Agricultural shows and family outings go hand in hand as Tipperary-born exhibitor Edel Burke Curtin proves. From buying Kilbaha’s ‘niece’ Corgrigg Joules, that won at Balmoral this year, to juggling her career in An Garda Siochana and keeping up the family picnic tradition, this is her story.

“I’m a Garda Sergeant in Scariff in east Clare, and I find because of my love of horses I always have something to talk about on a Monday morning with the locals as there would be a love of horses and showing in this part. I enjoy working in rural communities, being involved on a one-to-one basis with the locals and being approachable to them,” begins Curtin.

“For as long as I can remember I was around horses at home in Lorrha and that’s all I wanted, horses and to be a Guard! My father, Paddy Burke, hunted with the Ormonds and broke hunting horses and ponies for people around Tipperary, Offaly and Galway, so we were always thrown up on a young green horse.

“Kathleen, my mother, would plait the hunters and I have great memories of the picnic being packed by her and us heading off to watch my father compete at the horse ploughing and sheep shearing. My parents also reared and trained greyhounds and at one stage we had 32 in the kennels,” recalls Curtin.

Family support

“I married Dominic in 2007 and we bought my broodmare Corgrigg Dancer. She is by VDL Arkansas out of a Crosstown Dancer mare and has had her eighth foal in a row and is in foal again for next year. I stayed with Kennedy Equine Centre throughout as I find Kieran and his family knowledgeable and easy to deal with in regard to which stallion would suit her.

“My father-in-law Pat Curtin is a great help behind the scenes; feeding, mucking out or washing the horses before a show with me and while Dominic and Pat are both true dairy and beef farmers they give me 100% support in my horse endeavours.In 2014 I purchased Corgrigg Joules from her breeder Jimmy Seymour in Nenagh. I rang Tom Casey and Gerry Markham, who are top-class men to spot a good foal with no less than Arraghbeg Clover passing through their hands! So we went to see her and my first thought was ‘Wow, is that her’... it was a great first impression.

“I gave ‘Joules’ to Bridgette Coughlan to produce as a yearling, they had great success and Bridgette laid the foundation for our showing career,” Curtin compliments.

Balmoral surprise

Reminiscing about Corgrigg Joules’ biggest success to date, Curtin recounts: “Myself, Gerry, Tom and Maria Griffin headed for Balmoral Show in May and to all our surprise we brought the red ribbon home, which I treasure. My good friend John Williams, who owns Mantlehill Diamond Grey, was placed second so that was a great day. I started attending Balmoral Show with the Moate Show Society bus outing, headed up by chairman Pairic McNeill. The photo of my ringside cheerleaders was taken in Moate this year where Corgrigg Joules placed second in her class.

“I bring Kathleen, Isobel and Dominic to as many shows as I can and I love that they can be part of my hobby. They love when I hand them a rosette, regardless of colour, and there’s always a hug from them.

“I try to instil in them that it’s better to be competing, regardless of whether a rosette is won, and to be happy coming home.

“As there’s always a chocolate biscuit or slice of porter cake in the picnic to be divided out, there’s always a smile. At some shows John Williams and John and Susanne Kelly will arrive over and we enjoy the picnic and chat together.”

Generations of Irish families grew up attending agricultural shows. Attracting them is the key to agricultural shows maintaining footfall. The Curtin clan brighten up any show day with their ‘any day out is a good day’ attitude.