‘An Irish Draught with a good temperament will always sell,” says Donal Goland. No truer word was spoken, and Donal has put so many nice horses through his hands over the past two decades, he has almost lost count.
As Ballinglen Stud celebrates its 20th year in full operation this year, the Wexford native can look back with pride at what has been a remarkable time as a successful owner, breeder, stallion handler, and showing enthusiast.
“I worked in Glanbia and I always had it in my head to get a place and stand a few stallions,” he recalls of the early days. “I bought Ballinglen in 1997 and left Glanbia in 2005 after 28 years’ service.”
The following year Donal set about pursuing his dream and thus started a lovely journey with the likes of the thoroughbred Financial Reward and the father and son Irish Draught pair of Rebel Mountain and Grandpa’s Rebel.
In the stud’s infancy, the thoroughbred Rock Hopper was his first resident. A stakes winner on the flat, he had come through Paddy Kinsella at Beechbrook Farm in Tinahely.
“He was 17 when he came to us and was pushing on so I was looking for another thoroughbred, but they were impossible to find.”
Performance tested
In the meantime, Donal picked up Irish Draught (ID) stallion Rebel Mountain as a three-year-old from Eric Atkinson in Leighlinbridge. That was 2006.
Bred in Cork by Brian Sheahan, he is by Huntingfield Rebel out of the Mountain View mare, Keamore Gold. “He was sent to Tom Slattery as a four-year-old and was performance tested, after which he got Class 1.”
Covering a full book of some 70 mares at a time, he proved to be a hugely prolific sire and produced horses with a superb temperament which made them ideal all-rounders.
“He had great success early on, and we sold a lot by him to Scotland.” As well as riding horses, he has also thrown multiple eventers, and winning show horses.
Among his many successful progeny eventing is Coolnaleen Rebel. Bred by Noeleen Redmond, the 2010 gelding out of the thoroughbred mare Crested Ten Lady was ridden by Molly O’Connor to claim team bronze at the 2023 European Pony Championships in France.
“Rebel also sired Linzi Sullivan’s home-bred mare Foxcovert Dancingintherain (dam by Crosstown Dancer), a multiple show winner and reserve champion hunter mare at the RDS last summer,” says Donal’s son, James (31).
Show circuit
A member of An Garda Siochána, James is very much part of the team at Ballinglen and is regularly seen on the show circuit with his father during the summer months.
Together with his wife Breda, Donal also has two daughters Caoimhe (33) and Katie (25), both of whom also have an active interest in the business.
Of the now retired Rebel Mountain, Donal says: “When we got him some said he wasn’t big enough or had enough bone. He stands 166cms and has 22cms of bone. To me he was a horse of a lifetime.”
Financial Reward and David Casey win the Grade 2 Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase at Limerick in 2008 for trainer Willie Mullins. \ Healy Racing
An advertisement in The Irish Field in 2010 prompted Donal to take a leap of faith. “James saw an ad for a prospective stallion. It was the thoroughbred Financial Reward. He had been in training with Willie Mullins and was with Thomas Quigley. He was seven and retired sound from racing. It had been hard to find the big National Hunt type and he was ideal.”
A winner of a Grade 2 chase and fully approved on his Timeform ratings, the son of Fruits Of Love quickly gained attention, winning the Croker Cup in 2011 and filling a book of mares.
He has since sired several winners on the track, including Cloonainra for trainer John McConnell. However, his success as a sire of show horses and eventers is exceptional.
The five-star event mare Clever Trick is one of his best offspring. Previously named Kilcandra Bonnie Reward, she was bred by Vincent Cousins and is out of the Bonnie Prince mare, Bonnie Dolly, who also produced Michael Jung’s former four-star ride, Kilcandra Ocean Power.
Winning team
Produced in Ireland by Luke Drea and later Alex Donohue, Clever Trick is ridden for Ireland by Susie Berry and has completed at both Lexington and Badminton.
They were also a member of the winning team at Boekelo in 2024 and the highest placed Irish combination in sixth place.
Financial Reward is also the sire of Bloomfield Manuscript, a former RDS show winner for breeder Daphne Tierney and rider Jane Bradbury. He went on to become the title holder of a unique double in 2023 – the CCI3*-L in Millstreet and the CCI3*-S in Lisgarvan for rider Sam Ecroyd.
In the showring, Financial Reward has put his stamp on so many nice horses, and they include the Newells’ Kilcahill Ruby, winner of the All-Ireland filly foal championship in 2023.
Last year she won her class at Balmoral, and stood reserve championship two-year-old at the RDS. She then followed it up by landing the Limerick Lady and the overall championship at the same venue.
When it comes to promotion, Donal says: “If you produce progeny and show them, that’s the best advertisement for your stallion.”
At 22, Financial Reward is still covering away, and there is no doubt he will produce more winners in 2026.
“Things are different now though than they were 10 years ago. HSI has done away with covering certificates, and I have no choice but to get payment up front from breeders. It’s not fair on them and I don’t like doing it, but I have no comeback otherwise.”
Acing it in his next career, 2011 Thoroughbred Stallion class winner Donal Goland's Financial Reward. \ mdpix.ie
Another resident at Ballinglen Stud is Grandpa’s Rebel who Donal spotted as a foal with his breeder Aidan Murphy. “He came back here with his dam Becarrig Grandpas Girl (Ard Grandpa) when she was to be covered again by Rebel Mountain and I liked him a lot,” he says.
A champion at Carnew as a yearling, he was placed fourth in the Irish Draught stallion class at the RDS as a three-year-old. He is the only Class 1 stallion by Rebel Mountain. “He is a bigger horse than his sire and has been getting a lot of Irish Draught mares. He’s been getting plenty of show hunters too.”
Among those is the Lorcan and Pauline Allen-bred Courtown Grandpas Girl, reserve champion small hunter at the RDS in 2023 and winner of the Rising Star Performance Series Championship at the London International last December.
Sales success
In terms of sales success, a five-year-old daughter Frankfort Athena fetched €10,000 at Goresbridge last October. Another gelding made €8,000 at the same sale.
Grandpa’s Rebel is also sire of Tommy Tutty’s Glens Rebel, a multiple winner under saddle last year with Aubrey Chapman. His half-brother, the 2025 Iverk youngstock champion Jack Glenn Shannon, is by Clogheen Captain Jack.
Susie Berry (IRL) riding Clever Trick at the Agria FEI Eventing European Championship 2025 at Blenheim Palace. \ Peter Nixon
This young sire was picked up from his breeder Daniel Molloy as a foal and was approved Class 1 as a three-year-old in 2021. By Fast Silver, his dam Millhollow Pearl (Annaghdown Star) is a half-sister to the Class 1 stallion Millhollow Stroller.
Clogheen Captain Jack is siring a lot of show winners too, another being Ballinglen Josie, shown by James Goland to be reserve champion ID at Adamstown and supreme champion at Laois Branch Show in 2025.
Another stallion son of Rebel Mountain is Stormy Mountain, whose eldest stock are now five. Bred by the late George Mernagh in Tullow and out of a Stormhill Miller mare, his breeding goes back to Master Imp and Highland King.
“He was bought as a foal and wasn’t big enough to go showing – he’s 16.1hh – but from a small book he has produced some lovely horses,” Donal says.
One is Watchhouse High Voltage who Donal bought as a foal from his breeder Lisa Comiskey. A winner for them as a yearling, he was snapped up as a three-year-old by show horse producer Shane McKenna for his mother Janet and last year as a four-year-old won the Connolly’s Red Mills Ridden Horse Champion of Champions Final.
“We only went for a drive to Lisa’s that day and didn’t intend buying him, but we couldn’t leave him behind,” Donal remarks.
Stallions
Donal is looking forward to meeting some old clients this year, and possibly new ones for his four stallions currently standing at stud, and no doubt some more winners in the ring.
“I have had some great days in the show ring,” he says with a smile.
“I have made a lot of good friends who I would never have met if I didn’t have horses.”
‘An Irish Draught with a good temperament will always sell,” says Donal Goland. No truer word was spoken, and Donal has put so many nice horses through his hands over the past two decades, he has almost lost count.
As Ballinglen Stud celebrates its 20th year in full operation this year, the Wexford native can look back with pride at what has been a remarkable time as a successful owner, breeder, stallion handler, and showing enthusiast.
“I worked in Glanbia and I always had it in my head to get a place and stand a few stallions,” he recalls of the early days. “I bought Ballinglen in 1997 and left Glanbia in 2005 after 28 years’ service.”
The following year Donal set about pursuing his dream and thus started a lovely journey with the likes of the thoroughbred Financial Reward and the father and son Irish Draught pair of Rebel Mountain and Grandpa’s Rebel.
In the stud’s infancy, the thoroughbred Rock Hopper was his first resident. A stakes winner on the flat, he had come through Paddy Kinsella at Beechbrook Farm in Tinahely.
“He was 17 when he came to us and was pushing on so I was looking for another thoroughbred, but they were impossible to find.”
Performance tested
In the meantime, Donal picked up Irish Draught (ID) stallion Rebel Mountain as a three-year-old from Eric Atkinson in Leighlinbridge. That was 2006.
Bred in Cork by Brian Sheahan, he is by Huntingfield Rebel out of the Mountain View mare, Keamore Gold. “He was sent to Tom Slattery as a four-year-old and was performance tested, after which he got Class 1.”
Covering a full book of some 70 mares at a time, he proved to be a hugely prolific sire and produced horses with a superb temperament which made them ideal all-rounders.
“He had great success early on, and we sold a lot by him to Scotland.” As well as riding horses, he has also thrown multiple eventers, and winning show horses.
Among his many successful progeny eventing is Coolnaleen Rebel. Bred by Noeleen Redmond, the 2010 gelding out of the thoroughbred mare Crested Ten Lady was ridden by Molly O’Connor to claim team bronze at the 2023 European Pony Championships in France.
“Rebel also sired Linzi Sullivan’s home-bred mare Foxcovert Dancingintherain (dam by Crosstown Dancer), a multiple show winner and reserve champion hunter mare at the RDS last summer,” says Donal’s son, James (31).
Show circuit
A member of An Garda Siochána, James is very much part of the team at Ballinglen and is regularly seen on the show circuit with his father during the summer months.
Together with his wife Breda, Donal also has two daughters Caoimhe (33) and Katie (25), both of whom also have an active interest in the business.
Of the now retired Rebel Mountain, Donal says: “When we got him some said he wasn’t big enough or had enough bone. He stands 166cms and has 22cms of bone. To me he was a horse of a lifetime.”
Financial Reward and David Casey win the Grade 2 Guinness Greenmount Park Novice Chase at Limerick in 2008 for trainer Willie Mullins. \ Healy Racing
An advertisement in The Irish Field in 2010 prompted Donal to take a leap of faith. “James saw an ad for a prospective stallion. It was the thoroughbred Financial Reward. He had been in training with Willie Mullins and was with Thomas Quigley. He was seven and retired sound from racing. It had been hard to find the big National Hunt type and he was ideal.”
A winner of a Grade 2 chase and fully approved on his Timeform ratings, the son of Fruits Of Love quickly gained attention, winning the Croker Cup in 2011 and filling a book of mares.
He has since sired several winners on the track, including Cloonainra for trainer John McConnell. However, his success as a sire of show horses and eventers is exceptional.
The five-star event mare Clever Trick is one of his best offspring. Previously named Kilcandra Bonnie Reward, she was bred by Vincent Cousins and is out of the Bonnie Prince mare, Bonnie Dolly, who also produced Michael Jung’s former four-star ride, Kilcandra Ocean Power.
Winning team
Produced in Ireland by Luke Drea and later Alex Donohue, Clever Trick is ridden for Ireland by Susie Berry and has completed at both Lexington and Badminton.
They were also a member of the winning team at Boekelo in 2024 and the highest placed Irish combination in sixth place.
Financial Reward is also the sire of Bloomfield Manuscript, a former RDS show winner for breeder Daphne Tierney and rider Jane Bradbury. He went on to become the title holder of a unique double in 2023 – the CCI3*-L in Millstreet and the CCI3*-S in Lisgarvan for rider Sam Ecroyd.
In the showring, Financial Reward has put his stamp on so many nice horses, and they include the Newells’ Kilcahill Ruby, winner of the All-Ireland filly foal championship in 2023.
Last year she won her class at Balmoral, and stood reserve championship two-year-old at the RDS. She then followed it up by landing the Limerick Lady and the overall championship at the same venue.
When it comes to promotion, Donal says: “If you produce progeny and show them, that’s the best advertisement for your stallion.”
At 22, Financial Reward is still covering away, and there is no doubt he will produce more winners in 2026.
“Things are different now though than they were 10 years ago. HSI has done away with covering certificates, and I have no choice but to get payment up front from breeders. It’s not fair on them and I don’t like doing it, but I have no comeback otherwise.”
Acing it in his next career, 2011 Thoroughbred Stallion class winner Donal Goland's Financial Reward. \ mdpix.ie
Another resident at Ballinglen Stud is Grandpa’s Rebel who Donal spotted as a foal with his breeder Aidan Murphy. “He came back here with his dam Becarrig Grandpas Girl (Ard Grandpa) when she was to be covered again by Rebel Mountain and I liked him a lot,” he says.
A champion at Carnew as a yearling, he was placed fourth in the Irish Draught stallion class at the RDS as a three-year-old. He is the only Class 1 stallion by Rebel Mountain. “He is a bigger horse than his sire and has been getting a lot of Irish Draught mares. He’s been getting plenty of show hunters too.”
Among those is the Lorcan and Pauline Allen-bred Courtown Grandpas Girl, reserve champion small hunter at the RDS in 2023 and winner of the Rising Star Performance Series Championship at the London International last December.
Sales success
In terms of sales success, a five-year-old daughter Frankfort Athena fetched €10,000 at Goresbridge last October. Another gelding made €8,000 at the same sale.
Grandpa’s Rebel is also sire of Tommy Tutty’s Glens Rebel, a multiple winner under saddle last year with Aubrey Chapman. His half-brother, the 2025 Iverk youngstock champion Jack Glenn Shannon, is by Clogheen Captain Jack.
Susie Berry (IRL) riding Clever Trick at the Agria FEI Eventing European Championship 2025 at Blenheim Palace. \ Peter Nixon
This young sire was picked up from his breeder Daniel Molloy as a foal and was approved Class 1 as a three-year-old in 2021. By Fast Silver, his dam Millhollow Pearl (Annaghdown Star) is a half-sister to the Class 1 stallion Millhollow Stroller.
Clogheen Captain Jack is siring a lot of show winners too, another being Ballinglen Josie, shown by James Goland to be reserve champion ID at Adamstown and supreme champion at Laois Branch Show in 2025.
Another stallion son of Rebel Mountain is Stormy Mountain, whose eldest stock are now five. Bred by the late George Mernagh in Tullow and out of a Stormhill Miller mare, his breeding goes back to Master Imp and Highland King.
“He was bought as a foal and wasn’t big enough to go showing – he’s 16.1hh – but from a small book he has produced some lovely horses,” Donal says.
One is Watchhouse High Voltage who Donal bought as a foal from his breeder Lisa Comiskey. A winner for them as a yearling, he was snapped up as a three-year-old by show horse producer Shane McKenna for his mother Janet and last year as a four-year-old won the Connolly’s Red Mills Ridden Horse Champion of Champions Final.
“We only went for a drive to Lisa’s that day and didn’t intend buying him, but we couldn’t leave him behind,” Donal remarks.
Stallions
Donal is looking forward to meeting some old clients this year, and possibly new ones for his four stallions currently standing at stud, and no doubt some more winners in the ring.
“I have had some great days in the show ring,” he says with a smile.
“I have made a lot of good friends who I would never have met if I didn’t have horses.”
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