Irish National Stud Daytrip

If you pack your bags for a riding holiday in Ireland, throw in a pair of sensible walking shoes for a side jaunt to the Irish National Stud and Gardens in County Kildare. My vacation riding buddies I’ll refer to as the Clonshire Crew (who joined me for a week of riding at Clonshire Equestrian Centre) and I spent half a day at the Irish National Stud and had a ball.

Stunning stallions, living legends, Irish ice cream, fabulous flowers and the Irish Racehorse Experience delighted our group of horse-obsessed women.

At the time of this writing, it cost €13 for a ticket to enjoy the grounds of a working breeding farm and Japanese Gardens. For an additional €5 we experienced the ups and downs of horse racing in an interactive exhibit in which we each got to buy, train and even ride our racers from starting gate to finish line! (Which was hilarious–more on that later).

Read Horse Riding in Ireland: 5 Days to Braver Riding.

Irish National Stud Stallions

The premier stallion standing at the Irish National Stud is a 25-year old dark bay named Invincible Spirit. He’s sired over 20 Group 1 winners (Group 1 is the highest level of racing). A statue carved out of an 18-ton block of limestone commemorates him. Fun fact: his sire Green Desert covered mares until age 28 and his grandsire Danzig until age 27.

I was partial to a chestnut named Decorated Knight (because my horse is Tiz A Knight) who had 19 starts, 8 wins, 5 places and won over €1.5m prize money.

Seven other majestic Thoroughbred stallions, each with his own logo and stall with skylights call the Irish National Stud home. Apparently, the original farm owner was into astrology; he recorded each foal’s birth in conjunction with the night sky. He would then determine whether to keep or sell the horses according to the stars. The breeder was also an avid gardener and created a Japanese garden which is another attraction of the stud.

Mares and Foals

According to our guide at the Irish National Stud and Garden, 319 foals came into the world at their yard this spring. That makes it the busiest foaling unit in the world. Owners trailer in their mares to foal at the maternity hospital, and every year 30 equine medicine students from around the globe are at the farm for foaling assistance.

The first time foals go out with their moms, they enter a small nursery paddock. After seven to ten days they can go in a field with a group. As we gazed upon the grazing mares and foals, our guide said, “You could be looking at a future Derby or Grand National winner, or a very expensive lawn mower.”

Living Legends

Champion hurdler geldings graze the green of the living legends field. Fun Fact: male steeplechase racers are always geldings, not stallions! The reason explained to me is that since the races are longer–some up to four miles–a gelding can sustain focus for that longer timeframe. If you’re reading this and you have insights on this point, please leave a comment as I think it’s fascinating and want to know more.

Beef and Salmon (whose named was supposedly inspired by a wedding menu choice the owner encountered) and Faugheen, nicknamed “The Machine,” were among the small herd of legends visitors could get up close and personal with. Beef and Salmon won close to €1 million during his career and Faugheen over the million mark. And look at that jump!

Irish Racehorse Experience

The Irish Racehorse Experience was a total riot! It’s definitely worth the extra €5.00. We visited the white modern farmhouse building, showed our online receipt and were given headsets and a device about the size of an iPad. The first room showed an introductory film on a horse-shaped screen providing an overview of the Irish racehorse.

Next we headed an auction simulation and had a chance to buy our own Irish racehorses! I fell for a gray filly named Cool Colonnade. After the auction we selected the best training programs for our steeds. We had to be budget-conscious, as we were allotted only a certain amount of money (not sure if it was Euros or just pretend currency) for trainers and training.

The screen listed the types of programs we could get, each one with a different fee. For example, it was 200 for Beach Gallops to have the “sea wind and soft sand put a spring in the step.” For another 200 I opted for Treadmill Training “your horse needs to stay the distance.” I paid 150 for Pampering, because that’s how I roll as an owner. I’m sure you can relate.

After the rigorous training, we each designed our own jockey silks. Mine were lime and emerald green in a Charlie Brown V-shaped pattern on the torso with lime sleeves. I had more fun designing my racing silks than was necessary for a fake race, but the creative kid in me was loving every minute.

Finally, the culmination of our racehorse ownership at the Irish National Stud was a race. We were briefed on safety prior to the race and anticipation coursed through our “jockey” bodies. This was hilarious and spoiler alert, my gray filly came in dead last. So much for buying a racehorse based on looks. But I had fun riding in my first and last horse race! And we tried our best. lol

Before we said goodbye to the stud farm, we journeyed through the vibrant Japanese garden. Scenic spots perfect for selfies abound. Also, throughout the farm beautiful landscapes greet you at every turn. So if you are a botanical gardens and horse fan, you will be delighted.

Prior to leaving the Irish National Stud several of us stopped for ice cream. We left with snacks, dozens of photos and fun-filled memories.

If you go to Ireland and have the time on your itinerary, make sure to head to Kildare and tour the Irish National Stud and Gardens

Thanks for reading and tally ho! 

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