News

Pictures and information to follow

Pictures and information to follow.

It was a fun day out for John and Emily Corbett - and showed great courage from John who, while an accomplished and avid polo player, last jumped a horse abut 10 years ago. All involved - horses, riders and spectators - arrived home intact.

Just four weeks ago we decided that Ringfort Rubicon (or "Ruby" as staff at Richard Iggulden's yard called him) might make a nice horse for this class at Dublin -if we could get him qualified! As there were only to be three horses taken from each qualifier, and entries confined to two qualifiers, it wasn't going to be easy. But, if you are not in you can't win (and the first prize is to be €5000) so we thought we might as well give it a go. Sharon Riddell, our neighbour who does a lot of work with our very young horses, already had him driving nicely over a pole and a small tyre jump, so we sent him to Richard Iggulden, who passed the important litmus test by saying he really liked him - "but more of an athlete than a show horse" he added. He rang me two days later to say that actually he would like to enter him for a 3 year old in hand SHOW class as well, as he was a corker! Four weeks later, looking a picture, we went first to Mullingar,where we failed to qualify, but only 5.5 points off the mark. The following night, for our second and final try, we went to Kernan's very impressive Equestrian Centre at Crossmaglen. "Ruby" did all that we could have hoped for, and qualified. But not without a recount as the scores from one of the two judges had been added up wrongly! Some tense moments.
So, we have a horse for Dublin...there is already a serious bid on him but John is sayng it would be more fun to have him at Dublin then sell him there, and I'm pointing out that horses have been known to fall over a twig in the field and never make it to Dublin, so we should sell him now! Watch this space.....

Interestingly Gina was with us when we went to Hereford 17 years ago and purchased Sheepcote Solitude, and Sheepcote Cordula, (subsequently dam of the legendary Ringfort Rara Ruby) from Olympian David Pincus. Both were 4 month old foals and when weaned at 6 months were shippped to Ringfort Stud to be the basis of a separate competition and breeding line from our main Nimmerdor line of foundation mare Renkum Woudina. Subsequently Solitude was sold to Gina but returned home this week, and is already with vet Hugh Suffern being prepared for insemination with semen from our stallion currrently leased to Drumhowan Stud, Ringfort Cruise. Everyone here is very excited about this mating and we look forward to the offspring next year.

The two day Fermanagh Harriers fixture managed to start the meeting with a blue sky but as the evening progressed a black cloud shadowed the track although it was not until after racing that the rain came. The ground on the first day was good to yielding.

Both Jamie Codd and Mark O’Hare recorded doubles on the first evening. Codd began the day with a comfortable win on the newcomer, Charlie’s Vic in the four-year-old mares maiden. Codd then quickly doubled up when he steered the Liam Kenny trained joint favourite, Court In Session to an easy eight length success. It was the Mark O’Hare’s turn to take over the winner's spot when he steered the Mayne Kidd owned and trained Stone to a very easy four length success in the five-year-old gelding’s maiden. The son of Lahib had caught the eye on his debut in Loughbrickland when just weakening before the last but he galloped all the way to the line here in what was an exceptional front running performance. Bought privately by Kidd as a foal - from breeder Diane Harron Eakin at Ringfort Stud near Crossgar - the good looking gelding is ridden out at home by Denise Kelly to whom Kidd credits this win as she has spent a long time getting him to relax in his work. He may now head to the Ronnie Bartlett bumper at Down Royal if not sold first.

We have subsequently heard that, while Stone was supplemented for the Doncaster Sales, he was sold privately to England before the Sales. Let's hope we hear more about him and that he goes on to make his name on the track.

BRED BY – The Carr Family
OWNED BY – The Carr Family

DESCRIPTION:
Age - 2 years old
15.2 Hands
Color - Chestnut
Breed - Irish Sport Horse
Sex - Filly

PEDIGREE: The Lady Baganal’s sire is Ringfort Tinkatoo (ISH), on her sire line her grandsire is Tinka’s Boy and her Granddam is Sheepcote Solitude (ISH), whose sire is Son of Charm. (I am adding this bit - Son of Charm is out of Oodles of Charm who was by one of the great Irish Thoroughbreds, Rulagheela!). The Lady Baganal’s dam is Saratoga Baby (TB) - her grandsire is Saratoga Six (TB), whose sire is Alydar, and her granddam is Betty’s Baby (TB), whose sire is Northern Baby (TB).

SIRE/DAM/GRANDSIRE/GRANDDAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
• Ringfort Tinkatoo - won the Irish Preliminary Championship as a 6 year old, placed 6th out of 70 at Dartfield (IRE) CCI*, Grade 1 event horse at age 7, was the CCI* USET/USEF National Champion, and competed through the CCI * level.
• Ringfort Tinkatoo’s Grandsire – Tinka’s Boy – was a World champion and Olympic show jumper.
• Ringfort Tinkatoo’s Dam – Sheepcote Solitude - Evented through the Intermediate level.
• Sheepcote Solitude’s Grandsire – Son of Charm - was an Olympic dressage horse
• Saratoga Baby’s Sire Saratoga Six – Stakes winner of 14 races, and he produced 39 stakes winners with an average earnings of $48,794 per run.
• Saratoga Baby’s Great Grand Sire – Northern Baby is one of the leading Jumper sires in the USA.

SIBLINGS' ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
• Ringfort Tinkabella – the oldest daughter of Ringfort Tinkatoo, in her first year of eventing completed three CCI*’s and 1 CIC* with zero cross-country jump penalties and top placing at all 4 events. She went on to place 6th at her first Intermediate Horse Trials, Tinkabella was the top placed Irish Horse in the Young Horse Championship at the CCI* in Le Lion D’Angers finishing 15th out of 80 horses. She was one of only six starters that finished on their dressage score. Also Awarded “Best Mare of 2006” by the Irish Eventing Board.
• Ringfort Tinkarula – just started her eventing career in Ireland in 2010, placing 6th or higher in two of three starts.
• Ringfort Tinkaturk – just started his eventing career in Ireland in 2010, placed 4th in the HORSEWARE League 5 & 6 y/o CNC*, on 2 April 2011.

THE LADY BAGANAL'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND/OR FARM BREEDING PROGRAM:
• Participated in the FEH Demonstration at Rolex in 2010
• Currently in training at The Lord Baganal Farm
• Planned to compete in the Future Event Horse Program in 2011
• The Lord Baganal Farm is dedicated to producing fine Irish Sport Horse.

THE BAD NEWS. Ringfort Rara Ruby has disappointed us all by proving to be be NOT in foal. Just fat. Her due date was next week but we were suspicious when her body shape didn't seem to drop, so we had her scanned. Empty. But with a large follicle. THE GOOD NEWS is that she was inseminated with Ringfort Cruise a day later, scanned 15 days later and she has been confirmed in foal for 2012. We will keep an even better eye on her for the next 11 months. THE VERY GOOD NEWS IS THAT OUR TB MARE STONEBECK IS STILL IN FOAL TO RINGFORT CRUISE AND DUE TO FOAL IN A MONTH'S TIME.

We were honoured with the Neil Mathieson Award at the Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ireland Horse Board. According to Chairman of the Board, Patricia Conlon, the Award was in recognition of the Stud's breeding strategy which had consistently produced top performance horses, such as Ringfort Cruise and Warrenstown U2, both Grands Prix and Nations Cup horses ridden for Ireland.

Down in the ranks of the young horses, Ringfort horses continue to make their mark.

The Stud picked up a very welcome monetary award at the Northern Ireland Horse Board AGM for breeding the horse with the highest points at pre-Novice level in Eventing Ireland last year - Ringfort Valentino by Valentino out of Renkum Inglewood. Competing at One Star this year, he was third at Ballendenisk at the beginning of May which is a good start. Most breeders would acknowledge that monetary prizes, as well as recognition, are a powerful motivating factor in the Breeding Industry.

Ringfort India (by Indoctro IIC out of Renkum Hollanta) won the 4 year old Working Hunter League Championship at Lusk's Equestrian. Bought from the Stud as a foal by our neighbour Sharon Riddell and broken, produced and ridden by her, India, a big scopey athletic 17 hands, will probably do more Working Hunter and Showjumping before starting her eventing career.

Ringfort Fighting Chance and Ringfort Tinkaturk, both by Ringfort Tinkatoo, the eventing stallion we bred and exported to the United States, are also making their mark in the Eventing Ireland lower classes. Steven Smith campaigned the stallion to high level and bought both of these young ones. We notice that his brother Trevor is riding them both.

The stud's resident and much revered Connemara broodmare, Garryhinch Cinderella, had an interesting covering last year. She is old, and having been inseminated in two cycles without success, we decided to try natural covering. Doug Stevenson, the owner of The Square Rigmarole, a four year old colt standing at Millhouse Equestrian in Saintfield, Co. Down, very generously let me use his colt. Pregnant first time. Subsequently, the Square Rigmarole has been inspected and passed, he has been out four times at show and working hunter classes, and has won a Reserve Championship, and several firsts and top three places. Serendipitous indeed in our choice of stallion and we look forwrd to the foal. This will be his only foal this year, but I am sure he will have many more next year. Doug can be contacted on 07716475289 if you are interested in buying any Connemara stock or using The Square Rigmarole on your mare.

THINKING BACK TOTHE "GOOD OLD DAYS" ALL WE HAD FOR WINTERING OUR HORSES OUTSIDE WERE NEW ZEALAND RUGS - VERY, VERY HEAVY CANVAS WHEN WET, AND LEAVING THE HORSE FREEZING FROM THE WITHERS UP.
So, it really is a pleasure to have the modern light but very warm weatherproof rugs with tail, leg and belly straps so not a whisper of a draught gets up into the body, and with those fabulous full necks right up to their ears. Every day, I slip my hand under the rug as young horses and old mares alike munch away on their haylage from the ring feeder, and every day I am thrilled to feel how warm they are. Through hail, rain and snow they have stayed out and thrived. All are wintering well, with only the foals (who are not rugged) and the very ancient mares brought inside for extra feeding at night.

L-Way First's colt foal sold well at Newmarket in December, so despite promising her she could retire this year, I've brought her in and she is under lights from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. trying to trick her into believing it is Spring and she should come into season. If she does, and all seems well I will probably cover her again. She is such a good mare, having produced black type progeny, and as I didn't keep any of her daughters, I will hope for a filly this year.

Renkum Hollanta hasn't had a foal for a couple of years now - she has a lot of cysts internally which makes it very hard to detect a pregnancy when she is scanned. However, having seen what a superb eventer Ringfort Valentino (Out of Renkum Hollanta by Renkum Valentino) has proved - five competitions last year and five first places - I think I might use up some Renkum Valentino frozen semen I have been saving and try and breed another one. If she goes in foal this will probably be her last one too. The mares, like me, are getting on - Hollanta was born in 1989, and any foal she has now will be born when she is 23. However, her mother, Renkum Woudina, the foundation mare of this stud, had her last foal at 23 and he grew to be a big boy of 17hh!

Foals - which I suppose are really yearlings now - are thriving too. The Larino filly, Ringfort String of Pearls, out of Renkum Hollanta, is going greyer by the minute and looks to finish a lovely steel grey. The Connemara Westside Mirah filly, Ringfort Glass Slipper, out of Garryhinch Cinderella is a bundle of fur and will probably be grey too. And the third foal, a colt out of our National Hunt TB mare, Stonebeck, by Ringfort Cruise is very elegant and dark brown. I've been told in the past to "look at your foal the day it is born and then don't look at it again until it is three years old" is definitely one for him. He's very gangly like an awkward teenager. I'm not looking!

FOALS 2011

However, I am really looking forward to this year's foals - both Stonebeck and Ringfort Rara Ruby are in foal to Ringfort Cruise, and Garryhinch Cinderella at the age of 22 is in foal again - not by AI, but by the kind graces of Doug Stevenson from Saintfield who covered her in hand very professionally and she went in foal first time, having missed twice with AI. The sire is The Square Rigmarole (by Dunlewey Rigmarole by Stradbally Bill and his dam was Tullybeg Square Fuchsia by Coosheen Thyme.) Watch this space - The Square Rigmarole is a young stallion who has just started his show-jumping career and is showing amazing talent.

While Ringfort Cruise was jumping with the Irish Army to Grand Prix level and representing Ireland on Nations Cup teams, he didn't cover any mares. So when you only have two performing offspring from a stallion to show what he can produce, it's great that the owner of one of them keeps us up to date with all her successes. We bred Ringfort Carragheen when the stallion Ringfort Cruise was only three year old and was running in the field with a very good performance mare, Danish Dynamite. (A planned pregnancy!) Carragheen was ridden to two star level for us very quickly with Steven Smith of Gilford, and then sold to DeeAnne Howe in California for her 16 year old Young Rider daughter Tori. And what a success they have become together - a point which DeeAnne makes every time she sends us a few pictures of the combination. Of course we love our horses to be successful - but even more we want them to be loved and appreciated by the riders and owners who buy them - and this the Howes certainly do. So, well done Carragheen and Tori - and congratulations to that very good sire Ringfort Cruise. He has covered some very good mares in the last two years since he retired, so there should be more good ones like Carragheen coming through in the next couple of years.

Ringfort Cruise was bred at Ringfort Stud, and leased by the Irish Army for his competition career which saw him jump for Ireland at Grand Prix level and in Nations’ Cups.

Owner and breeder, Diane Harron Eakin says of the stallion: “He has the greatest pedigree – by Cruising out of the magnificent Nimmerdor mare, Renkum Woudina. Before his competition career he covered only two mares – and of those two foals, one, Tyrella Cruise, is show-jumping successfully, and the other, Ringfort Carragheen, has made a considerable name for herself with Eventing Young Rider Tori Howe in California.”

How did he become called Ringfort Respect? We had just returned from a holiday in Jamaica and I loved all the men on the beach who would sidle up to John and mutter "Ganja, mon?" When he said no, they would give a big smile, press fist to his fist and say "Respect, mon!" So, when this gorgeous foal arrived a few days after our return, Respect he became. Incidentally, we always wondered about his beautiful flaxen mane and tail - most unusual and we had never experienced it before, either out of his dam, Renkum Inglewood or any of her foals. But, it all became clear when we used Ohio's sire, the wonderful Iroko on Inglewood three years ago - we have "Blondie" or Ringfort Redwood as he is officially called. Now, to explain - he is chesnut (red) and his mother Renkum IngleWood is out of WOOD Be Good by Athen's WOOD (are you getting it?) and his sire is Iroko which is another type of wood - so REDWOOD. Sometimes it is so obscure I forget why I named them thus.

Another Ringfort horse born this afternoon. Out of Renkum Hollanta, (full sister to IHR Approved stallion, Renkum Englishman, and half-sister to Approved stallion Ringfort Cruise), and by the Concorde stallion Larino who stands at the Nijhof Stud in Holland, Ringfort String of Pearls looks brown but I think will be grey like her sire. Apologies as usual for poor photographs!

This is Renkum Hollanta, (above) aged 21, looking bonny on Monday morning about two hours before she foaled.

And this is mother and baby on Wednesday morning! Of course fillies are always up and drinking quicker, and are much brighter than colts! Ahem.

Come on Mother! Try to keep up.

Renkum Inglewood does it again - what a great little brood mare she is. By Renkum Englishman (who was out of the stud's foundation Nimmerdor mare and a half brother to Ringfort Cruise), out of a mare called Wood be Good by the St. Leger winner Athen's Wood. She has a great pedigree and she is passsing on those winning genes to her offspring. The latest progeny of hers to shine is Ringfort Valentino by Renkum Valentino. Owned by mother and daughter duo, Claire and Rebecca from Dundonald, and campaigned for them by Steven Smith of Gilford, this young horse has now been competed four times - and won four times! Sorry about the awful home-done photographs - where is Prime Photography when you need it?

I understand that a two year old in the same field was found dead last week and an autopsy proved it had died from a massively high worm infestation. I have reported the state of this young horse to the land-owner who is renting the land to the owner of the horses. He has agreed to speak to the owner. But is that enough? Should those of us who keep and breed horses and care for them, including worming and farriery work, leave it at that or should we report it to the authorities? I would consider the state of this young horse to be the result of criminal negligence - but do I risk the "omerta" of the local horse industry who would prefer to keep such incidences quiet so as not to offend owners they know socially? I would be interested in others' thoughts on this.

News of more success from California - with Tori Howe and Ringfort Carragheen winning their Division at the Twin Rivers Spring Horse Trials in California last weekend.

Tori and Ringfort Carragheen enjoying their well-deserved victory gallop after finishing first, and on their dressage score, at Twin Rivers Horse Trials

It is turning into a busy month. Very good news from Hugh Suffern's Tullyraine Stud where our last remaining - and best - flat mare, L-Way First, was holidaying while she waited to have her foal. Exactly one year and two days after covering, she finally deigned to foal on the 11th March. And just to prove that prayers are answered - it was a big bay colt. The foal is by Elusive City who is top stallion in France currently. L-Way is no slouch herself, having had many winners including black type Embossed by Mark of Esteem. As a foal on the farm, Embossed's name was Stringer, named for Ireland's then rugby international scrum-half. This new boy - photographed on the ringfort at 6 days old - will be called Ferris!

Well, his Ringfort name did get away, but luckily we will always be known as his breeders. I'm talking, of course, about Warrenstown U2, the superb showjumping stallion owned by Ronan Tynan and ridden by Tholm Keane. And in recognition of that, the International Award will be presented to us at the Northern Ireland Horse Board AGM, Breeders' Showcase, and International Awards Night on Monday 29th March. We look forward to that. We have already received awards from the Irish Horse Board and the Half Bred Horse Breeders' Society for breeding him, so it is an honour and a privilege to get the Grand Slam.

I see from my Irish Field "Irish Bred Event Horses" on Saturday that Ringfort Carragheen (by Ringfort Cruise) and her talented young rider/owner Tori Howe were second in the Twin Rivers Winter Horse Trials in California this month, finishing on her very good dressage score of 34.6. Her mother DeeAnne tells me that it was performed in monsoon conditions. Rain? In California? This photograph was taken last week. More good news for Tori is that she has been selected to train, with Carragheen, with U.S. dressage Olympian Debbie McDonald.

Meantime, here is some news about other Ringfort horses still out there competing. First of all, some news from DeeAnne Howe in California who bought Ringfort Carragheen, by Ringfort Cruise, for her 16 year old Young Rider daughter Victoria to event.

She writes: "Here's a picture from this weekend. Victoria rode a lovely dressage test for a 30.6. Warm up for a 8:30 a.m. test was very early and you can see the sun is still coming up. Carragheen is getting very strong behind and fit. She has also lightened in color over the past 9 months (much to my dismay!-I love the deep dark dapple gray)."

"Thank you for the sale flyer for your young horses. Can you supply any pictures of the babies themselves and prices? I have shown that to several people and that is the logical next question!"

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Ringfort Cruise is home in Ireland and standing at stud! It has been lovely travelling all over Europe during the last six or seven years to watch him compete with Captain David O'Brien of the Irish Army Equitation School, and then throughout Spain with International Young Rider Eduardo Alvarez Aznar, but he deserves his retirement. As well as having such an illustrious show-jumping career, he has won for us many Breeders' prizes.

RINGFORT RAIDER

He was bought by Trevor Smith and Steven Smith competes him under Eventing Ireland rules – what a partnership! This big handsome horse by Porsch out of Danish Dynamite has grown into himself well and has won his last two events finishing on his dressage score.

RINGFORT DOWNPATRICK

This was the first foal out of Ringfort Rara Ruby before she went off to become a fancy three star eventer. He went to Sue Carson in England who had great success on him, then returned to Ireland to Virginia McGrath. Then he nipped North to Saintfield Show to take the Supreme Champion trophy.

RINGFORT BUTTERFLY

This great granddaughter of Renkum Woudina is four years old this year. Out of Ringfort Opera by Irish Army Grand Prix horse Boherdeal Clover, she was broken by Paul Dillon, then put out in the field. She went to Angela Percy from Seapatrick for five weeks and they did the Ballygraffan FEHL Qualifier with a good dressage score of 88 and clear cross country and show jumping. She is only 16 h.h. and I think the style and appearance judges probably considered her a little small. I reckon she will probably make another inch. She has a fantastic jump so we have the dilemma of deciding whether she goes show jumping or eventing. Anyway she has been out in the field at home again for a few weeks and has just gone back to Angela to do some indoor jumping. Time will tell.

RINGFORT CARRRAGHEEN

What an exciting life she is leading. She was sold in the Spring of this year to Tori Howe a very good Young Rider in California. Her mother, DeeAnne, keeps me up to date with how they are going with emails and pictures.

In many ways we were reluctant to let Carragheen go to the US. She is one of only two (now performing) young stock of Ringfort Cruise, born when he was allowed to run with one of my, and one of the late Sally Corbett’s, mares when he was a two year old and a three year old. Sally’s Tyrella Cruise went on to show jump while we went the eventing route with Carragheen. It would have been nice to have something here for potential breeders to look at. Still, as Heather Coyle says: “Be sorry you sold not sorry you didn’t”!

The good news is that Trevor Wallace had a quick “natural” covering for his mare last year when “Tom” was home before he went off to Madrid and he has a very nice colt foal. Unfortunately “Tom” was back too late this year to allow Trevor to use him again, but he is booked in for 2010.

And the biggest news of all of 2009? Deep into my dotage I am riding again. Well, after a fashion. Pressure from number two granddaughter Emily to accompany her out hacking on her pony Quaker (who used to be owned and ridden by Lions, Ireland and Ospreys rugby player Tommy Bowe), and getting very tired of walking alongside her on my feet, I – wait for it…yes, bought a horse. Truth be told, the horses I breed are just too good for me. So, I bought a 14.2 piebald, 15 year old sturdy mare with massive feet and a hogged mane. She is perfection.