Hi Everyone,
Wow!! The time has gone so fast! The INS class of 2010 all graduated last night, only the 6th group from 40 years with a 100% pass rate. We were all called up in alphabetical order to recieve our certificates, and award winners were left til last. Awards were given for best porfolio of projects, farriery, best continuous assessment of yard work, the john durkan award, academic acheivement, and silver and gold medal.
The John Durkan award is sponsored by the class of 1984 in memory of their classmate John Durkan who passed away in 2003. It is a scholarship for any student to apply for who is wanting to work in the racing industry, as a trainer or jockey. The scholarship gives the winning student the chance to work with Brian Meehan (also an INS graduate) at his Manton training complex.
The night was fantastic, we had many industry legends take their time to come for the evening which was very much appreciated. We did speeches and put together a slide show of our time at the INS and gave out a few presents.
Our whole time here would not have been the same without the wonderful Sally Carroll. Sally was always there when we needed to vent, she always went in to bat for us when we wanted time off for study, she took us to the doctor when we were sick, or up for a cup of coffee if were getting homesick. She was our rock, and I think I speak on behalf of all us when I say we will be forever grateful.
I cant believe its over. Its mixed emotions now, as people are trickling out the door on the way home or to new jobs. 17 young people from all different backgrounds and experiences all chucked into a new environment to work and live together for 6 months is a risk! There are always going to be personality clashes and arguments, but we all agree now that we are one big crazy family, we fight and carry on, but at the end of the day we all love each other! We really have made friends for life and I look forward to the future seeing where we all end up. I know that we will all make an impact on the thoroughbred breeding industry as young people and leaders of the future. Although I am looking forward to coming home, I will miss the INS and I will never forget the time I spent here in 2010,
Courtney
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Exam
Hi Everyone,
This one is just going to be short and sweet, I dont want to give away too much for next year's scholarship winner! (for now anyway!!) At the end of the course every year there is the major exam. The exam is meant to cover everything we have learnt throughout the year, from our lecturers, yard work, stud and racing yard tours, and races we have watched. And let me tell you it is ALOT! Although a few students studied throughout the year, the last few weeks was very frantic for the majority cramming everything in. We all studied individually, and then once we were starting to get a grip on things we started doing little group studys, testing each other on everything from race winners to the oestrus cycle. As everyone had different strong points it was a great way to retain things. I for one was able to remember from memory 28 major race winners, their sire, dam, grandsire and granddam, the race distance (in furlongs, meters and miles), where the race is held, the trainer and the jockey. For me, that was amazing, as I have never had the head for that sort of stuff, its more a boy thing!!
The exam itself was set for 11am on the last Saturday morning. There were 70 multiple choice questions which we had an hour to answer. It covered INS history, racing, breeding, pasture managment, foal care, nutrition, digestive system and upper respiratory system.
Hope you're all well
Courtney
This one is just going to be short and sweet, I dont want to give away too much for next year's scholarship winner! (for now anyway!!) At the end of the course every year there is the major exam. The exam is meant to cover everything we have learnt throughout the year, from our lecturers, yard work, stud and racing yard tours, and races we have watched. And let me tell you it is ALOT! Although a few students studied throughout the year, the last few weeks was very frantic for the majority cramming everything in. We all studied individually, and then once we were starting to get a grip on things we started doing little group studys, testing each other on everything from race winners to the oestrus cycle. As everyone had different strong points it was a great way to retain things. I for one was able to remember from memory 28 major race winners, their sire, dam, grandsire and granddam, the race distance (in furlongs, meters and miles), where the race is held, the trainer and the jockey. For me, that was amazing, as I have never had the head for that sort of stuff, its more a boy thing!!
The exam itself was set for 11am on the last Saturday morning. There were 70 multiple choice questions which we had an hour to answer. It covered INS history, racing, breeding, pasture managment, foal care, nutrition, digestive system and upper respiratory system.
Hope you're all well
Courtney
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Coolmore & Ballydoyle
Hi Everyone!
Our highly anticipated trip to County Tipperary has finally come and gone, and what a trip it was! I know I have oohed and aaaahed over the other studs we have visited, but Coolmore was something else entirely! There are no words. Oh My God! Upon arrival we were greeted in the office and whisked straight over the road to the stallion complex. As we walked down under the huge leafy trees, passing by Mastercraftsmen and Montjeu's private stables, who did we see standing quietly in his gateway, in a paddock to the left of the stallion stable complex, ready to greet his new admirers, but "the one". Sadler's Wells. THE Sadler's Wells! Just standing there quietly thinking to himself, here we go again! We have seen some brilliant stallions on our stud tours, but everybody went silent as soon as we saw him. A young New Zealand fella proceeded to bring him out of his paddock for us to get up close and personal with him. At 29 years of age (born in 1981) he certainly looked his age, but still had that swagger about him, he still knows how good he is! After such a full and busy life, he was happy for hugs and kisses from all of us, and stood patientally for us all to pat him and have our moment with him. I, like many others, was overwhelmed to be able to be in the presence of such an unbelievable horse. I am so proud to be able to say that I have seen him in the flesh, I have touched him, he even gave me a kiss on the cheek!
After we spent a good half hour with Sadler's we were shown the rest of the stallions. First out was fittingling Galileo, Sadler's Wells best sire son. He was gorgeous, with an amazing walk on him, it was more prowling like a tiger than walking along! We then saw Dylan Thomas, Fastnet Rock, Danehill Dancer, High Chapperal, Montjeu, Oratorio and Rock of Gibraltar. Unfortunately the others had already gone into quarantine for their trips to the southern hemisphere. Even so, being able to see these top class stallions in the flesh was very cool!
We then had a quick look through the breeding shed, again outstanding, then it was back on the bus for a tour of the rest of the farm. There is not much to say, as the standard was above all others, the horses are happy, the staff are happy, the dogs are happy. If you were a horse, this is where you would want to be! All the staff we met had a laugh and a joke with us, it was all relaxed and casual. We were all made to feel welcome. Driving past the paddocks Group 1 winning mares with their foals at foot were pointed out, dams of group performing and producing sires, dams of the class and quality you would expect to see. Back to the office, a quick look around the graveyard out the back from stallions past such as the great Danehill, the ill-fated George Washington, Golden Fleece, Caerleon, Be My Guest, Fairy King and Mozart. Then it was a superb lunch in the board room, beautiful paintings lined the all the walls. We were introduced to Christy Grassick, a former INS student, and general manager of Coolmore, had a quick chat about our time in Ireland and what our goals and ambitions were. Once again we were warmly welcomed back at any time with our family, partners and friends, whenever we wanted to show them around. Then it was back on the bus to Ballydoyle.
Ballydoyle is the Coolmore training complex, run by Aiden O'Brien. We were highly priveleged to be allowed inside Ballydoyle, and were greeted my Mr O'Brien himself (a first for the INS students, who have previously only been allowed to see from the gates). As he is a hugely busy man, we were left in the hands of a wonderful woman, whose name I am so sorry escapes me at the moment!! She was a wealth of knowledge, and gave a fantastic tour of the yards. The yards are seperated, 2yo fillies and colts, 3yo fillies and colts, classic horses and older horses. Each horse has its own stable, with its own yard attached at the back of its stable. Each horse has its own tack room next to its stable, with its own equipment that is with is for life. It is all very conscentious of keeping out disease. As we walked around we came upon a group of horses all being led to have a pick of grass. As they stood around we pointed out who they were, all superstars! We saw Cape Blanco, who had won the Irish Derby the weekened before, Jan Vermeer who ran 2nd to him, as well as many others who I can remember at the moment, but who included the Aussie horse Starspangledbanner, who had won the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot the week before.
I could go on forever about the amazing things we saw, people and horses we met but I would be here all night, and it is already past 11pm! But I promise I have HEAPS of photos, 140 of this day to be exact, which you will all see in 10 days when I get home!
Hope you're all well
Courtney
Our highly anticipated trip to County Tipperary has finally come and gone, and what a trip it was! I know I have oohed and aaaahed over the other studs we have visited, but Coolmore was something else entirely! There are no words. Oh My God! Upon arrival we were greeted in the office and whisked straight over the road to the stallion complex. As we walked down under the huge leafy trees, passing by Mastercraftsmen and Montjeu's private stables, who did we see standing quietly in his gateway, in a paddock to the left of the stallion stable complex, ready to greet his new admirers, but "the one". Sadler's Wells. THE Sadler's Wells! Just standing there quietly thinking to himself, here we go again! We have seen some brilliant stallions on our stud tours, but everybody went silent as soon as we saw him. A young New Zealand fella proceeded to bring him out of his paddock for us to get up close and personal with him. At 29 years of age (born in 1981) he certainly looked his age, but still had that swagger about him, he still knows how good he is! After such a full and busy life, he was happy for hugs and kisses from all of us, and stood patientally for us all to pat him and have our moment with him. I, like many others, was overwhelmed to be able to be in the presence of such an unbelievable horse. I am so proud to be able to say that I have seen him in the flesh, I have touched him, he even gave me a kiss on the cheek!
After we spent a good half hour with Sadler's we were shown the rest of the stallions. First out was fittingling Galileo, Sadler's Wells best sire son. He was gorgeous, with an amazing walk on him, it was more prowling like a tiger than walking along! We then saw Dylan Thomas, Fastnet Rock, Danehill Dancer, High Chapperal, Montjeu, Oratorio and Rock of Gibraltar. Unfortunately the others had already gone into quarantine for their trips to the southern hemisphere. Even so, being able to see these top class stallions in the flesh was very cool!
We then had a quick look through the breeding shed, again outstanding, then it was back on the bus for a tour of the rest of the farm. There is not much to say, as the standard was above all others, the horses are happy, the staff are happy, the dogs are happy. If you were a horse, this is where you would want to be! All the staff we met had a laugh and a joke with us, it was all relaxed and casual. We were all made to feel welcome. Driving past the paddocks Group 1 winning mares with their foals at foot were pointed out, dams of group performing and producing sires, dams of the class and quality you would expect to see. Back to the office, a quick look around the graveyard out the back from stallions past such as the great Danehill, the ill-fated George Washington, Golden Fleece, Caerleon, Be My Guest, Fairy King and Mozart. Then it was a superb lunch in the board room, beautiful paintings lined the all the walls. We were introduced to Christy Grassick, a former INS student, and general manager of Coolmore, had a quick chat about our time in Ireland and what our goals and ambitions were. Once again we were warmly welcomed back at any time with our family, partners and friends, whenever we wanted to show them around. Then it was back on the bus to Ballydoyle.
Ballydoyle is the Coolmore training complex, run by Aiden O'Brien. We were highly priveleged to be allowed inside Ballydoyle, and were greeted my Mr O'Brien himself (a first for the INS students, who have previously only been allowed to see from the gates). As he is a hugely busy man, we were left in the hands of a wonderful woman, whose name I am so sorry escapes me at the moment!! She was a wealth of knowledge, and gave a fantastic tour of the yards. The yards are seperated, 2yo fillies and colts, 3yo fillies and colts, classic horses and older horses. Each horse has its own stable, with its own yard attached at the back of its stable. Each horse has its own tack room next to its stable, with its own equipment that is with is for life. It is all very conscentious of keeping out disease. As we walked around we came upon a group of horses all being led to have a pick of grass. As they stood around we pointed out who they were, all superstars! We saw Cape Blanco, who had won the Irish Derby the weekened before, Jan Vermeer who ran 2nd to him, as well as many others who I can remember at the moment, but who included the Aussie horse Starspangledbanner, who had won the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot the week before.
I could go on forever about the amazing things we saw, people and horses we met but I would be here all night, and it is already past 11pm! But I promise I have HEAPS of photos, 140 of this day to be exact, which you will all see in 10 days when I get home!
Hope you're all well
Courtney
Friday, June 25, 2010
Farrier Exam
Hi Everyone,
So the famed and dreaded exam with the stud farrier Martin Leahy is over for the class of 2010! Every year the stories start of how previous years freaked out and stressed over what he was going to ask. Martin gives lectures throughout the year, starting with basic handling skills up to bone structure, conformation and conformational defects. I think the main reasons that everyone gets stressed each year is that Marin has a certain manner about him. Dont get me wrong, he is a lovely man and fantastic farrier (Master Farrier to be exact). He just has a way, he is quiet and understated and goes about explaining things in a very philisophical manner. He wants things explained in a basic way, basic english. Its weird, but in an examination atmosphere he is quite intimidating. Not everyone felt that way obviously, but the majority generally do.
Today the exam started at 7.30am, we were examined for 15 minutes individually, in alphabetical order. The questions he asked turned out to be not that horrendous! I went in at 9.30am, and he had laid out the bones in the leg from below the knee. The bones included the cannon, the two splint bones, the long paster bone, short pastern bone, coffin bone, sesamoids and navicular. We just had to arrange them in the right order. Then he had a hoof and asked us to name as many parts of it as we could, and then he had a hoof split in half and asked the same thing. Then Martin had laid out about 20 shoes and asked us to pick out the ones we knew and what they were used for. Then we had to go through all the forge and farrier tools and describe what they were used for. He then asked me to collect the tools needed for taking off a shoe, and we went out to the pony and I had to show how to take a shoe off. Then he asked what problems could be found in what areas, such as curb, thoroughpin, splints, sidebone, ringbone etc etc. And that was it. I got a bit nervous at the start, because he never lets you know if you are right or wrong while your explaining things, but on the whole I think I did ok....
So tomorrow is the main major exam, 40% of our total marks come from this exam. 11am is D-Day! What the 5 months have been leading up to! Shall update tomorrow!
Hope all is well!
Courtney
P.S Weather has been lovely, actually got to wear shorts and tshirt to work this afternoon!
So the famed and dreaded exam with the stud farrier Martin Leahy is over for the class of 2010! Every year the stories start of how previous years freaked out and stressed over what he was going to ask. Martin gives lectures throughout the year, starting with basic handling skills up to bone structure, conformation and conformational defects. I think the main reasons that everyone gets stressed each year is that Marin has a certain manner about him. Dont get me wrong, he is a lovely man and fantastic farrier (Master Farrier to be exact). He just has a way, he is quiet and understated and goes about explaining things in a very philisophical manner. He wants things explained in a basic way, basic english. Its weird, but in an examination atmosphere he is quite intimidating. Not everyone felt that way obviously, but the majority generally do.
Today the exam started at 7.30am, we were examined for 15 minutes individually, in alphabetical order. The questions he asked turned out to be not that horrendous! I went in at 9.30am, and he had laid out the bones in the leg from below the knee. The bones included the cannon, the two splint bones, the long paster bone, short pastern bone, coffin bone, sesamoids and navicular. We just had to arrange them in the right order. Then he had a hoof and asked us to name as many parts of it as we could, and then he had a hoof split in half and asked the same thing. Then Martin had laid out about 20 shoes and asked us to pick out the ones we knew and what they were used for. Then we had to go through all the forge and farrier tools and describe what they were used for. He then asked me to collect the tools needed for taking off a shoe, and we went out to the pony and I had to show how to take a shoe off. Then he asked what problems could be found in what areas, such as curb, thoroughpin, splints, sidebone, ringbone etc etc. And that was it. I got a bit nervous at the start, because he never lets you know if you are right or wrong while your explaining things, but on the whole I think I did ok....
So tomorrow is the main major exam, 40% of our total marks come from this exam. 11am is D-Day! What the 5 months have been leading up to! Shall update tomorrow!
Hope all is well!
Courtney
P.S Weather has been lovely, actually got to wear shorts and tshirt to work this afternoon!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Hi Everyone,
Well last week was busy busy busy! As well as being let off work to watch Royal Ascot in the afternoons, we also had field trips each day. We visited two Equine Hospitals - Angelsea and Troytown, both situated on the Curragh in Kildare. We had thorough tours of both centres, and introduced to some very flashy technology. Both tours were highly insightful and it was very clear the hard work and dedication that is put in 24 hours a day by the all the staff.
We also visited The Curragh, not for the races this time, but a behind the scenes look at this historic peice of land. Covering approximately 5,000 acres the Curragh has records of chariot racing held back in the third century! And the Irish Turf club was formed in the 1760's! As well as the main racetrack, there are over 15 training tracks on the Curragh (turf, sand, polytrack and woodchip). As well as a hurdle and steeplechase training course. We were able to walk around all these tracks, and saw a few potential superstars in training.
Mid week we went to Derrinstown Stud, just outside the gorgeous town of Straffen. Although not as flashy as some of the previous studs we had visited, Derrinstown was obviously very classy and practically built. After being shown a few of the top class mares owned by the stud, and their foals, we headed to the stallion barn. Stallions standing at the stud are Alhaarth, Bahri, Elnadim, Haatef, Intikhab, Marju and Tamayuz. It was interesting to see the sire of the Epsom Oaks winner Snow Fairy, Intikhab, being paraded with a stick. But not just any stick, it was like a harpoon! So fair to say he may be a bit of a nasty pasty! Marju is the old boy, and at 22 years, sired the winner of the Irish 1,000 guineas winner Bethrah. He was just beautiful, and is unfortunately suffering quite badly from laminitis so we just had a pat of him in his box.
So as well as field trips and Ascot we also had a few lectures, from Henry Beeby, the CEO of Goffs Bloodstock Sales, who was very informative. And we also had a very interesting lecture from Dr Emmaline Hill on equine genetics. She based the research for Equinome, which was a study on the speed gene in horses, and how it can be used to find the best race distance for every individual horse. It is a single test, that is only done once in the horses lifetime, and basically could change the way that we all breed, train, race and sell horses. It was amazing, and im sure if you Googled it you would find all the information, because otherwise I would be here all day. All us students agreed it was the best lecture to date.
So the end of the week came and we were given a mock exam, 20 multiple choice questions to be completed in 15mins. Very broad, just to set us up for the main exam which is on at 11am Saturday 26th June! Scared!
Speaking of exams, I had better get back studying!
Hope the weather isnt getting too chilly (I actually wore shorts and a tshirt to work this afternoon! Who would've known!!)
Courtney
Well last week was busy busy busy! As well as being let off work to watch Royal Ascot in the afternoons, we also had field trips each day. We visited two Equine Hospitals - Angelsea and Troytown, both situated on the Curragh in Kildare. We had thorough tours of both centres, and introduced to some very flashy technology. Both tours were highly insightful and it was very clear the hard work and dedication that is put in 24 hours a day by the all the staff.
We also visited The Curragh, not for the races this time, but a behind the scenes look at this historic peice of land. Covering approximately 5,000 acres the Curragh has records of chariot racing held back in the third century! And the Irish Turf club was formed in the 1760's! As well as the main racetrack, there are over 15 training tracks on the Curragh (turf, sand, polytrack and woodchip). As well as a hurdle and steeplechase training course. We were able to walk around all these tracks, and saw a few potential superstars in training.
Mid week we went to Derrinstown Stud, just outside the gorgeous town of Straffen. Although not as flashy as some of the previous studs we had visited, Derrinstown was obviously very classy and practically built. After being shown a few of the top class mares owned by the stud, and their foals, we headed to the stallion barn. Stallions standing at the stud are Alhaarth, Bahri, Elnadim, Haatef, Intikhab, Marju and Tamayuz. It was interesting to see the sire of the Epsom Oaks winner Snow Fairy, Intikhab, being paraded with a stick. But not just any stick, it was like a harpoon! So fair to say he may be a bit of a nasty pasty! Marju is the old boy, and at 22 years, sired the winner of the Irish 1,000 guineas winner Bethrah. He was just beautiful, and is unfortunately suffering quite badly from laminitis so we just had a pat of him in his box.
So as well as field trips and Ascot we also had a few lectures, from Henry Beeby, the CEO of Goffs Bloodstock Sales, who was very informative. And we also had a very interesting lecture from Dr Emmaline Hill on equine genetics. She based the research for Equinome, which was a study on the speed gene in horses, and how it can be used to find the best race distance for every individual horse. It is a single test, that is only done once in the horses lifetime, and basically could change the way that we all breed, train, race and sell horses. It was amazing, and im sure if you Googled it you would find all the information, because otherwise I would be here all day. All us students agreed it was the best lecture to date.
So the end of the week came and we were given a mock exam, 20 multiple choice questions to be completed in 15mins. Very broad, just to set us up for the main exam which is on at 11am Saturday 26th June! Scared!
Speaking of exams, I had better get back studying!
Hope the weather isnt getting too chilly (I actually wore shorts and a tshirt to work this afternoon! Who would've known!!)
Courtney
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Royal Ascot
Hi Everyone,
This week is Royal Ascot week! As students we are expected to memorize all the major races during the carnival, today there were 3 group 1's! The Queen Anne Stakes, the King's Stand Stakes and the St James' Palace Stakes, as well as the Group 2 for 2yo's the Coventry Stakes. Let's see how much I can remember!
This year the 1 mile Queen Anne was won by the only mare in the field, Goldikova who is by Anabaa. Showed the boys how its done with ease!
The 5 furlong (1000m) King's Stand (which has been won by 4 Aussie horses in the last 7 years; Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast) was won this year by Equiano who is by Acclamation. Equiano also won the race in 2008. We had two Aussie horses run this year, the Bianconi entire Nicconi (en route to stand at Widden this year) and Gold Trail who is by Arrowfield sire Hussonet. Nicconi placed a gallant 4th after making a huge run from the back of the field.
The St James' Palace Stakes is renowned for producing stallions. Open to 3yo colts only, previous winners include Marju, Brief Truce, Kingmambo, Giant's Causeway, Black Minnaloushe, Rock of Gibraltar, Shamardal, Excellent Art, Henrythenavigator and Mastercraftsman, so you can see the influence the race has made. Todays winner was Canford Cliff's who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas at his previous start, came 3rd in the English Guineas and won the Coventry Stakes (Group 2 for 2yo's). From what I can gather he is not very well bred, out of a Marju mare Mrs Marsh by Tugula, but has been a brilliant racehorse.
The Coventry this year was won by Strong Suit, by Rahy from Silver Hawk mare Helwa.
It looked like the whole atmosphere at Royal Ascot could be likened to that of the Spring Carnival at Flemington, except the Queen attends Royal Ascot, her greatest passion being racing. The Royal Parade was a sight to see, even though it was only on TV, at least it was live. I have decided one day I will go to Royal Ascot!!
The countdown is on, the big exam the Friday after next!!!
Hope all is well!
Courtney
This week is Royal Ascot week! As students we are expected to memorize all the major races during the carnival, today there were 3 group 1's! The Queen Anne Stakes, the King's Stand Stakes and the St James' Palace Stakes, as well as the Group 2 for 2yo's the Coventry Stakes. Let's see how much I can remember!
This year the 1 mile Queen Anne was won by the only mare in the field, Goldikova who is by Anabaa. Showed the boys how its done with ease!
The 5 furlong (1000m) King's Stand (which has been won by 4 Aussie horses in the last 7 years; Choisir, Takeover Target, Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast) was won this year by Equiano who is by Acclamation. Equiano also won the race in 2008. We had two Aussie horses run this year, the Bianconi entire Nicconi (en route to stand at Widden this year) and Gold Trail who is by Arrowfield sire Hussonet. Nicconi placed a gallant 4th after making a huge run from the back of the field.
The St James' Palace Stakes is renowned for producing stallions. Open to 3yo colts only, previous winners include Marju, Brief Truce, Kingmambo, Giant's Causeway, Black Minnaloushe, Rock of Gibraltar, Shamardal, Excellent Art, Henrythenavigator and Mastercraftsman, so you can see the influence the race has made. Todays winner was Canford Cliff's who won the Irish 2,000 Guineas at his previous start, came 3rd in the English Guineas and won the Coventry Stakes (Group 2 for 2yo's). From what I can gather he is not very well bred, out of a Marju mare Mrs Marsh by Tugula, but has been a brilliant racehorse.
The Coventry this year was won by Strong Suit, by Rahy from Silver Hawk mare Helwa.
It looked like the whole atmosphere at Royal Ascot could be likened to that of the Spring Carnival at Flemington, except the Queen attends Royal Ascot, her greatest passion being racing. The Royal Parade was a sight to see, even though it was only on TV, at least it was live. I have decided one day I will go to Royal Ascot!!
The countdown is on, the big exam the Friday after next!!!
Hope all is well!
Courtney
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Kildangan Stud
Hi Everyone,
Yesterday we went on our second stud tour to visit Kildangan Stud, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Ireland based breeding centre. On arrival we were introduced to Joe Osbourne, who is the managing director of the stud. He explained a few of the many trophies on display in the office, gave us a short history of the farm and handed us all catalogue's and pens, before introducing us to Eamon Moloney who was to show us the stallions. Eamon is one of the many on the Darley nominations team, and was a gold mine of knowledge on the stallions. We were shown the whole gang; Cape Cross, Echo Of Light, Kheleyf, Manduro, Raven's Pass, Shamardal, Iffraaj and Teofillo. We were also lucky enough to be able to watch Echo Of Light covering from the viewing room in the serving barn. The serving barn was beautifully designed, as you would expect! Situated in the centre of the stallion yard, it is a rounded indoor arena with padded walls, and an in built foal pen so as to not interrupt the circular interior, with the polytrack flooring. The stallion yard itself is designed in a circle, with three stallion stables in each block, 12 in total. A 25 box barn is situated behind the stallion yard with an entrance in front on the entrance to the serving barn. This barn houses all the mares due to be covered that day or the next, the B&B! Huge photo frames line the barn featuring Darley racing heroes, stallions present and past, and mares and foals. Something that has to be seen to be believed, it was amazing!
After the stallion tour we were taken in convoy on the stud tour. Our first stop was the main yard, that is rarely used now and is more for show. The rectangular yard was built in the 1700's!!!!! All the stables were red brick and there was a pond and trees in the grassy centre, complete with ducks! All the paddocks were perfectly manicured, with lots of big old trees, and fenced with hedges. The main house (or mansion, palace, castle) is in the centre of the farm, and has its own helipad on the front lawn. The Sheikh has not been to the stud in the last 5 years, so the house is used for special visitors and clients. The front of the house has views that lead to the Wicklow mountains, which was specially designed. The rest of the farm is woodlands amongst the paddocks.
The foaling unit was another highlight of our tour. The night staff sit in a nurse's station type set up, with all the mares due to foal circled around the station, with reflective glass, so staff can see in, but the mare cant see out. This really helps keep the mares quiet and calm prior to foaling which is an important thing to acheive. There is also a specified fostering unit and intensive care unit incorporated into the adjacent barn. Again the stables were magnificently designed with the comfort of the mare and foal paramount.
Another interesting part of the farm we visited was the compost/recycling area. All the muck taken from the straw stables is composted and used on the paddocks. They had a huge machine that turns the muck heaps 3 times a week, and the muck is broken down enough to be used within 6 weeks.
There is no way to describe the beauty of Kildangan. If I were horse, this is where I would love to live! It has to be seen to be believed!
Hope All's Well!
Courtney
Yesterday we went on our second stud tour to visit Kildangan Stud, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Ireland based breeding centre. On arrival we were introduced to Joe Osbourne, who is the managing director of the stud. He explained a few of the many trophies on display in the office, gave us a short history of the farm and handed us all catalogue's and pens, before introducing us to Eamon Moloney who was to show us the stallions. Eamon is one of the many on the Darley nominations team, and was a gold mine of knowledge on the stallions. We were shown the whole gang; Cape Cross, Echo Of Light, Kheleyf, Manduro, Raven's Pass, Shamardal, Iffraaj and Teofillo. We were also lucky enough to be able to watch Echo Of Light covering from the viewing room in the serving barn. The serving barn was beautifully designed, as you would expect! Situated in the centre of the stallion yard, it is a rounded indoor arena with padded walls, and an in built foal pen so as to not interrupt the circular interior, with the polytrack flooring. The stallion yard itself is designed in a circle, with three stallion stables in each block, 12 in total. A 25 box barn is situated behind the stallion yard with an entrance in front on the entrance to the serving barn. This barn houses all the mares due to be covered that day or the next, the B&B! Huge photo frames line the barn featuring Darley racing heroes, stallions present and past, and mares and foals. Something that has to be seen to be believed, it was amazing!
After the stallion tour we were taken in convoy on the stud tour. Our first stop was the main yard, that is rarely used now and is more for show. The rectangular yard was built in the 1700's!!!!! All the stables were red brick and there was a pond and trees in the grassy centre, complete with ducks! All the paddocks were perfectly manicured, with lots of big old trees, and fenced with hedges. The main house (or mansion, palace, castle) is in the centre of the farm, and has its own helipad on the front lawn. The Sheikh has not been to the stud in the last 5 years, so the house is used for special visitors and clients. The front of the house has views that lead to the Wicklow mountains, which was specially designed. The rest of the farm is woodlands amongst the paddocks.
The foaling unit was another highlight of our tour. The night staff sit in a nurse's station type set up, with all the mares due to foal circled around the station, with reflective glass, so staff can see in, but the mare cant see out. This really helps keep the mares quiet and calm prior to foaling which is an important thing to acheive. There is also a specified fostering unit and intensive care unit incorporated into the adjacent barn. Again the stables were magnificently designed with the comfort of the mare and foal paramount.
Another interesting part of the farm we visited was the compost/recycling area. All the muck taken from the straw stables is composted and used on the paddocks. They had a huge machine that turns the muck heaps 3 times a week, and the muck is broken down enough to be used within 6 weeks.
There is no way to describe the beauty of Kildangan. If I were horse, this is where I would love to live! It has to be seen to be believed!
Hope All's Well!
Courtney
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Mum & Dad Come To Visit
Hi Everyone!
Just home from a great weekend away with the parents! Mum and Dad flew into Dublin on Sunday night, unfortunatley I was on foal watch over the weekend, so I had to finish foal watch on Monday morning at 7am and then catch a train straight down to Dublin to meet them. (Before I forget I foaled the stud's best mare on my weekend on, Sabbah who is 22 years old and the dam of Desert King amongst others, and she had a brown filly by Dalakhani, very expensive little girl!) Anway, Mum, Dad and I spent the day on a hop on, hop off bus touring around the city. We saw the Guinness Factory and did the tour, we walked around St Stephens Green garden and St Patricks Cathedral. Mum and Dad then spent the rest of the week touring the south of Ireland in their motorhome (but thats a whole other story!). I was lucky enough to get Friday afternoon off, so I jumped on a train across to Limerick to meet them. Limerick unfortunately has a bad reputation, and is known to locals as "stab city" so we got out of there pretty quickly! (Having said that one of the students here, Leanne, is from Limerick and she is lovely!) Our first stop was Bunratty Castle about 20kms north of Limerick and we spent the evening gorging ourselves on a lovely meal and a few too many Irish Coffee's at Durty Nellie's pub! The next morning we toured the castle and the folk part and then headed to the Cliff's of Moher, Irelands most visited tourist destination. The cliffs stretch 8km and rise 214m above the Atlantic Ocean and is very spectacular, and crawling with tourists! We then travelled north further along the west coast to Galway. Galway is one of Irelands most beautiful citys. The drive home across the middle of Ireland only took us 3 hours with a couple of stops and wrong turns along the way.
I had fantastic weekend and got to see many of the Irish counties and towns along the way. The countryside was beautiful and the weather was fantastic!
Hope you are all well
Courtney
Just home from a great weekend away with the parents! Mum and Dad flew into Dublin on Sunday night, unfortunatley I was on foal watch over the weekend, so I had to finish foal watch on Monday morning at 7am and then catch a train straight down to Dublin to meet them. (Before I forget I foaled the stud's best mare on my weekend on, Sabbah who is 22 years old and the dam of Desert King amongst others, and she had a brown filly by Dalakhani, very expensive little girl!) Anway, Mum, Dad and I spent the day on a hop on, hop off bus touring around the city. We saw the Guinness Factory and did the tour, we walked around St Stephens Green garden and St Patricks Cathedral. Mum and Dad then spent the rest of the week touring the south of Ireland in their motorhome (but thats a whole other story!). I was lucky enough to get Friday afternoon off, so I jumped on a train across to Limerick to meet them. Limerick unfortunately has a bad reputation, and is known to locals as "stab city" so we got out of there pretty quickly! (Having said that one of the students here, Leanne, is from Limerick and she is lovely!) Our first stop was Bunratty Castle about 20kms north of Limerick and we spent the evening gorging ourselves on a lovely meal and a few too many Irish Coffee's at Durty Nellie's pub! The next morning we toured the castle and the folk part and then headed to the Cliff's of Moher, Irelands most visited tourist destination. The cliffs stretch 8km and rise 214m above the Atlantic Ocean and is very spectacular, and crawling with tourists! We then travelled north further along the west coast to Galway. Galway is one of Irelands most beautiful citys. The drive home across the middle of Ireland only took us 3 hours with a couple of stops and wrong turns along the way.
I had fantastic weekend and got to see many of the Irish counties and towns along the way. The countryside was beautiful and the weather was fantastic!
Hope you are all well
Courtney
Lectures & Exams
Hi All,
Well not long to go now! Our major exams are in little over 3 weeks, and all of a sudden we are frantically trying to gather our notes together to study. All the lectures that we have had every night after work will come into the exam in some way, shape or form, so it is qutie daunting the amount of stuff we have to remember. The majority of the exam is based on the veterinary lectures we have been given by the stud vet Bridget from Grey Abbey in Kildare. We have also had lectures on foaling, neonatal care, the mare and stallion reproductive system, the oestrus cycle, nutrition, exercise pysiology, the musculoskeletal system, skeletal system, digestive system, respiratory system, pedigree's, and many other things I cant think of at the moment. All these things will be in the exam so it is alot to remember!
We are starting to do some different things now outside the classroom, for example we had a pony colt on the farm that the vet gelded for one of the lectures. We also had a few highly respected bloodstock agents come in to speak to us, we went out to the paddock and pulled out mares and foals to discuss. We are also going to the local vet clinic to watch semen collection for AI. Today we had 3 lectures! The first was with Fiona Craig who is a bloodstock advisor for Moyglare Stud, the second was with Warren Schofield, the head vet from Troytown Equine Hospital who spoke to us about developmental orthapeadic disease and the third lecture was with Pat Smullen (jockey), Kevin O'Ryan (jockey agent) and Paul Deegan (trainer). Pat Smullen is a huge fan of the Dermot Weld trained Profound Beauty who he rode in the Melbourne Cup last year, and has high hopes for her in this years running as a 6yo mare, as it will be her last ever career run so they will going all out, a bit of give in the ground will see her with a very good chance. So there's your early tip!! Tomorrow we are going to visit Kildangan Stud (Darley) which is said to be amazing, so very much looking forward to that. We also are also visiting Horse Racing Ireland headquarters on Friday and then heading to the Curragh for their night meet afterwards.
A busy few weeks coming up, lots of study! The weather the past week has been amazing, warm and sunny, until today when the rains came back again. Ireland is now out of the drought!!
Hope all is well,
Courtney
Well not long to go now! Our major exams are in little over 3 weeks, and all of a sudden we are frantically trying to gather our notes together to study. All the lectures that we have had every night after work will come into the exam in some way, shape or form, so it is qutie daunting the amount of stuff we have to remember. The majority of the exam is based on the veterinary lectures we have been given by the stud vet Bridget from Grey Abbey in Kildare. We have also had lectures on foaling, neonatal care, the mare and stallion reproductive system, the oestrus cycle, nutrition, exercise pysiology, the musculoskeletal system, skeletal system, digestive system, respiratory system, pedigree's, and many other things I cant think of at the moment. All these things will be in the exam so it is alot to remember!
We are starting to do some different things now outside the classroom, for example we had a pony colt on the farm that the vet gelded for one of the lectures. We also had a few highly respected bloodstock agents come in to speak to us, we went out to the paddock and pulled out mares and foals to discuss. We are also going to the local vet clinic to watch semen collection for AI. Today we had 3 lectures! The first was with Fiona Craig who is a bloodstock advisor for Moyglare Stud, the second was with Warren Schofield, the head vet from Troytown Equine Hospital who spoke to us about developmental orthapeadic disease and the third lecture was with Pat Smullen (jockey), Kevin O'Ryan (jockey agent) and Paul Deegan (trainer). Pat Smullen is a huge fan of the Dermot Weld trained Profound Beauty who he rode in the Melbourne Cup last year, and has high hopes for her in this years running as a 6yo mare, as it will be her last ever career run so they will going all out, a bit of give in the ground will see her with a very good chance. So there's your early tip!! Tomorrow we are going to visit Kildangan Stud (Darley) which is said to be amazing, so very much looking forward to that. We also are also visiting Horse Racing Ireland headquarters on Friday and then heading to the Curragh for their night meet afterwards.
A busy few weeks coming up, lots of study! The weather the past week has been amazing, warm and sunny, until today when the rains came back again. Ireland is now out of the drought!!
Hope all is well,
Courtney
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Weekend Away
Hi everyone,
The best thing about the thoroughbred industry is that you are constantly being given opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Any time you meet someone you may be giving yourself a stepping stone to a different state, country or hemisphere! Having done plenty of sales over the past few years I have worked with people from many different countries. One such person I met on my travels is a fanastic Irish girl called Eve. Eve worked the Swettenham dispersal sales in 2008, so we worked, lived and partied together on the Gold Coast and Coogee Bay, Sydney for nearly 2 months. Before leaving for Ireland I got in contact with Eve, to let her know I was on my to Ireland, and that we should try catch up. Having gone out for a few dinners and drinks, Eve invited me to spend the May Bank Holiday weekend at her place on the west side of County Kildare.
I had the best weekend since I have been here. We went riding on all 3 days, and went out to a small hunting field and jumped the jumps. On our 2 hour road rides we passed what seemed to be at least 30 mansions! Complete with the massive front gates! We went to some amazing little restaurants and ate the best food i have tasted since being here, fresh healthy irish food! We visited Arthur Guiness' grave and drove around the Wicklow mountains which were beautiful. As the Punchestown race course was not in use we went for a walk around the national hunt course, where I had been the week previously to see just how big the jumps were. Up to my shoulder, and so wide!!!!! Went on lots of mini drives to see some of the countryside. All in all, it was a great weekend and I am so grateful for the chance to see some country that I may not have seen otherwise!
Looking forward to Friday afternoon, all the students plus a few of the foreman are being taken to Charlie O'Neils, where we are all going riding around the cross country course on the ponies! We are also going clay pidgeon shooting and archery, followed by a BBQ and drinks. Will be lots of fun!!
Suddenly we are left with less than a month til gradutation, with exams between now and then! Everyone is starting to get stuck into the study, and we have a few assignments on the go, such as foaling projects, nutrition projects, teasing projects etc etc.
Hope the weather is still warm,
Courtney
The best thing about the thoroughbred industry is that you are constantly being given opportunities to meet people from all over the world. Any time you meet someone you may be giving yourself a stepping stone to a different state, country or hemisphere! Having done plenty of sales over the past few years I have worked with people from many different countries. One such person I met on my travels is a fanastic Irish girl called Eve. Eve worked the Swettenham dispersal sales in 2008, so we worked, lived and partied together on the Gold Coast and Coogee Bay, Sydney for nearly 2 months. Before leaving for Ireland I got in contact with Eve, to let her know I was on my to Ireland, and that we should try catch up. Having gone out for a few dinners and drinks, Eve invited me to spend the May Bank Holiday weekend at her place on the west side of County Kildare.
I had the best weekend since I have been here. We went riding on all 3 days, and went out to a small hunting field and jumped the jumps. On our 2 hour road rides we passed what seemed to be at least 30 mansions! Complete with the massive front gates! We went to some amazing little restaurants and ate the best food i have tasted since being here, fresh healthy irish food! We visited Arthur Guiness' grave and drove around the Wicklow mountains which were beautiful. As the Punchestown race course was not in use we went for a walk around the national hunt course, where I had been the week previously to see just how big the jumps were. Up to my shoulder, and so wide!!!!! Went on lots of mini drives to see some of the countryside. All in all, it was a great weekend and I am so grateful for the chance to see some country that I may not have seen otherwise!
Looking forward to Friday afternoon, all the students plus a few of the foreman are being taken to Charlie O'Neils, where we are all going riding around the cross country course on the ponies! We are also going clay pidgeon shooting and archery, followed by a BBQ and drinks. Will be lots of fun!!
Suddenly we are left with less than a month til gradutation, with exams between now and then! Everyone is starting to get stuck into the study, and we have a few assignments on the go, such as foaling projects, nutrition projects, teasing projects etc etc.
Hope the weather is still warm,
Courtney
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Kildare Yard
Hi Everyone!
This week I have been based in Kildare Yard, which houses all the mares that foaled in the INS foaling unit this season. It is my 4th rotation in this yard, and dont tell anyone, but its my favourite!! There is alot of handling of the foals, who arrive from the foaling unit at 2 or 3 days old if they are fit and healthy. As the weather has gotten better in the last few weeks, the older foals born in January, February or March are living out or "camping in Australia" as the Irish call it here! They only come in to the stables if the mare is needed for teasing or vetting, so we may have to bring them down to the yard once or twice a week. The mare is always led from your left hand and the foal from your right hand. But it is a fair walk, so we have time to get them walking and leading properly, they dont get too feral!
They are so used to people handling them, that you can walk up to them in paddock and give them a cuddle or a pat and they wont move a muscle. The other day we lay down next to one of the foals while he was sleeping and rested our head on his tummy and he just kept on snoring! Moments like those make you realise how lucky you are to be working with horses!
Kildare Yard is in the main area of the stud where tourists come through on tours and just on their walks. So once again, the foremen are strict on the yard being as neat and tidy as possible. Working in this yard you come across people from all sorts of backgrounds. I have met plenty of Aussie's, who are nearly always asking after Vintage Crop (Melbourne Cup winner 1993). You can get throughbred people asking after which foals are by which stallions, or you can get the opposite; people asking what is the difference between a stallion and a mare! So obviously you need to have plenty of tact and be polite to everyone! Sometimes you feel like a movie star, when you walk around a corner and there are 60 people standing there from a tour, each one with a camera snapping away!! And you are trying to keep a hold of the foal and the mare!!! Its very challenging!
During our time in Kildare yard we are required to complete a week of "teasing duty". So we are in charge of deciding which mares are needed for teasing and vetting. We are given each mares teasing records, and based on those have to make up the list for each day. Every stud is different in every country around the world, so this was done differently here to what i was used to at Swettenham. But having been around the vetting during the breeding season gives you a fair idea of what is going on, its just a matter of learning the different symbols and pregnancy testing days. This week is my week on teasing, and its great learning the different ways of doing things.
Having lots of fun with the foals, although some of them are getting quite big!!
Hope all is well back in OZ!
Courtney
This week I have been based in Kildare Yard, which houses all the mares that foaled in the INS foaling unit this season. It is my 4th rotation in this yard, and dont tell anyone, but its my favourite!! There is alot of handling of the foals, who arrive from the foaling unit at 2 or 3 days old if they are fit and healthy. As the weather has gotten better in the last few weeks, the older foals born in January, February or March are living out or "camping in Australia" as the Irish call it here! They only come in to the stables if the mare is needed for teasing or vetting, so we may have to bring them down to the yard once or twice a week. The mare is always led from your left hand and the foal from your right hand. But it is a fair walk, so we have time to get them walking and leading properly, they dont get too feral!
They are so used to people handling them, that you can walk up to them in paddock and give them a cuddle or a pat and they wont move a muscle. The other day we lay down next to one of the foals while he was sleeping and rested our head on his tummy and he just kept on snoring! Moments like those make you realise how lucky you are to be working with horses!
Kildare Yard is in the main area of the stud where tourists come through on tours and just on their walks. So once again, the foremen are strict on the yard being as neat and tidy as possible. Working in this yard you come across people from all sorts of backgrounds. I have met plenty of Aussie's, who are nearly always asking after Vintage Crop (Melbourne Cup winner 1993). You can get throughbred people asking after which foals are by which stallions, or you can get the opposite; people asking what is the difference between a stallion and a mare! So obviously you need to have plenty of tact and be polite to everyone! Sometimes you feel like a movie star, when you walk around a corner and there are 60 people standing there from a tour, each one with a camera snapping away!! And you are trying to keep a hold of the foal and the mare!!! Its very challenging!
During our time in Kildare yard we are required to complete a week of "teasing duty". So we are in charge of deciding which mares are needed for teasing and vetting. We are given each mares teasing records, and based on those have to make up the list for each day. Every stud is different in every country around the world, so this was done differently here to what i was used to at Swettenham. But having been around the vetting during the breeding season gives you a fair idea of what is going on, its just a matter of learning the different symbols and pregnancy testing days. This week is my week on teasing, and its great learning the different ways of doing things.
Having lots of fun with the foals, although some of them are getting quite big!!
Hope all is well back in OZ!
Courtney
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Stallions
Hi Everyone,
I am on my last day of stallions, and have had a very enjoyable week. As the covering barn is "front of house" the whole place must kept clean and tidy at all times. We have to be presentable, the stables have to be presentable and the horses have to be presentable! There is lots of grooming and brasso-ing done in between covers, which occur 4 times a day maximum. Covers are at approx 7am, 11am, 4pm and 8pm. I have been lucky enough to handle all the stallions at some stage during the week, being allowed to take out or bring in from the paddock Jeremy, Amadeous Wolf, Rakti, Verglas & Art Connoissuer. I was also asked to hold Indian Haven and Invincible Spirit while they were having their manes pulled. In the breeding shed our duties as students include holding the mares, holding the foals in the foal pen, or holding the head or tail. Luckily I gained experience in the covering barn at Swettenham Stud prior to coming to the INS, and it has helped me greatly. Although back home we dont have to hold the foals during the cover, and this is a job that requires strength and the ability to sustain a few kicks, bites and hooves on the head! I highly recommend getting as much experience as you can by getting involved in as many aspects of the stud workings as possible. At the end of the day experience and making mistakes is the only way to learn!
Hope all is well
Courtney
I am on my last day of stallions, and have had a very enjoyable week. As the covering barn is "front of house" the whole place must kept clean and tidy at all times. We have to be presentable, the stables have to be presentable and the horses have to be presentable! There is lots of grooming and brasso-ing done in between covers, which occur 4 times a day maximum. Covers are at approx 7am, 11am, 4pm and 8pm. I have been lucky enough to handle all the stallions at some stage during the week, being allowed to take out or bring in from the paddock Jeremy, Amadeous Wolf, Rakti, Verglas & Art Connoissuer. I was also asked to hold Indian Haven and Invincible Spirit while they were having their manes pulled. In the breeding shed our duties as students include holding the mares, holding the foals in the foal pen, or holding the head or tail. Luckily I gained experience in the covering barn at Swettenham Stud prior to coming to the INS, and it has helped me greatly. Although back home we dont have to hold the foals during the cover, and this is a job that requires strength and the ability to sustain a few kicks, bites and hooves on the head! I highly recommend getting as much experience as you can by getting involved in as many aspects of the stud workings as possible. At the end of the day experience and making mistakes is the only way to learn!
Hope all is well
Courtney
Thursday, April 15, 2010
HH The Aga Khan's Gilltown Stud
Hi Everyone!
We went on our first trip today to the immaculate Gilltown (part of the Aga Khan Studs), which is owned by HH The Aga Khan. We were introduced to the manager Pat Downes, who took us around the stud and to look at the stallions. This year they are standing Azamour, Dalakhani and in particular Sea The Stars who was born and raised at the Irish National Stud. In his 3yo career he won 6 Group 1's in 6 months, including the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe. So he is a huge favourite among the Irish people! His dam Urban Sea resided at the INS for may years, and sadly passed away post foaling in 2009 after producing an Invincible Spirit colt. She was a much loved part of the farm, and is also the dam of the great Coolmore sire Galileo (by Sadler's Wells).
In short, to see Sea The Stars was a huge thrill, and even I got goosebumps, so I can hardly imagine how excited the Irish students were! We were all privileged enough to be allowed to get a single photo with him, and then a group shot. Sea The Stars took it all in his stride, and stood for us as if he knew just how good he was! He is a beautifully conformed horse, with a lovely big loose walk, and once he lets down from his race condition it is easy to see the impressive horse he will become!
Looking forward to the Punchestown Race Festival next week (the premier jumps racing carnival in Ireland) as we all get to go on one of the days.
Hoping all is well back home,
Courtney
We went on our first trip today to the immaculate Gilltown (part of the Aga Khan Studs), which is owned by HH The Aga Khan. We were introduced to the manager Pat Downes, who took us around the stud and to look at the stallions. This year they are standing Azamour, Dalakhani and in particular Sea The Stars who was born and raised at the Irish National Stud. In his 3yo career he won 6 Group 1's in 6 months, including the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby, Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe. So he is a huge favourite among the Irish people! His dam Urban Sea resided at the INS for may years, and sadly passed away post foaling in 2009 after producing an Invincible Spirit colt. She was a much loved part of the farm, and is also the dam of the great Coolmore sire Galileo (by Sadler's Wells).
In short, to see Sea The Stars was a huge thrill, and even I got goosebumps, so I can hardly imagine how excited the Irish students were! We were all privileged enough to be allowed to get a single photo with him, and then a group shot. Sea The Stars took it all in his stride, and stood for us as if he knew just how good he was! He is a beautifully conformed horse, with a lovely big loose walk, and once he lets down from his race condition it is easy to see the impressive horse he will become!
Looking forward to the Punchestown Race Festival next week (the premier jumps racing carnival in Ireland) as we all get to go on one of the days.
Hoping all is well back home,
Courtney
Letter to Oz 2
Hi All!
Well no more snow! The weather has been lovely since the 1st of March! We have 50 foals on the ground and the "boys on the hill" are busy, busy, busy! There aer 7 stallions standing at the INS this year. The hugely popular Invincible Spirit, the tough guy Rakti, Verglas the beautiful grey, Indian Haven who is by the late INS patriach Indian Ridge, Amadeus Wolf and Jeremy who have their first crop of foals on the ground this year, and new kid on the block Art Conoissuer.
There are quite a few very well connected students this year, and listening to their stories is sometimes like what you would see in a movie! Although we are a small group, everyone gets along really well. The stud is absolutely beautiful and the tourism side of the farm is very interesting. I really like all the tourists coming around, and the thrill they get out out of being able to touch a mare or foal or get their picture taken with one. There are several tours that run daily, and on weekends the stud is crawling with visitors! Trying to get all the work done when there are 50 people hanging around the gateways or inside the stables is very challenging, but meeting people from all over the world makes up for it! The weather hasn't been as bad as I had expected, and since the 1st of March it has only rained once! The lectures have been coming thick and fast, and I'm very grateful for having studied previously at the NCEE as I really feel it has given me a huge head start.
I was lucky enough that my first weekend off in a month fell on the Curragh's first race meet of the year! The Curragh is Irelands premier racetrack, and is only a 5 minute drive from the INS. Aiden O'Brien (Coolmore's top trainer) had a team of 25 horses do trackwork after the last race, showcasing St Nicholas Abbey, Fame and Glory and Rip Van Winkle. Can't wait til we start our field trips; especially to Kildangan (Darley), Coolmore and Gilltown to see "Sea The Stars"!
Hope all is well back in Oz!
Courtney
Well no more snow! The weather has been lovely since the 1st of March! We have 50 foals on the ground and the "boys on the hill" are busy, busy, busy! There aer 7 stallions standing at the INS this year. The hugely popular Invincible Spirit, the tough guy Rakti, Verglas the beautiful grey, Indian Haven who is by the late INS patriach Indian Ridge, Amadeus Wolf and Jeremy who have their first crop of foals on the ground this year, and new kid on the block Art Conoissuer.
There are quite a few very well connected students this year, and listening to their stories is sometimes like what you would see in a movie! Although we are a small group, everyone gets along really well. The stud is absolutely beautiful and the tourism side of the farm is very interesting. I really like all the tourists coming around, and the thrill they get out out of being able to touch a mare or foal or get their picture taken with one. There are several tours that run daily, and on weekends the stud is crawling with visitors! Trying to get all the work done when there are 50 people hanging around the gateways or inside the stables is very challenging, but meeting people from all over the world makes up for it! The weather hasn't been as bad as I had expected, and since the 1st of March it has only rained once! The lectures have been coming thick and fast, and I'm very grateful for having studied previously at the NCEE as I really feel it has given me a huge head start.
I was lucky enough that my first weekend off in a month fell on the Curragh's first race meet of the year! The Curragh is Irelands premier racetrack, and is only a 5 minute drive from the INS. Aiden O'Brien (Coolmore's top trainer) had a team of 25 horses do trackwork after the last race, showcasing St Nicholas Abbey, Fame and Glory and Rip Van Winkle. Can't wait til we start our field trips; especially to Kildangan (Darley), Coolmore and Gilltown to see "Sea The Stars"!
Hope all is well back in Oz!
Courtney
Letter to Oz 1
Hi All!
I thought in my first letter i would tell everyone about the Irish National Stud, the students and how the course basically works. This year due to the economic crisis there are fewer students, down from the usual 27 to 17. There are 3 Australians, a New Zealander, French and Indian, 3 from America (mainly the Kentucky area), 3 English and 6 Irish students.The stud is spread out into many different yards, named after exceptional horses the stud bred, which all serve different purposes, such as the stallion barn, the foaling unit, pregnant mares, yearlings, barren mares etc. All have their own foreman and staff. The first week involves inductions into each of the yards. Students are assigned a different yard to work in each week, and are put to work straight away! On day one I can definately give one peice of advice, and that is to practise straw boxes, they take some getting used to and there are plenty of them as every horse on the stud is boxed overnight. Students are also put on foal watch either 3 or 4 nights a week throughout the season. Each weeknight there are lectures from industry leaders from all fields and projects are given out regularly. For my first week I am based in Strawhall, which houses all pregnant mares and does the foaling down. So far the INS staff are great, the accommodation is toasty warm and the food is brilliant. I am heading back to work now in the SNOW!!!
Courtney
I thought in my first letter i would tell everyone about the Irish National Stud, the students and how the course basically works. This year due to the economic crisis there are fewer students, down from the usual 27 to 17. There are 3 Australians, a New Zealander, French and Indian, 3 from America (mainly the Kentucky area), 3 English and 6 Irish students.The stud is spread out into many different yards, named after exceptional horses the stud bred, which all serve different purposes, such as the stallion barn, the foaling unit, pregnant mares, yearlings, barren mares etc. All have their own foreman and staff. The first week involves inductions into each of the yards. Students are assigned a different yard to work in each week, and are put to work straight away! On day one I can definately give one peice of advice, and that is to practise straw boxes, they take some getting used to and there are plenty of them as every horse on the stud is boxed overnight. Students are also put on foal watch either 3 or 4 nights a week throughout the season. Each weeknight there are lectures from industry leaders from all fields and projects are given out regularly. For my first week I am based in Strawhall, which houses all pregnant mares and does the foaling down. So far the INS staff are great, the accommodation is toasty warm and the food is brilliant. I am heading back to work now in the SNOW!!!
Courtney
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