The past year saw the Irish Sport Horse Studbook continue to dominate the world in the sport of eventing, taking the top honours in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) rankings. The WBFSH is the international Federation of Studbooks for Sport Horses. It is the major connection between the breeding organisations of sport horses and international equestrian sport (FEI). In conjunction with the FEI, the WBFSH run the World Breeding Championships for Sport Horses in the three Olympic disciplines, Showjumping, Eventing and Dressage. In addition, the WBFSH produce the world rankings for studbooks and individual horse rankings for Showjumping, Dressage and Eventing each year.

 

Since the establishment of the WBFSH rankings, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook has been the world’s leading studbook in the Eventing rankings. As well as topping the rankings for the thirteenth successive year, a major achievement for the Irish Sport Horse Studbook was having the highest ranked sport horse, McKinlaigh (ISH), in the individual rankings.

The Walsh family have bred a multitude of horses over the years but it is only recently that they became aware of the success of their most famous progeny, the American based McKinlaigh (ISH). When Paul and Seamus Walsh bought the dam, Kilcumney Hostess (ISH) in foal, little did they imagine the heights her offspring would achieve. Her foal, a big, good moving son of Highland King, always had something about him and with luck and good fortune remaining on his side found himself in the capable hands of American event rider Gina Miles.

 

McKinlaigh (ISH) competed at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain in 2002, where he finished in the top 25 individual placings. He competed at the Rolex CCI**** at Kentucky on several occasions and was 15^th at Badminton CCI**** in 2007. He has won several World Cup Qualifiers since 2003 and has been highly placed in many more. In 2007 McKinlaigh (ISH) was a member of the American team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. At the same event, McKinlaigh (ISH) and Gina Miles (USA) took home individual bronze.

 

On Saturday 19^th January 2007, Seamus Walsh, on behalf of his sister Yvonne, accepted an award from John Hanly, of sponsors Merial, and Nicholas Finnerty, from the Irish Horse Board and representing the WBFSH, in recognition of McKinlaigh’s achievement of being the top ranked sport horse in the individual eventing rankings.