Slieve Bloom Stud, Standing Top Class Dressage Stallions in Ireland.
Nestled in the beautiful Slieve Bloom Hills, Slieve Bloom Stud is a top class equestrian facility. Purpose built by its Proprietor Louise Doheny; the 40 acre holding is not only beautifully laid out, with every facility a Top Class Horse could wish for, but it’s picturesque location means that anyone who is lucky enough to visit, will not only fall in love with the wonderful horses but the venue as well. Irish Sport Horse Magazine paid this lovely stud a visit recently to discover a little bit more about the horses and the passion behind such a wonderful spot.
Hi Louise thank you so much for taking the time to chat to Irish Sport Horse Magazine, we want to ask you a few questions to help our readers discover a little bit more about your beautiful stud. When was Slieve Bloom Stud founded?
We moved to the property in October of 2014, at that point it was just a derelict farm house and land, but I just fell in love with the place the first time I laid eyes on it. Having a background in Civil Engineering I designed the place from scratch, as I knew exactly what I wanted.
Have you Roots in Co. Laois?
No I am originally from Ballingarry Co. Tipperary. I always loved horses and got my first pony aged 7. The bug grew from there and I used to showjump quite a bit as a teenager, plus I used to compete quite a few ponies for other people. I remember how I would get up early to have them exercised and looked after before school, so I was very dedicated. However, my teachers in school steered me toward a Degree in Engineering and I worked at that for a time before getting back into horses.
I always thought of myself as a good rider, that was until the first time I tried Dressage; I then realised how much more there was to learn. That drove me to go and train with top riders to learn my craft. I trained in America with Paul Belasik and also with Christian Von Curissentiern, the Olympic Dressage Rider. Training with top riders allowed me to learn and practice on top horses, so that I developed skills that I can now utilize in my business.
Will Slieve Bloom Stud Specialize only in Dressage Horses?
Yes we will only be specializing in Dressage Horses and ponies. My daughter Sophia has a string of young ponies that she is producing with the aim of qualifying for the European Pony Championships.
My plan for the stud was always to focus on Dressage Horses. The Irish are well known for producing the best horses for Showjumping and for Eventing, but we seem to be lagging behind in Dressage. I founded Slieve Bloom Stud to give Irish Breeders the chance to access Top Dressage Bloodlines right on their Doorstep. Next year we will have 9 Stallions standing here, all with top bloodlines, great temperaments and movement.
We are having our Open Day on 28th of March 2020 to give breeders a chance to see our stallions and the set up we have here. Plus we are very happy to discuss which stallion we believe would work best with a client’s mare, if they are looking for advice.
What do you look for when you are deciding to stand a stallion?
Well I purchased all of my stallions as foals. So the first thing I looked for was a top class pedigree, the walk and the canter were also very important as was temperament; I tended to look for foals that were good movers that looked flexible in their movement. As I was buying so young, I bought directly from the breeding farms, I always like to see the mare, to see her conformation, and movement, and of course to see what her temperament was like too.
“The first thing I look for is a top class pedigree, the walk and the canter are also very important as is temperament;”
Louise Doheny
What Stallions are currently available at the Stud?
We currently have a selection of Warm bloods; Oldenburg, KWPN and also Hanoverian, all the Stallions have Super Pedigrees and great temperaments. I do have a favourite he is a beautiful 5 year Old Black Stallion called Freedom, I call him “The Perfect Man” He is stunning, great temperament and loves his job. He is by Furstenball x Sandro Hit x Weltmeyer x Rubinstein.
What do You look for in a Good Broodmare?
Good Conformation of course, good movement, a good walk and of course she must have a good temperament.
In Your Opinion what is the most Important for successful progeny the Dam line or the Sire Line?
For me they are both equally important. You need to have a good mare, some mares will throw a foal that is more like the sire; but in general I believe you have a better chance to breed the horse you want if you have a really good quality brood mare, with a good pedigree and you breed her with a top class stallion.
Have you any of your progeny out competing yet? If not when will your first crop be out?
We have none out competing yet. We have 2 young stallions that we have bred, the first is a 3 ½ year old, his name is Hot Soul LD (Pictured with Louise Above) and he has just been started and is being prepared to go and compete in the 4 year old class at the Young Horse World Championships next year.
The next young colt we have is called Just Dance LD and he is just 1 ½ years old. We also have 5 foals due next year, but hope to have up to 12 foals of our own the following year.
What are the biggest challenges you face during the breeding season?
The biggest challenge I find is working with the frozen semen, just making sure everything is done correctly to ensure a good sample; next year we will have frozen, chilled and fresh semen available.
Also the sleepless nights are hard, as I like to be with the mares when they foal. As I said we will have 5 mares foaling next year, and up to 12 the following year, so we will be very busy. Plus we are usually up scanning from 6am, to have all of the mares done before exercising etc.
What are your plans for the future of your stud?
The aim of our stud is to have some of the Top Dressage Stallions in the World Standing here. We aim to have more of our young horses going to the Breeding Championships and ultimately to put Ireland on the Map for Producing Top Class Dressage Horses. Eventually our aim is to have horses that are competing at the highest levels of the sport, including Olympic Level.
If you had one piece of advice to offer a young person wanting to get involved in breeding what would that be?
To invest in the best mare that your money can buy!
For someone who is looking to buy a good dressage horse to compete, what is your advice?
If the person is serious about the sport and they have a budget, my advice is to go out and buy a really good foal, something with a top class pedigree, temperament and movement. Yes you may have to wait a few years, but at least you know that you will be starting with a top quality horse that is bred for the job.
This Interview was originally published in the December 2019 Issue of Irish Sport Horse Magazine, all pictures with this Interview were courtesy of Slieve Bloom Stud. If you would like to contact Slieve Bloom Stud in relation to their Stallions, you can do so via the Facebook Page Here>>