Latest News

from Suma Stud can now be found on our homepage.We are planning on revamping our website in the near future so check back again soon for more News at Suma.

Older News will remain online for the moment....2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002.

September / AUGUST 2006

Rob was 'robbed' at the IDHS National Show

We are getting back Coffee and her foal (Fudge) tomorrow, weaning her in about a month and then she is going to be broken by Dave Quigley.  Music is going up to Ted Connolly and when she is ready to wean Bono, she will come here too.  So our little family is gradually re-assembling.   More news on Suma's Alaska, (Cybil) who is moving up a grade in the UK, coming 2nd again in a 1.10 so is going to do Foxhunters which is quite a step up

Sound of Music jumping in Lanaken

RDS & Lanaken  update

The best news was that we won the 5 y.o. championship at the RDS!  At least our breeding did.  Dave rode superbly to win the jump off of nine as it was not a challenging course and he rode the best turn to gain the few seconds needed.  We were all thrilled for the Connollys who have had great faith in "Maria" and are now heading for Lanaken and the World Young Horse Breeding Championships.

Also congrats in Dublin to Luke Morley with Oh Carolena, by Huntingfield Rebel out of Oh Carol whom we bred from Mrs Thatcher.  She won the Young RID mare class looking superb with a foal at foot.  Also to Mary McGrath, owner of the Supreme Champion Rosetown Annie, by Crosstown Dancer out of a daughter of Glenagyle Rebel's sister. The second placed mare was also a daughter of Suma's Wendy so our stock is still up there!

Our own Nadia had scant attention paid to her in the ring.  Everyone felt the class had been hurried through with only the winner happy but we were very proud of how she looked, produced by Ted Connolly, she was stunning.

CHAMPION 5 Y.O. JUMPER at RDS last week.

SUMAS SOUND OF MUSIC ridden by Dave Quigley. Seen here in one of the qualifiers.

Have also just heard that our Suma's Alaska (VDL ARKANSAS/Whippy, has won her 2nd 1.10 class in the UK with Ivan Dalton from Dave Quigley's yard.  85 starters, they go to timed jump offs straight away.  She did a couple of FEHL classes here but was obviously a jumper not an eventer (partlly as the rider here overbent her) but was only broken last January as she had had a foal (by Market Square)

• Caven Elite auction update:

Flyer was fantastic, jumped really well in the competition and finished 8th.  We were thrilled as she obviously loves jumping and is very confident.  Today, before her appearance in the auction ring she jumped down the line again, and Paul. Schochemohle would be proud of the way she went, and so easily.  However there were a lot of very ordinary horses there who were mostly unsold and thisdepresses any sale so we were not surprised that she did not reach her price in the ring.  But we are confident that shortly she will have a new home. 

Looking forward to the Dublin Horse Show next week GINNETTS NADIA, the lovely Glenagyle Rebel mare that was left to us by our friend Toni when she died last year, is entered in the  barren mare class,. Now in foal to Loughehoe Guy and looking a picture. Ted Connolly has produced her and we look forward to a good class.  She won there under saddle as a six year old.  Also competing in the Jumping is SUMA'S SOUND OF MUSIC with Dave Quigley and no doubt there will be many Irish Draughts tracing to our breeding.

JULY 2006

Lot 82

"Flyer" To be sold at the ELITE SALE at Cavan on 3 and 4 August.

"Flyer" is out of It's an Ology, by Pride of Shaunlara, gd. by Flagmount Diamond, ggd. by Clover Hill, and gggd by Prefairy (TB).

All the jumping blood that is necessary and a solid Irish background to mix with the warmblood jumping genes of VDL ARKANSAS. Ology is a PREMIER mare, and jumped for a short while when in foal to Cruising jumping clears at every outing. The Cruising colt was selected for Performance Testing as a 5 y.o. stallion, named Wing Commander but was exported to the USA. He had the highest marks of all the stallions that year.

"Flyer" has a lovely temperament, was lightly broken at 2 yrs. and is ready to go. She has a 4 y.o own brother with Clem McMahon, and a colt foal this year who looks to be equally athletic.

Bono is sold to the owner of his half-sister, Suma's Sound of Music.  He is a fabulous colt. TJM will give him every chance to prove he is as good as he looks, in a few years time.  Music has been inseminated with Conor Swails young horse CARICELLO who recently placed 3 times in France in the 6 & 7 yrs old classes.  We will be checking her very soon. (update, scanned in-foal) 

Bono at 1 month

Flyer (Arkansas-It's an Ology-Pride of Shaunlara) otherwise known as SUMA'S STRAIGHT A's, is jumjping superbly with Andrew Gardiner and she has qualified for the CAVAN SELECT SALES on 4th August.(see photo above)  She has also placed 3rd and has WON the Loose jumping in Sligo!  Following the same path as COFFEE  did last year.  

Our living accommodation is seen here, a gorgeous wood cabin with a fantastic view down across the valley to Carlow on the other side with the Blackstairs Mountains in the distance.  The house is making great progress and the new windows look very good and more important, let in more light and less rain!  

COFFEE and FUDGE spent 2 days with us and it was lovely to have another mare and foal here, but as rather expected they just walked out of the paddocks through the fencing so have returned to Rosetown till we have a proper fence up.  OLOGY has been spending time in Galway with HUNTINGFIELD REBEL and is successfully inseminated now.  She was about number 180 on Rob's list!

  Which brings me to the IRISH HORSE BOARD Western representative position for which OLIVE BRODERICK is nominated.  I cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism and care that they have brought to the Irish Sport Horse business in Galway. Their stud is a pleasure to visit with the horses looking really well and happy, in spite of the huge numbers they are covering.  It would be excelent to have a young vigourous person representing the West, Olive is old enough to have had masses of experience and young enough to admit she has plenty more to learn and does not have a closed mind.  I hope all of you in her District who appreciate the way we at Suma have done things will take our word for it that she would be a good representative so PLEASE MAKE SURE TO VOTE!!  She will be happy to talk to any of you about your thoughts for the future of Irish Horses.

JUNE 2006

We are now in our new home, see photos below in our February News.

SUMA Stud

Castle House,

Ballyogan,

Graignamanagh

Co. Kilkenny

 Ireland

Still available at the mobile number
of 086 2695787.

New numbers:

Tel. 059 97 25600.  FAX (will be different but not yet) Same.

  Likewise lack of reception with the mobiles means we have one working on a different network which is  086 1234737.

 --- This  news just in.....

Suma Sound of Music did the biz today, jumped 3 smashing clears and quallified for the RDS, finishing 4th (9 get in) This was the
2nd one, 115 starters. ----

Now we are firmly established in Kilkenny I can bring you up to date with Suma happenings.  Firstly the stallions, past and present.

HUNTINGFIELD REBEL is knocking them dead in Kylemore, covering well over 100 mares by the beginning of June.  The Brodericks are doing him proud. Nothing more than he deserves!  And today I heard that his daughter, sold at our sale, Suma's Little Mo, driven by Karen  Garrett won the Novice horse section of the Carriage Driving at Kilcooley Abbey over the weekend. Her half brother, by Touchdown whom we named Light Touch but now called MILLENIUM MISSION is winning Eventing in the UK. Their Pride of Shaunlara mother, Light Up, an Appendix mare was Susie's brilliant hunter for several seasons.

VDL ARKANSAS who is with Richard Wright at Ard Cherrymount Stud, is again siring winners already.  CLAGGAN DARK WARRIOR won the 5 y.o jumping  at Balmoral,  and HENRY'S ARK has just changed hands for plenty after excellent performances at Punchestown. The Connolly's SUMA'S ALASKA excelled in the jumping phase in the Young Event Horse class at Punchestown and finished eigth overall.  One judge commented she was the only Jumper there!  Also in the Showring, Joe Harte's homebred LARACOR ARCHIE took his first ridden class and Championship in the UK for Evan and Yorkie Jobling Purser, also bought at the Suma Dispersal Sale.  They are nearly as thrilled by that as by their new son, Paddy! 

 
Our own bloodstock has now produced 3 cracking foals, a dark brown filly by VDL DOUGLAS out of Suma's Coffee (see her jumping last year) and Distant Music and It's an Ology foaled beside each other 2 colts by Douglas and Archie just 2 days ago.  We would like to thank their hosts for the past few months, Paula Cullen, Mary McGrath, and Fiona Hughes.  Alas our premises here are not yet suitable. Coffee's sire, by the way, VDL PESSOA, was in the winning Brazilian Nations Cup team last Sunday that beat Ireland into 2nd place!  He has really come into his own and is now qualified for the World Championships in Aachen in August.

"It's an Ology and colt foal"

"Bono finds freedom"  by VDL Douglas

Ology's ARKANSAS 3 y.o., Flyer who has shown exceptional promise over a fence since she was a foal has gone to Andrew Gardiner in Sligo to see if she can continue to impress in the hard graft of the Loose jumping circuit.

 
We now have two equines here with us, one 2 y.o. Irish Draught, who had a rough winter but is now turning inside out, and guess what? A donkey!  She and Dreamy got on fine, but after wandering around the neighbours garden we moved them to the riverside paddock by the River Barrow.  Donkey took one look and bolted through the electric fencing back up to our orchard for safety!  So Dreamy is on her own, quite happy, although would love company which she should have shortly.

Our house is waiting to have its windows done and we have put in for planning to convert the adjacent garage to a snug off the kitchen.  Meanwhile we will have, when its roof is available, a lovely wooden cabin in the orchard.  This may have to do us well into the autumn unless our builders are really speedy, but it will be well worth it.

"our garden last month"

The wildlife here is diverse and amazing, see the fox sitting in with the sheep in the field beside us!  We really love it here! Next year will see new ventures, more of that in the future."

"spot the fox"

MARCH 2006

Suma's Alaska (VDL Arkansas/Whippy) on her first Public outing.  She had a cracking foal last year and after weaning was broken and is now starting her career.

Tiny fence but style like Dad.

We have sold the lovely Taloubet yearling Ginnetts Giselda out of our late friend, Toni Gargans mare, Nadia, to an excellent judge in Mayo. 

Nadia herself is being got ready to go to stud, probably to Loughehoe Guy who is a smashing TB own brother to Irish.  He used to visit Suma when he was showjumping up the road at Paul Darragh's stables for us to take semen from him for the AI. He was always so mannerly and we became very fond of him.  Michael Whyte has brought him to Grade A and there are few TBs who can make that grade. 

Also Nadia' s other daughter Odette by VDL Arkansas had a super colt foal on St. Patricks day(night) by Maximum Clearance, another TB who jumped at the top. Her new owner is delighted.

FEBRUARY 2006

At last some permanence in sight! We have signed contracts for a lovely
small holding in Graiguenamanagh, Co. Kilkenny very close to Goresbridge
Sales. We don't expect to move for a few months.

House and land seen from across the river (hidden in trees)  Mount Brandon in background.

It only has a few acres so
the horse operation will be minimal and the ones we still own will be kept
in various places around the country, and indeed Europe! Our aim is to
produce a few top Irish Draughts and showjumpers We have six in Holland,
and one in Scotland as well as some youngsters and 3 mares here.
Torite (Marlon/Zeoliet )who is in Scotland with Pammy Stephenson is now
broken and riding and will shortly be competing. She has lost none of her
fantastic style over a fence and has already been spotted by the experts.
Meanwhile the Connollys of TJM have taken a half share in our super Chellano
colt Cloudburst SSZ so he will remain entire until he is tried at 3 yrs.
They produced a previous purchase from us, Suma's Sound of Music
(Indoctro/Horos) who is now being brought out in the UK by Dave Quigley as a
5 y.o.

Rob playing at Kylemore Stud (trying to keep him clean!)

Meanwhile we have phone calls daily about Huntingfield Rebel and he has
already started delivering the goods at Kylemore Stud.
(www.kylemorestud.com) He now has an Approved RID son who is competing
successfully in Dressage in Rosheen Yeats owned by Pauline Furlong.

 
Supporters of VDL Arkansas will not be suprised to know that he is TOP of the Foreign breeds in the Genetic Evaluation list for 2005!  Beating the likes of Lux Z, Condios, Ekstein, OBOS Quality, Ramiro B, Dow Jones Courcel etc.
It is great news for the Irish breeders that he will be available all this season at Ard Cherrymount Stud.

JANUARY 2006

 
The start to the new Year has been deeply sad for me and my family as my 93 year old mother passed away unexpectedly but very peacefully on the 15th January. 

My brothers and sisters and some of the grandchildren were here from the far flung reaches of the USA and her devoted carers and many friends attended her funeral at Slane Church on Thursday. We were very touched by the many cards, letters and messages that we have received, many recalling her past active life as a vibrant member of the Carriage Driving Ireland, the I.S.P.C.A. and her former life in the UK when she showed champion hunter brood mares.  She loved following Suma Stud horses once her own career was curtailed by both degeneritave eyesight and immobility.  I will miss her enormously, one only has one mother. 

Goodbye and R.I.P,  

Dorothy D. Power 1912-2006
 
On a happier note, my Hollywood sister-in-law, Ilene Kahn Power, was thrilled that her protege, Jonathon Rhys Meyers won the Golden Globe for best actor in a mini series, for his part in Elvis, which she co-directed.  And this weekend my brother Derek is attending the Sundance awards where he also has been nominated for his work with his client Stuart Copeland,

late of The Police.
 
Meanwhile our hunt for our own house and small farm may at last be at an end if our offer on Castle House, Graignamanagh, Co. Kilkenny is accepted.
Details are quite far advanced but had to be put on hold during the past week.  More later...
 
Horsewise, our three Irish brood mares are happily ensconced in Wicklow with Paula Cullen, our three yearlings with Catriona, Torite finding her new career as a jumper after two cracking colt foals, is in Scotland, Nadia, Our legacy from Toni, is in Mayo, 7 are in Holland (mostly youngstock by Archie and Douglas) and of course Rob (Huntingfield Rebel) is with the Brodericks at Kylemore Stud, Nr. Loughrea.  All enquiries now to them at 09097 45599.

SUMA Stud has moved

...Still unpacking....stay tuned....

We have had a very kind offer to take a house at the Castle Forbes
estate in Longford. Our new address is "Gamekeepers cottage", Castle
Forbes, Newtownforbes, Co. Longford. Still available at the mobile number
of 086 2695787.

"Gamekeepers Cottage"

Read our NEWS 2005

Read our NEWS 2004

Read our NEWS 2003

Read our NEWS 2002

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