Preserving the Irish Draught - Kinvara’s Rock Star. Irish Draught stallion 2007. Sire: Glenagyle Rebel. Dam: Loguestown Star Rose. Sire of Dam: Annaghdown Star
to breed more Irish Sport horses and certain stallions became known for their jumping abilities. King of Diamonds made his name known on the jumping circuit and is now one of the most popular bloodlines. Sea Crest, son of Knockboy, is another and was the sire of the Olympic Show Jumper Cruising. Cruising, who is an Irish Sport Horse Stallion is also the sire of the well known Show Jumper Flexible. Another famous Irish show jumper was Hopes are High by Flagmount Diamond who was ridden by Nick Skelton. Irish horses have especially made their name in the Eventing world with horses like Murphy Himself ridden by Ginny Leng and then later by Ian Stark. Mr Softee and Word Perfect were both out of the same ID mare, Bessie Ash who had her last foal at the age of 26 and died in her paddock at the age of 29. Mark Todd rode Horton Point and won Badminton Horse Trials in 1994. The list is very long. Read any Eventing book and the author will nearly always choose a horse with some Irish blood as their ideal horse. The Irish Draught is on the list for the endangered breeds as they have been so popular world wide and used to improve or outcross to other breed herds that there are not that many purebred Draughts left, and so it is impor tant to keep breeding the purebred to make sure
that cer tain bloodlines are preserved and not lost forever. The Irish Draught came to South Africa in 2000 when Kate Laird (then Ladeira) of Kinvara Stud imported an Irish Draught stallion, Etherow Impasse by Touch of the Blues to South Africa. Ethrow Impasse did very well here in the show ring and has been extensively used. Many clients put him to thoroughbreds as they were interested in Eventing and Showing. The next important Irish draught to come into South Africa was Glenagyle Rebel who Klaus Balzaar imported to Zimbabwe.This stallion was an International Show Jumper in Ireland. Kate used him to service her own mares before he was sent to Judith Moxon of Mosi oa Tunya Stud in Franschhoek to stand. He was not much used there and before Judith’s death, she organised that he went to Rivervale Stud in the Natal Midlands to stand. In a quirk of fate, Quantum Leap, a son of Glenagyle Rebel had been brought to Rivervale for corrective training and resale. Heidi Woods, the Event rider based in Shongweni, bought Quantum Leap and formed an exceptional relationship with him that led them all the way to represent South Africa at the World Equestian Games in Kentucky. Quantum Leap was by far the most talented of the four horse team (according to Mr Ernst Holtz President of the
Issue 29 SPORTING HORSE
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