The Group has been going for over ten years. It was formed to bring breeders together to discuss common problems, and to try to find solutions in a group which might not be affordable or possible for an individual to attempt.

The Group started out by running seminars on aspects of breeding and handling horses, a tradition we still keep today with Spring and Autumn Seminars. The group also organise a tour, usually during the summer (although last year’s tour to London to see the Spanish Riding School was in December), and produce 4 quarterly Newsletters, which give you details on upcoming events as well as feature articles on various aspects of horse management.

In 1996, the group decided to take a hard look at the industry and try to come up with a strategy for developing the industry which would result in higher prices for our horses. We found that every end of the business needed fixing, and the LEADER-funded Breaking & Schooling Incentive Scheme was born. This enabled us to cover the additional cost to breeders of having their horses produced to a higher standard for the sales. Using this group of horses, we tested out ways of giving the customer more confidence in the product so that they would pay more, and thus the Equine MOT Test was born.

The LEADER Scheme came to an end in 2000, when LEADER II closed. LEADER Plus has only just been announced, so there has been a two year gap in building on the lessons learned from the scheme.

However, during those two years, we have devised a Marketing Strategy which outlines how the Equine MOT could be built into a profitable business. The Group are currently considering where they should go from here.

The Plans which were developed for the above schemes are available to view on my website,

An expanded Committee is working hard to organise some top events for you for 2002. These kick off on March 12th with a breeding seminar. A course of dressage lessons is organised for 15th, 22, 29 March and 5 April.

The Breeders will run their first Horse & Pony show in conjunction with Lisdoonan Vintage Day in August, and further events being planned include a social/ dance, the summer tour and Autumn seminar. Ideas are always welcome, so if there is anything you would particularly like us to cover, please shout.

(Winner of World Breeders Federation award 2000)

She will be talking the audience through a number of mares’ conformation, and discussing the type of foal each is likely to breed, and how this might affect the breeder’s choice of stallion.

Lynne is an international dressage judge, and a former trainer of dressage horses to Grand Prix level. She will be familiar to many people from her down-to-earth demonstrations and handling courses with Teagasc.

Lynne will be available for lessons at Carrickmacross School of Equitation for four consecutive Fridays starting on March 15th. Lessons will be semi-private, ensuring a high quality of instruction. Lessons are priced at E30/hour for people with their own horse. Horses may also be hired from the Equestrian Centre.

Bookings will be taken on a first come first served basis, and the evening sessions are likely to go very quickly, so if you are interested, please phone me NOW on 086 8386905.

The Committee are currently working on a horse & pony show which would take place as part of Lisdoonan Vintage Day in August. The idea of the show is to encourage people to have a go among local competitors - there will be no national qualifiers and hopefully no ‘professional’ showing people.

Gladys Nesbitt and Eamonn McArdle have moved their stud fromKilnacloy in Monaghan town to Tullynahinera near Lough Egish. The new stud is called Drumhowan Stud, and the new contact numbers are:

tel . 042 9745611
mob. 087 2438959
fax. 042 9745621

We have received notification of the above upcoming seminar which you might be interested in attending on:

Speakers include:

Tom Reed, Morningside Stud
Jan Pedersen, Chair of the Danish Warmblood Society, President of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses, and Breeder of the 2001 Gold Medal Mare in Denmark: "Sport Horse Breeding: A Global Perspective."
Henrik Steen Gundersen, Danish International Rider of Morningside Stud’s stallion Condios: "What Precisely Are Horse Buyers from Europe, the USA, and Asia Looking For?"
Elizabeth Lane, Veterinary Surgeon, Lecturer at the Veterinary School of the University College Dublin, and Breeder: "What Every Breeder Needs To Know About Getting Mares In Foal."
Gert-Jan Bruggink, Gold Medal Winner of the 2001 European Championship for Young Riders, Winner of the 2001 Nations Cup World Final in Madrid, Reserve Champion of Holland, and Breeder of Joel (by Morningside Stud's stallion Ekstein): "Breeding International Showjumpers: Reflections of an International Rider and Breeder."

Cost Euro 25 per person. Pre-Registration before March 25 is strongly encouraged to guarantee your seat. Last year the conference was sold out, so please register early. Pre-register by cheque or credit card before March 25 and receive a complimentary hot lunch, tea/coffee, and gifts/vouchers valued at over Euro 100.

Enquiries to Morningside Stud Ogonnelloe Scariff Co. Clare
tel: 087 8274831 fax: 061 923222 www.morningside-stud.com
NB: This is not a North Eastern Horse Breeders event - please don’t contact me for tickets.

This will be my last newsletter for the NEHB. I will be taking a sabbatical for a while on doctor’s advice. If anyone would like to keep in touch, my email address is clambe@eircom.net, and I will continue to post stuff up on my website. However, for Horse Breeders business, please direct all future enquiries to the new Chairman, Tommy McEntee at 042 9745026.

I have made some wonderful friends through the NEHB and I hope your involvement will bring you as much pleasure. Thanks to the Committee who stuck out the rough times and ran countless fundraisers to keep the show afloat, especially Jimmy Lambe, Helena Connolly and Oinri Jackson. Finally, I would like to wish the present committee every success in 2002 and beyond.