Like his father PJ before him, Lorcan Glynn has a passion for breeding horses.
His early recollections stem from days in and around the show ring, and include special memories from the family successes in the breeder’s classes at the RDS. Now aged 23, and a graduate of agricultural and environmental management at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Glynn was crowned HSI All Ireland young handler in 2018.
His achievements have mainly been with his home-bred stock, but with increasing demand as a handler/showman, he landed the Coote Cup at the RDS in 2019 with Paul, Joanne and James Cleary’s champion brood mare, Fassagh Lady.
Life with the horses at home at Crannaghmore, outside Athlone in Co Roscommon is, according to Glynn “a real team effort”.
The entire Glynn family headed by PJ and Majella, share the common interest in breeding, and for over a decade the family have featured prominently in the showing world at the RDS and across the country.
Glynn’s father PJ is largely a traditional breeder, using Irish mares to cross with thoroughbred stallions. These foals would then be presented at the shows and sold on to be produced.
“They had a good mixture of quality, ability and blood to make good event horses,” explained Glynn.
“As the years went on, we started to keep back some of our foals, and also bought in the odd youngster to produce as three-year-olds. Our current mares are not proven to produce show jumping offspring, but they have all been highly successful on the showing circuit and with the right cross will breed top quality hunters and eventers.”
Lorcan Glynn parades Paul Cleary's Coote Cup champion Fassagh Lady at the 2019 Dublin Horse Show \ Susan Finnerty
Multi-purpose offspring
After a few years the family began to realise the increasing importance of good jumping ability, and indeed the aim with the current broodmare herd is to produce multi-purpose offspring.
“We hope to get a foal with the attributes to be a successful show horse and to then go forward into the eventing world,” explains Glynn.
“In the coming years I also hope to start trying to breed some show jumping stock.”
From a young age, Glynn realised the importance of starting off with good mares, saying: “It was embedded in my head that the brood mares are the foundation for a successful three-year-old.
“I first ventured into Connemara pony foals when I was young and when I wanted a mare to show and breed for myself. One weekend in 2011, dad and I made the long journey to Carraroe where I purchased my first mare, a four-year-old Connemara from Peter O’Malley.
“Since then, I have had a few mares come and go, and I also have my own Class 1 approved Connemara stallion Knightsbridge Prince standing at stud, who I purchased as a foal at Ballina in 2013.”
Lorcan Glynn with his father P.J after their Scrapman filly won her class at Dublin \ Susan Finnerty
Although he has a combined interest in the competition world, Glynn never rode much as a child. “I never took off in the riding boots,” he says.
“I used to have lessons when I was young and went to some local competitions, but I was always happier looking at foals and judging them to myself. I would have spent hours every week brushing, handling and quietening them over the years.
“I do a lot of groundwork with horses, as well as in hand showing with mares, foals and young horses. I’ve shown young horses, mares and foals all over Ireland, competing in small agricultural shows, the All Irelands, Balmoral and the RDS.
The nine-strong broodmare herd at Crannaghmore, features a mix of traditional and thoroughbred bloodlines.
“Dad’s mares have all been successful show mares, while our younger mares are a more modern type with more blood and athleticism in them,” states Glynn.
“Although a sufficient amount of thoroughbred blood is required, I do try to avoid getting caught up in the over 60% blood fad. Each animal is different. A horse that can run all day but doesn’t have the right attitude or jumping ability is not much use.
“Correct training and the possession of numerous traits are required - not just the amount of thoroughbred blood. For example, four out of the top 10 in Badminton in 2015 had less than 60% blood. But, without a doubt in most horses a considerable amount of thoroughbred blood is a bonus to their success.”
Because the family choose their covering sires with the view of producing a quality show horse that will be saleable as a foal or as a three-year-old, they use a large number of thoroughbred stallions, mixed with a sprinkling of continental blood.
Lorcan Glynn with Knightsbridge Prince, one of his prizewinning Connemara ponies. \ Susan Finnerty
“We have used a variety of stallions which have all been successful in their own way,” adds Glynn.
“Among them are Loughahoe Guy, French Buffet, Elusive Emir, Near Dock, OBOS Quality, Chippison, Iroko, Diamond Discovery, Sligo Candy Boy, DS Are You With Me and Cougar – all of which have proved successful in fulfilling our needs.
“We try to put thoroughbred stallions on to our more traditional type mares and the mares that have enough blood, we use stallions like Sligo Candy Boy and OBOS Quality to ensure enough bone and substance comes through.
“I’ve always had a shine for Cornet Obolensky stock, and if the day comes that I get to breed my future stallion I will hope to have his breeding in him. Any Connemara mares we may have are covered with my own stallion Knightsbridge Prince,” Glynn explains.
While the Glynn stock is mostly sold as foals or three-year-olds, he is constantly assessing them and keeping a close eye on their progress.
“I make sure they get all the help and nutrition they need to achieve their full potential. I don’t agree with pushing them if they are not ready. They will be loose schooled and broken in according to their development.
“Any foals that I buy in are kept until they are three-year-olds, and we always keep some to produce ourselves, we do try to sell at least half the foals that we breed to avoid the numbers getting too high,” he adds.
Marketing
Like many breeders, Glynn has found that social media has become an increasingly important marketing tool.
“I love advertising horses and putting them up on social media where they are appreciated by people who like them and can become potential purchasers.
“I reached the American market for the first-time last year thanks to social media. It all began with a man in New York admiring an Irish Draught colt foal I advertised, and after a few months he then purchased a three-year-old filly by OBOS Quality (dam by Lancelot), named Crannaghmore Miss Quality, she is starting her schooling under saddle here on Irish soil and is due to fly to America for the summer when the weather improves.
“The power of social media is impressive, it can introduce your horses to customers worldwide.”
Looking to the future, Glynn nurtures an ambition of acquiring a well-bred, proven 1.50m or 1.60m show jumping mare suitable for breeding.
“It’s hard to get started with a solid foundation mare without the right pocket of money saved up,” he comments.
“It’s also a dream of mine to breed a top show jumping stallion that can potentially stand at stud at home where he was born but don’t want to get one until I know he’s the one. I really do admire the show jumping animals, their braveness and ability under pressure is outstanding.”
Clearly this young man is going places. He has both the passion and the ability, and most importantly loves his horses: “Horses in general are a pleasure to me. It’s the competitive side of me then makes it commercial. I love working with animals of all shapes and sizes and aiming them towards their most fitting future.
“They cannot all be five-star horses - so I also enjoy breaking and producing some hunters and pleasure ponies. But the main aim is to breed and produce the best. When you get to breed the right horse that is tremendous at its job, it is very rewarding to be appreciated with the higher price and make it all worthwhile,” he concludes.
Like his father PJ before him, Lorcan Glynn has a passion for breeding horses.
His early recollections stem from days in and around the show ring, and include special memories from the family successes in the breeder’s classes at the RDS. Now aged 23, and a graduate of agricultural and environmental management at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Glynn was crowned HSI All Ireland young handler in 2018.
His achievements have mainly been with his home-bred stock, but with increasing demand as a handler/showman, he landed the Coote Cup at the RDS in 2019 with Paul, Joanne and James Cleary’s champion brood mare, Fassagh Lady.
Life with the horses at home at Crannaghmore, outside Athlone in Co Roscommon is, according to Glynn “a real team effort”.
The entire Glynn family headed by PJ and Majella, share the common interest in breeding, and for over a decade the family have featured prominently in the showing world at the RDS and across the country.
Glynn’s father PJ is largely a traditional breeder, using Irish mares to cross with thoroughbred stallions. These foals would then be presented at the shows and sold on to be produced.
“They had a good mixture of quality, ability and blood to make good event horses,” explained Glynn.
“As the years went on, we started to keep back some of our foals, and also bought in the odd youngster to produce as three-year-olds. Our current mares are not proven to produce show jumping offspring, but they have all been highly successful on the showing circuit and with the right cross will breed top quality hunters and eventers.”
Lorcan Glynn parades Paul Cleary's Coote Cup champion Fassagh Lady at the 2019 Dublin Horse Show \ Susan Finnerty
Multi-purpose offspring
After a few years the family began to realise the increasing importance of good jumping ability, and indeed the aim with the current broodmare herd is to produce multi-purpose offspring.
“We hope to get a foal with the attributes to be a successful show horse and to then go forward into the eventing world,” explains Glynn.
“In the coming years I also hope to start trying to breed some show jumping stock.”
From a young age, Glynn realised the importance of starting off with good mares, saying: “It was embedded in my head that the brood mares are the foundation for a successful three-year-old.
“I first ventured into Connemara pony foals when I was young and when I wanted a mare to show and breed for myself. One weekend in 2011, dad and I made the long journey to Carraroe where I purchased my first mare, a four-year-old Connemara from Peter O’Malley.
“Since then, I have had a few mares come and go, and I also have my own Class 1 approved Connemara stallion Knightsbridge Prince standing at stud, who I purchased as a foal at Ballina in 2013.”
Lorcan Glynn with his father P.J after their Scrapman filly won her class at Dublin \ Susan Finnerty
Although he has a combined interest in the competition world, Glynn never rode much as a child. “I never took off in the riding boots,” he says.
“I used to have lessons when I was young and went to some local competitions, but I was always happier looking at foals and judging them to myself. I would have spent hours every week brushing, handling and quietening them over the years.
“I do a lot of groundwork with horses, as well as in hand showing with mares, foals and young horses. I’ve shown young horses, mares and foals all over Ireland, competing in small agricultural shows, the All Irelands, Balmoral and the RDS.
The nine-strong broodmare herd at Crannaghmore, features a mix of traditional and thoroughbred bloodlines.
“Dad’s mares have all been successful show mares, while our younger mares are a more modern type with more blood and athleticism in them,” states Glynn.
“Although a sufficient amount of thoroughbred blood is required, I do try to avoid getting caught up in the over 60% blood fad. Each animal is different. A horse that can run all day but doesn’t have the right attitude or jumping ability is not much use.
“Correct training and the possession of numerous traits are required - not just the amount of thoroughbred blood. For example, four out of the top 10 in Badminton in 2015 had less than 60% blood. But, without a doubt in most horses a considerable amount of thoroughbred blood is a bonus to their success.”
Because the family choose their covering sires with the view of producing a quality show horse that will be saleable as a foal or as a three-year-old, they use a large number of thoroughbred stallions, mixed with a sprinkling of continental blood.
Lorcan Glynn with Knightsbridge Prince, one of his prizewinning Connemara ponies. \ Susan Finnerty
“We have used a variety of stallions which have all been successful in their own way,” adds Glynn.
“Among them are Loughahoe Guy, French Buffet, Elusive Emir, Near Dock, OBOS Quality, Chippison, Iroko, Diamond Discovery, Sligo Candy Boy, DS Are You With Me and Cougar – all of which have proved successful in fulfilling our needs.
“We try to put thoroughbred stallions on to our more traditional type mares and the mares that have enough blood, we use stallions like Sligo Candy Boy and OBOS Quality to ensure enough bone and substance comes through.
“I’ve always had a shine for Cornet Obolensky stock, and if the day comes that I get to breed my future stallion I will hope to have his breeding in him. Any Connemara mares we may have are covered with my own stallion Knightsbridge Prince,” Glynn explains.
While the Glynn stock is mostly sold as foals or three-year-olds, he is constantly assessing them and keeping a close eye on their progress.
“I make sure they get all the help and nutrition they need to achieve their full potential. I don’t agree with pushing them if they are not ready. They will be loose schooled and broken in according to their development.
“Any foals that I buy in are kept until they are three-year-olds, and we always keep some to produce ourselves, we do try to sell at least half the foals that we breed to avoid the numbers getting too high,” he adds.
Marketing
Like many breeders, Glynn has found that social media has become an increasingly important marketing tool.
“I love advertising horses and putting them up on social media where they are appreciated by people who like them and can become potential purchasers.
“I reached the American market for the first-time last year thanks to social media. It all began with a man in New York admiring an Irish Draught colt foal I advertised, and after a few months he then purchased a three-year-old filly by OBOS Quality (dam by Lancelot), named Crannaghmore Miss Quality, she is starting her schooling under saddle here on Irish soil and is due to fly to America for the summer when the weather improves.
“The power of social media is impressive, it can introduce your horses to customers worldwide.”
Looking to the future, Glynn nurtures an ambition of acquiring a well-bred, proven 1.50m or 1.60m show jumping mare suitable for breeding.
“It’s hard to get started with a solid foundation mare without the right pocket of money saved up,” he comments.
“It’s also a dream of mine to breed a top show jumping stallion that can potentially stand at stud at home where he was born but don’t want to get one until I know he’s the one. I really do admire the show jumping animals, their braveness and ability under pressure is outstanding.”
Clearly this young man is going places. He has both the passion and the ability, and most importantly loves his horses: “Horses in general are a pleasure to me. It’s the competitive side of me then makes it commercial. I love working with animals of all shapes and sizes and aiming them towards their most fitting future.
“They cannot all be five-star horses - so I also enjoy breaking and producing some hunters and pleasure ponies. But the main aim is to breed and produce the best. When you get to breed the right horse that is tremendous at its job, it is very rewarding to be appreciated with the higher price and make it all worthwhile,” he concludes.
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