Sillogue Darkie would have to be the main one. Winning the 148cm All-Ireland Championship in the RDS with him was a great thrill. I will never forget the excitement of the late Benny Kuehnle throwing his hat in the air after clinching it. He missed out that year of an RDS, Millstreet and Belfast Championship treble by less than a second.

Travelling abroad and winning Grands Prix was fantastic. The first outing for both Alexander Butler and Darkie was in Liege, Belgium, where the pair won against the best ponies in Europe. It was a dream to hear the national anthem being played, something I will never forget. Also being part of different Irish teams that won Nations Cups was fantastic. 2009 was a great year, winning the silver medal winner at the European Show Jumping Championships in Moorsele, Belgium, and then being inducted into the Connemara Pony Breeders Hall of Fame.

On another sadder note, the 12h2 Sillogue Spice with Ciaran Nallon, who we lost to colic, was a pony who really had the potential to do what Darkie did in the 14h2. He was a big loss.

Back in the ’60s and ’70s, I won two All-Ireland medals in tug of war, together with a bronze European Championship medal with Ireland. We also used to compete at cattle shows, winning at local shows and qualifying for All-Irelands over the years.

My biggest challenge: It would be nice (although difficult) to breed another pony of the calibre of Sillogue Darkie who would go on to compete and be successful at the highest level nationally and internationally. We have some potentially very talented stock that will take lots of work and focus to realise their ability. We are breeding from two sisters of Darkie and are using stallions like Westside Mirah and I Love You Melody.

My favourite horse & pony: Sillogue Darkie and his dam Coillchru Esmeralda are my number ones and always will be. Darkie was voted Connemara of the decade. In terms of horses, I would go for Irish sport horses all the time. Flexible by Cruising in show jumping and the eventer Ringwood Cockatoo would be my tops.

Advice for breeders: It has been a tough number of years. There will always be a good return for quality stock, with a potential to perform. The starting point for breeders is simple as far as I am concerned – it is to stop breeding from bad mares. If you have a good broodmare, you have to identify and bring her to a stallion with the best breeding and a proven performance record.

My ambitions: After a good rest over the winter, we are looking forward to a good year with Sillogue Darkie. We will also have a few other ponies competing, including Sillogue Pollie, who is with the Santrys in West Cork. We have been fortunate to work with some very talented young riders and their families, and we really appreciate that. I would love to see the likes of Alexander Butler, David Blake, Jessica Burke, Gerard Clarke, Conor Drain, Michael Duffy and the Taggart girls, Kelly and Kerry, fulfil their full potential. Imagine turning on the TV one day to see one of them on a senior Irish team at a major championship or, dare I say it, an Olympics.