THE return of the RDS Horse Show in Dublin last week after a two year absence saw a string of prizes for a West Cork family.
The Daly family of Hayfield Stud in Clonakilty took three horses in total to the show, which has been running since 1864.
Declan and Ciara Daly and their children Lillie (12) and Callum (8) took prizes for their three-year-old colt Flynn, including the middle/heavyweight class, reserve champion and reserve champion of the Pembroke Cup at the world-renowned horse show.
‘Flynn’s mother Floating Valley was bred by my husband Declan on our farm, Hayfield Stud and has had a total of four Dublin RDS winners and one all- Ireland winner,’ Ciara told The Southern Star. Another offspring of Floating Valley, a colt foal by the name of Tigger, won both the colt foal class and the class for best foal out of a thoroughbred sire and that sire is a West Cork horse from the McCarthys’ Meelin Stud in Bandon.
‘Floating Valley is our absolute treasure,’ said Ciara.
‘She is such a big part of our family.
‘It’s not just the fact that each of her five foals have been so successful, she is our queen and some day will probably talk back to us.
‘We want to thank all at Thistletown Stud in Co Wexford for everything they’ve done with Flynn, both in the lead-up to the RDS and at the show, especially David and Eileen, and to all our friends locally who’ve helped us along the way,’ said Ciara.
