Over a weekend which confirmed the sale of thoroughbred stallion Road To Happiness to the US, the need for stamina in eventing was evident once more at the five-star event in Bicton in England where eight of the top 10 horses boasted no less than 60% thoroughbred blood.

In addition, five of the top seven horses had over 70% blood, an attribute that is continually seen as a ‘must-have’ for top-level eventing.

The use of thoroughbred sires – especially those with jumping lines – on mares to produce event horses is regularly debated. However, the statistics, and results, can’t be disputed.

You can add all the warmblood you like for step and looks, but when it comes to getting across the finish line within the time, there’s no competing with the thoroughbred influence.

Leading British rider Oliver Townend is a firm supporter of the thoroughbred and in the past decade had the foresight to purchase Power Blade and Stormhill Miller out of Ireland to add strength to British breeding. Though now deceased, Power Blade has left his legacy in the AES approved stallion Future Prophecy.

Although unraced and never jumped in actual competition, Road To Happiness displayed incredible technique when tried under saddle at the age of 15. It is perhaps not surprising as his sire Rainbow Quest was damsire of the 2013 Grand National winner Auroras Encore.

During his tenure here Road To Happiness produced some 200 offspring – including the US-based eventers SBT Clover Road and Big Berry. He covered over 50 mares in 2021.

Interestingly Road To Happiness was purchased from Felim Mac Eoin in a bid to re-introduce thoroughbred blood into a private band of broodmares in the US. The sale was brokered by Damien Griffin for Dutchman Alan Waldman who operates a breeding farm in the US.

John Varley of Coolin House Stud in Galway said that he too was made a substantial offer on his thoroughbred Elusive Emir after he won the Croker Cup in 2015.

“People had seen videos of him loose jumping and wanted to bring him to Holland to put quality back into mares that had become heavy and plain,” he said.

Varley also stands the thoroughbred Centennial, himself a Group 2 winner and now sire of numerous winners over jumps in France.

Even though the bedrock of the warmblood stallion is the thoroughbred, it has been seriously diluted over the years with the number of warmblood sires now used by Irish breeders. A glance at any sport horse sale will prove this beyond doubt.

The impulse to breed a flashy foal with step is all very well to get a sale, but, as a result, our reputation for producing event horses with stamina and speed to last the distance is being lost.