Are the Irish playing catch–up?” asks a recent Hippomundo database essay on the annual prize money earnings by the leading show jumping breeding nations.

Like singer Jamie Lawson in his haunting hit I wasn’t Expecting That, the statement came as something of a surprise. Previously, Ireland hardly received a mention on this important international site. Yet it did reflect a feeling I have had for some time that our tortoise–like breeding programmes are now beginning to bear fruit.

We now have a cohort of very professional breeders who know what has to be done and are doing it. This, plus our extraordinary natural advantages has moved us from no-hopers to contenders.

Riders

Another thing that I was not expecting is the rising number of our international riders that are now also stud owners. They are not only riding stallions but are promoting them for coverings as well. The likes of Denis Lynch, Bertram Allen and Mikey Pender are leading this quiet revolution in Irish breeding.

Could you imagine Eddie Macken, Seamus Hayes or Iris Kellett doing the same back in their time?

Rising earnings

What prompted Hippomundo’s question and associated essay is the fact that during just the first three months of 2021 Irish-bred jumpers have already earned over half the amount of money they made across the whole of 2020.

With new mounts coming of age in the new season, from January to March Irish-breds landed €800,000 in prize money. This compares with a total of €1.5m for the whole of 2020.

We have a long way to go, but I feel that the leading stud books will soon be looking over their shoulders at a small green tide that is slowly creeping up on them.

As an example of the mountain we have to climb here are some the international figures for 2018 – the highest grossing year in the history of world show jumping to date. The leading stud book for that year was Germany, with earnings of €40m. The Belgians were second with €30m, followed by The Netherlands on €25 million and France with €20m.

Then there was a sharp drop to Ireland in seventh place on €3m. A tenfold climb in earnings is a challenge indeed. But if a sharp database such as Hippomundo were in existence 10 years ago we would not have featured at all because our breeding programmes were just not up to it. We have all but dominated the World Young Horse Breeding Championships for a number of years now and our medal winning competitors in those championships are beginning to come through in the big money stakes.

This is a trend I feel will only continue.