Breed of the Month - Irish Sport Horses

Characteristics: The Irish Sport Horse, is mainly the result of a cross between the Irish Draught and the Thoroughbred. It has been given recognition as a separate breed. It is commonly bred from parents who are also Irish Sport Horses, in addition to being bred from the definitive parent breeds.

The Irish Sport Horse receives the sense and honesty of the Irish Draught and athleticism, speed, and endurance of the Thoroughbred. It has an excellent temperament, being calm, yet lively when needed, and is very tough. Connemara blood is also found in some Irish mares.

The Irish Sport Horse tends to fall into three types: light-weight, middle-weight, and heavy-weight, which is judged on the weight of riders the horses are most suited to carrying. Carrying a rider according to this classification includes being able to participate in hunting or other strenuous riding activities. Nowadays, most Irish Horses are middle-weights, and it is uncommon to find a true heavy-weight or a Lady's horse (trained for sports in side-saddle, and usually a light-weight).

The horse has an attractive head with a sometimes convex profile (a "Roman nose"). It has a slightly-arched and muscular neck, long, sloping shoulders, a deep but not overly broad chest, a short, compact back, and a muscular croup with powerful hindquarters. The croup is often sloping and long, a trait coming from the Irish Draught, which improves its jumping ability. The high withers of the Thoroughbred are also evident in many cases.

The Irish Sport Horse can be any colour, although it used to be rare to find piebalds or skewbalds and they range in height from 15hh to 17hh.

Talents: The Irish Sport Horse is traditionally used for all purposes, from transportation, to riding, and working the land. However, it is becoming increasingly popular as a competition riding horse. Its natural athletic ability and fantastic jumping talents means that it excels in the showjumping arena, as well as competing at the highest levels of eventing. The horse is globally renowned for being one of the best hunting mounts in the world, and the Irish Sport Horse studbook regularly tops the rankings for eventing.  Due to its sense and strength, it is also popular with police forces in Britain and Ireland.

In 2010 and many times previously, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook topped the list of Studbooks at the World Breeding Championships for Young Event Horses.

Also in 2010, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook had its most successful result to date at the prestigious FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses, held in Lanaken, Belgium. For the first time ever the Studbook won the World Breeding Championship, with Clem McMahon (IRL) claiming victory in the Six Year Old Final on the Irish Sport Horse stallion 'NLS Coole Al Clover'.

In Australia: The Irish Draught and Sport Horse Society of Australia Inc. was inaugurated in May 1989.  The role of the Society is to promote and preserve Irish Draughts and Irish Sport Horses in Australia. To this end, the Society keeps a Stud Book and a Register.  Members receive three newsletters a year to advise them of upcoming events, inspection and competition days, stock for sale, breed developments and any other items of interest. CLICK HERE to visit the IDSHS website.

Irish Sport Horses are becoming increasingly popular in Australia for jumping and eventing and there are now several registered breeders across the country.

One of the early pioneers of Irish Sport Horses in Australia is Equine Sports Breeding (ESB), which was started by Vanessa Hawkins in 1986 when she purchased ESB Irish Anna and her first foal, ESB Irish Bea from M Kelly (Barwidgee, Caramut).

Having been brought up with horses all her life, Vanessa competed regularly in eventing, winning the Pony Club State Championships in 1979 and riding overseas in 1984. She was constantly frustrated with her search to find the right horse to take her further.

Surely it could not be that hard to find one with a good temperament, well put together, with a bit of movement and a jump, which had not suffered the effects of racing???

"So if I can't buy one, I'll have to breed one, but which breed?"

Full of inspiration, plans and experience from overseas, Vanessa returned home to research different breeds and to study horse breeding management at Glenormiston College.

During this time she was introduced to the Irish Draught horse and went to see the first stallion in Australia, Bantry Bay, who was imported by Arthur Young, a vet from Allansford near Warrnambool.

A scholarship took Vanessa back to England and Ireland where she travelled 10,000 miles studying Irish horses for over four months. The Irish Horse Board had disbanded due to the lack of funds and support, had burnt all records of the Irish Draught. Vanessa set about recovering these previously destroyed stud books which dated back to 1918. Her research was published in a report and in several magazine articles.

Equiped with a pinch of the knowledge and wisdom of the old Irish horsemen Vanessa had spent time with, she was firmly convinced that this breed and it's cross with the Thoroughbred (the Irish Sport Horse) was the way to go. The other conviction was that to breed an elite athlete, it was imperative to start with an Irish Draught mare, rather than a stallion.

The other important ingredient, should only be the Thoroughbred. It was hard to resist the influence of the European breeds but despite the pressure to outcross, she has stuck firm and true to the theory, which is based on 'hybrid vigour'.

Vanessa then purchased her two mares and founded the Irish Draught & Sport Horse Society (IDSHS) in 1989 and was President for the first two years.

Whilst building her own breeding stock of Irish horses, Vanessa gained valuable experience on various stud farms including Craigielea, at Kilmore.

ESB has just produced its 200th foal and is considered to be one of the largest and most consistant producer of eventing horses in Australia.

The breeding program is well established and the bloodlines are producing great results.

The next generation and chapters of the ESB story are going to be even more exciting with the launch of Team ESB taking the progeny to an international level.

Big things are definitely happening for ESB, with the exciting news that ESB Irish Fiddle (by ESB Irish Descent - pictured left) who was sold to top Chinese rider Alex Hua Tian, has been entered for the upcoming Badminton Horse Trials and Alex is also hoping to gain his Olympic qualification this year. Fiddle is in Portugal at the moment preparing for the qualifier next week.

CLICK HERE to find out more about ESB's horses and the history of Irish Sport Horses in Australia and HERE to read the Blog for ESB Irish Fiddle and Alex Hua Tian.

If you're keen to purchase an Irish Sport Horse of your own, CLICK HERE to view listings of horses for sale on Horsezone or HERE if you'd like to list one for sale.