03 November 2024

Young Breeder Training visits Joseph O’Brien Racing and Belline Estate Kilkenny

Closing the calendar of events for 2024, the Young Breeder Training ‘double delight’ took place on Saturday, October 5 with visits to Joseph O’Brien Racing and Belline Estate Equestrian, both in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny.

Aimed at those aged between 14-15 and 30 years old, who are interested in assessing, exhibiting, and breeding performance horses, the Equine Young Breeders Programme is a joint programme  between Teagasc and Horse Sport Ireland, and is funded by Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine under national breeding services.

As part of the visit to Joseph O’Brien’s Carriganóg Racing, Mitch Barry provided an exceptionally interesting insight into life at the training establishment where no stone is left unturned in the quest to produce winners.

Following this, Robbie Kearns provided a class demonstration at Belline Estate Kilkenny of both riding skills and horse power. These were accompanied with explanations of the demands of eventing completion at different levels of the sport.

Training as part of the Young Breeders Programme will resume in 2025. Participants do not have to be breeders themselves or even come from an equestrian background, but an avid interest and an eagerness to participate and learn is all that is required.

The skills and knowledge transferred through training serve as a foundation for those with an interest in developing their knowledge of the horse. These skills come into focus for varied uses including: purchasing a new horse/pony; deciding about which mares/stallions to use for breeding; assessing offspring; and presenting horses for inspection, sale, show or competition.

Find out more on the Young Breeders Programme here.

The above article first appeared in the Teagasc Equine Newsletter for October, produced by Wendy Conlon and Seán Keane, Equine Specialist at Teagasc.

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