You could find a good horse or pony anywhere. It could be at sale, a fair or a mart. You just have to keep looking,” says Jim Derwin of Auburn, Athlone, who is carrying on a trade in Irish-bred horses that goes back four generations through his father Francis, another Francis before him and then William.

“When my dad was just 11, he took the train to Portarlington, bought a mare, rode her home, sold her to a neighbour and then, 20 years later, bought her back into retirement.”

That is just one of the many stories that Jim and his wife of nine years, Jennifer, can tell of the family background.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Francis, along with his brothers Tim and Willie, would travel by pony and trap to fairs in Longford, Portarlington, Athenry and Banaher with up to six horses tied on behind. And at his peak, Jim’s dad was putting up to 2,000 head through his hands every year until his death 11 years ago. But the tradition in no way died with him.

All four of his children, Jim, Francis, Pamela and Tanya, made sure that it lived on.

Both of the girls represented Ireland at European championship level. Francis jumped both at home and abroad.

He now has a yard right next to Jim and his three children, Kate, Frano and Tara, all compete. Jim’s wife Jennifer is daughter of Athlone vet Paddy McGuire.

She rode before studying business at the University of Limerick. Her brother Stephen competed for the army.

As for Jim, his first ponies were Dusty and one called Cowboy that were bought at Turloghmore Fair in Galway. He came fourth at Dublin on another one called Dusty Boy that was bought from Jimmy Quinn of Ennis. Sold to England, this one went on to take a European bronze for Ben Maher. Among the many other Derwin-sourced mounts that have made a name for themselves are the likes of Brookstreet Clover that was a big winner for Robert Smith; the great Olympic eventer Mr Medicott by Cruising; and a wonderful grey thoroughbred/Irish Draught cross that went on to be overall hunter champion in Holland.

Jim is master to the Roscommon hunt, his Mum Ann is master of the Westmeath hunt. So, testing on the hunting field is an important part of the Derwin operation.

Among their more recent success stories has been Arraghbeg Clover that Jim bought from his brother Francis. She went on to be Lanaken champion for Greg Broderick and was later sold at auction to Russia for €400,000.

More recently, there has been Deep Pockets by OBOS Quality out of a Cruising mare that Jim bought as a three-year-old in Goresbridge before jumping him to win the 2013 Discovery at Millstreet. Together they represented the Irish Studbook at last year’s Lanaken, where they jumped two clears in the qualifiers and had just the last down in the final.

Jim bought his half-brother by Indoctro from breeder Charlie Pidgeon of Athlone. Now, called Empty Pockets, he emulated Deep Pockets by winning the 2014 Millstreet Discovery for Linda Courtney.

Jim notes that he takes the greatest satisfaction in buying a horse at some fair around the country and then seeing it all spruced up in a high-class stable abroad.

This is certainly the case with some 100 horses and ponies that he exported to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. They were widely shown in the media when Minister Simon Coveney visited there last year. Jim was instrumental in directing the trade mission to the top flight Al Forsan stables where they are now sumptuously based.

At last count, he has some 400 horses and ponies in the yard. All are Irish bred and among them are lots of Connemaras that they find are in great demand at the moment.

“Ireland is the best country in the world for ponies,” declares Jennifer enthusiastically, and to back up her statement she notes that our products swept the boards at Southview in England.

“It used to be that we were always chasing the British, but now they are chasing us.”

Jim exports all over the world, including to Holland, Sweden, Germany, the USA, Switzerland and Britain. As to his sources, they can be any place from Cavan Sales to Spancil Hill Fair where he bought 43 last June.

“I took two lorry loads out of every fair I went to last year,” he declares. But he also notes that the “burger” scandal has taken its toll and he feels there will be a scarcity of horses and ponies in the years ahead.

“Many breeders were burned with no outlet and just will not bother anymore.”

But one can be sure that the Derwins will continue to find the good ones.

“We are well known all over the world and we get up to 50 calls a day,” Jim and Jennifer note.

Nor will it all stop with them. Preparing to carry this extraordinary marketing tradition further is their six-year-old son James who last year was 2014 SJI Leinster under-eight Discovery Champion on My Bay Star.