Celebrating the best in Show at the RDS
A chance meeting over a stallion brought two Horse Show winners together, writes Siobhan English
IN only their second ever outing in the Breeders’ Championship at the Dublin Horse Show, veterinary surgeon Danielle Cusack and her fiancé Michael Egan took home one of the most coveted accolades on the showing circuit last week.
Unplaced as finalists there in 2017 with Hallowberry Destiny and her filly foal by Clonaslee Captain Cristo, this time the mare and her 2018 colt by the same sire stood at the top of the line of high-quality combinations to claim the title for the first time.
Runner-up spot went to Mary McInerney’s home-bred Max Naughty But Nice, by Chacoa, and her filly foal by Tyson.
In the championship, judges look for a mare capable of producing athletic type foals with performance potential. On the day both were assessed by visiting judges Alain James and Stefaan De Smet using the triangle format which allowed them to assess natural paces from behind, side and in front.
“When I had a look at the competition I knew we wouldn’t be too far away,” Michael Egan said after a weekend of celebrations. “We are just thrilled as we had done everything from scratch.
“It is very much a family affair as Danielle’s sister Louise also takes a keen interest and the fact that Danielle’s father John has the stallion makes it even more special.”
Their journey to the RDS is quite the story. Danielle’s father John owns the sire Clonaslee Captain Cristo and stands him at stud near Charlestown, Co Mayo. “Michael and Danielle would probably not have met only for the stallion,” John said.
“I spotted the stallion as a four-day-old foal and purchased him later that year from his breeder PJ Tierney. He won as a two-year-old and three-yearold and one day I got a call from Michael looking to buy him. He was not for sale, but in the process he and Danielle struck up a friendship. The rest is history.”
Michael, who works in road construction with fellow horseman Liam Lynskey, has always had an interest in showing and producing young horses. One of his recent success stories is MD Sandyhill Penhills Zorro who he produced as a threeyear-old to finish in the top 10 at the RDS. By Sligo Candy Boy, he is now ridden by Imogen Murray and this week contests the British Young Horse Championships.
Michael purchased Hallowberry Destiny as a two-yearold from her breeder Caroline Byrne through Goresbridge. A bargain buy at the time at €2,750, the daughter of Ramiro B was sold on again as a threeyear-old but subsequently re-purchased in 2016. In the meantime she had produced a filly by Womanizer in 2013.
“When I bought her back we put her in foal to Clonaslee Captain Cristo and the result was a filly in 2017. They won quite a bit last summer so we kept that filly with a view to producing her on,” Michael said.
This year she produced a colt by the same sire who boasts traditional Irish bloodlines going back to Master Imp and Clover Hill. Coincidentally the first mare he ever covered was Hallowberry Destiny in 2016.
Some 40 mares were scanned in foal to him in 2017 and this year his book has improved even further. “I love traditionally-bred horses and would like to think more breeders might use him now,” John added.
Hallowberry Destiny and her foal attended only a few shows before Dublin and they qualified in Athlone as well as winning at Claregalway, Ballinrobe and Claremorris. “There’s interest now in the foal but we haven’t decided what to do just as yet,” Michael concluded.
WHEN I HAD A LOOK AT THE COMPETITION I KNEW WE WOULDN’T BE TOO FAR AWAY