In Ireland, horses are an indelible part of the landscape...
of history and memory, of a past and present
where the ancient magic of the horse
still weaves its spell.
Their presence is pervasive,
as if horses help to define what the Irish people are.
Horses are the Irishman's sport...
Ireland is the birthplace of steeplechasing.
Horses are Ireland's tradition.
Showjumping originated on this green land.
Horses are Ireland's business.
This is the Irish National Stud.
Horses are Ireland's pleasure.
Here people still ride across fields and farms to the hounds...
and thousands of families keep horses for recreation.
This romance of the Irish
and their horses was born of the land,
nurtured by necessity, and fostered by ancient bonds.
It is one of the oldest love stories on earth:
The Ballad of the Irish Horse.
Ireland
Ireland of myth and mystery,
of wild shores and soft rains,
lush pastures and rich soil,
where the past still lives.
Even today, Ireland remains,
as it has been for thousand of years,
largely agricultural.
Here, the story of man and horse stretches over the centuries...
A saga woven of threads of tradition and history,
custom and religion, that binds them
inseparably in the fiber of Irish life.
While the rest of Europe was transformed
by the Industrial Revolution,
Ireland remained essentially untouched and unchanged.
Until only 40 year ago,
most families in Ireland needed a horse
to plow the fields through the week
on market days, the farmer hitched the horse
to a wagon to haul his produce.
On Sundays, horse and wagon took the family to church.
In remote areas of the west,
the old Irish ways and language survive.
And the people of Ireland keep horses
in their lives and on their landscapes.
Here, people still go ton fairs
at villages and country crossroads
to buy and sell horses as they have for centuries.
In Napoleonic times, quartermasters from European armies
came here to buy the famed Irish horses
for their elite cavalry regiments.
Today at the Great october Fair in Ballinasloe,
the flavor of a lost age lingers.
If she's there for 50 pounds, she's there.
The trading is still punctuated by the slapping of hands
a middleman still brings buyer and seller together.
And a bit of earth on the horse's hindquarters
still shows that a bargain has been struck
Like his father and grandfather, John Daly is a horse breeder.
He came to this fair with his father.
Now he brings his son, Alan,
Knowing the boy will follow in his footsteps.
And today he has come to buy Alan a pony.
We'll go and see something else anyway.
Stand back a minute there, lads.
What do you carry on the book down there?
Fourteen two.
The man says seven. I'll give you eight.
Give him 1,000 pounds.
Give him to him for 1,000 pounds and that's the price.
And after that, say no more.
I'll give you 800.
Well, I look at it this way.
Your lad will be getting a good pony,
and he's a good rider.
And I like to see him getting the pony
If you tell me you'll take it for them
I'll divide it the last 200 pounds.
That's 900, right?
Give him 1,000 pounds.
Go on, give him 1,000.
I tell you what I'll do.
I'll go away and leave you for an hour to think about it.
And you might get a better lad.
I'm here to sell him.
That'll be 1,000 pounds, the both of yours.
You're fiddling around there like a fiddler.
That will be 1,000 quid and get the money.
Give him a check then for 1,000 pounds.
Will you break the board?
Go on. Give him to him now. Sold.
Hold out, hold out.
One, two, three, four...
God bless you.
After a few pounds are given to the seller for luck,
Alan leaves the fair with a Connemara pony...
symbol of his future and his heritage.
Some 9,000 years ago, man made his way here,
crossing a land bridge that once linked Scotland and Ireland.
Horses arrived about 2,000 B.C., brought by Neolithic people
who introduced their farming culture to this fertile land.
The island's placid existence exploded around 500 B.C.,
as a wave of Celtic warriors invaded
their battle chariots drawn by hot blooded horses.
When the bloody days of plunder and murder subsided,
the invaders became settlers,
and their Celtic legacy imprinted its indelible stamp
on the soul and style of Ireland.
The blood of their fiery mounts
mixed with that of the indigenous ponies,
producing a better, faster horse.
Over the centuries, successive tides of conquering peoples
and ideas were to sweep across ireland
in her poignant and tumultuous history.
There were Vikings, Normans, and Englishmen.
There were St. Patrick and Christianity.
All would create permanent changes on the face of the land
and in the hearts of the Irish people.
But certain things would never change.
For thousands of years and hundreds of generations,
man and horse continued to share the soil of Ireland.
Today, in the west, Connemara ponies
still run free over the wild countryside.
Here at Lough Mask in County Mayo,
John Daly has kept two stallions isolated
on an island through the winter.
The island is a short trip by boat
from the lakeshore and Daly's stud farm
Connemara ponies are, in fact,
small horses, muscular and strong boned
perfectly adapted to the rugged western landscape,
they retain the iron constitutions of wild horses
the ability to forage, the strength
to survive on their own in an untamed wilderness.
But now, in spring, it is time to reunite
the gray stallion with the mares.
Come on, boy.
Easy, boys...
Easy, good fella.
With a gentleness and expertise attained
from a lifetime shared with horses,
John quickly gains the stallion's confidence.
There is evidence that spirited spanish horses,
some imported, some shipwrecked off the coast,
mixed with the native ponies to create this hardy breed.
Once used as both pack and plow animals
in a rough and roadless countryside,
today the intelligent,
docile Connemara ponies are bred for riding.
Daly will release the stallion with the herd,
allowing him to mate with any of the mares that are in season.
Mares come into season only nine days after foaling...
but are quick to let a stallion Know
if his advances are unwelcome.
Her posture and stillness indicate this mare's receptiveness.
So the blood of native Irish horses,
strengthened by the demands of wild coast,
tempered by centuries of work with the Irish people,
is passed into the future.
And if all goes well, in 11 months
there will be a new foal in the daly herd.
At Tulira Castle in County Galway,
Lady Anne Hemphill began breeding
Connemara ponies some 25 years ago.
An avid rider from the age of three,
Lady Hemphill wanted her children
to share her lifelong enthusiasm.
Her husband encouraged her to organize classes
in horsemanship for the local children.
Two decades later, she is still teaching
the County Galway Hunt Branch of pony Club.
"Now if the pony's at grass,
what should he have in the fields?"
Water.
Yes, fine. What's another reason, David?
Shade.
Shade is most important, isn't it?
Are you looking at his teeth?
Yes. If he has a full set of teeth,
he's over seven years.
Well done. Good Girl.
There are pony Club branches all over Ireland
porviding an opportunity for both country and city children
to learn not only riding, but sportsmanship
and proper care of the animals.
I think it's a very good foundation for them
because it's getting away from this usual thing of
being in the cinemas, the discos, and what have you.
Can you manage, Mark?
No, no... it's a long way up.
I don't Know if you'll be able to hold him, will you?
Keep away, keep away from that.
Go out here in the middle of the field
so that other people can get through and get mounted.
Now, come on. I'll give you a leg.
Ups-a-daisy. Hold on. Good boy.
I find it very rewarding, and it's more rewarding in that
when some of the children that were
members of this branch when I first started.
They're doctors, or they're solicitors,
or they're business people now.
And they're coming back, and they've got children.
I call all their children my grandchildren.
I haven't got any of my own grandchildren,
but I got a lot of grandchildren.
Use your legs. Take him on.
Now, take it easy. Just come back, Gay,
and take it easy. Use your legs. Good boy.
Now don't go so far back
Now just trot into it.
Good boy. Well done.
Good man. Woops!
All right? You're fine. Next.
Shorten up your reins.
You haven't got much contact, have you?
Come into it trotting.
For a small branch we've produced
the winning pony Club championship teams.
We've gone to England three time.
It is quite something.
I don't want any racing,
and I don't want anybody going into hospital.
So for goodness sake just take your ponies down.
You will trot down across the field to the river.
I'll show you which way to go.
I love seeing these children with their happy little faces.
But it just gives me the greatest pleasure.
So a keen horsewoman passes on the joy of riding,
and the children of yet another generation forge new links
with their ancient Irish heritage of horsemanship.
Racing horses was the Celts' favorite sport.
This plain still bears the name Curragh,
derived from their ancient word meaning
"a place where horse racing is held."
Keep her going now on to the next one.
Living at the edge of the Curragh,
the Hutchinson family retains
the Celtic passion for horse racing.
In the paddock behind their home,
Caroline, age 15, is coached by her father, pat.
He was an amateurjockey.
She dreams of becoming a professional.
Whoa, lass. Whoa, lass. That's all right.
Pony races are held throughout ireland
Though the jockeys are young boys and girls,
the betting is serious business,
with part of the proceeds going to charity.
Six to four on...
My father always had about a hundred horses.
And he was one of the biggest dealers in the country.
Had a couple of thousand acres of land
and I used to ride all our own horses.
And now, thank God, the kids are following on.
Caroline is one of four Hutchinson daughters
participating in this competitive world
Mrs. Hutchinson is active too,
for the pony races are a family affair
much like Little League Baseball.
Some of Ireland's leading jockeys
began their careers in the pony races.
Sure, Caroline is very good.
She's courageous, she has ability,
she likes the game, and she loves horses.
And I don't think she'll ever,
no matter what I say or anybody else says,
she won't do anything else.
She rides to win, and I think that's the secret.
I'd live to be a professional jockey when I get older.
The biggest challenge for me anyway is that I'm girl.
I don't think race riding is wonderful for little girls.
But they do like it. They love it.
They live for it.
They don't want to go to the disco.
They want their pony.
They want to be a sport.
You're always thinking of where you are
and thinking ahead of the next bend
whether it's sharp or how to ride the next bend.
And especially if you're on a pony
that's slow earlier on and comes on fast at the end.
Because of her consistent winning,
Caroline is sought to race other people's ponies
as well as her father's.
When you're in front and when you have won,
the owners come running up to you
and say, "Well done" and all that.
It's just great to see their happy face
from winning on their pony.
And then your friends come up and say, "Well done".
It's just a great feeling.
I'm delighted that I won the last race.
That was a female race.
And I'm just thrilled that I won it
and that I had a good pony.
Winning against both girls and boys,
Caroline raced closer to her dream
when she became champion pony racing jockey
for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.
In 1752, with the steeples as starting and finishing points,
a Mr. O'Callaghan raced a Mr. Blake
from the church at Buttevant,
jumping walls and fences, across farms and fields,
to the church at Doneraile...
thus running the first recorded steeplechase.
Today, some of Ireland's most popular steeple chases
take place at the Galway Races.
Thousands gather daily to bet on the horses
in this week of festivities held at the same time of year
that the ancient Celts assembled
to honor their god of horseracing.
The National Stud was established
to foster the Irish thoroughbred industry
by providing breeders with good stallions at reasonable fees.
The record of thoroughbred breeding dates
from the publication in 1793 of the first English Stud Book
which listed three Arab stallions and the Royal Mares.
Every thoroughbred on earth is descended from them.
A sire is selected by the breeder on the basis of bloodlines,
tracked back through the stud book,
his conformation or appearance,
and the number of races he has won.
Six-year-old Raja Bab horse.
He's a tremendous individual.
A great mover, tremendous quality.
His first crop are now foals.
He won four group races, including the Corkanorry Stakes
at Royal Ascot in course record time.
Dr. Maire o'Connor is deputy manager
and resident veterinarian at the stud.
We're just starting to build her back up again...
for a couple of days.
Yeah, yeah. She's walking very well now.
Ireland is well Known as the European nursery.
We have the climate and the soil for rearing horses.
There's a tremendous closeness and a tremendous understanding
of the horse in the Irish people.
Among her responsibilities is determining
when the mares are ready for covering.
Every step of the procedure must be carefully monitored
in the breeding of these delicate and valuable animals.
Eighteen days after the covering,
a sonogram is made by a visiting veterinarian and Dr. O'Connor.
With this sophisticated device
they can see inside the mare's uterus
and determine if there is a live fetus
You can see it there... at about 10 o'clock
Heart beating. The heart's beating.
Within the white spot, the pulsing heart
of the tiny fetus is clearly visible.
The mare's gestation period is 11 months;
the birth usually takes less than an hour.
A member of the staff acts as midwife.
For Maire o'Connor and the staff,
the hundreds of births they have witnessed in the past
do not diminish the wonder of this moment.
Within the hour the age-old instinct
to stand and run with the herd is already stirring in the foal,
and the fragile new life is given human help.
These spindly legs, now trembling and weak,
have centuries of speed bred in them.
When they are three days old,
healthy foals are ready to go outside.
Each is examined daily.
Those with special problems get special attention.
Up you come. There's a baby, there's a baby.
That's good. Okay.
Come on.
There's tremendous limestone in Ireland
and you get a tremendous amount of minerals
coming through the grass to the horses.
So you get very good bone development.
And, of course, race horses need their legs.
So you want good bone in a race horse.
Born to race, these foals carry within them the urge to run.
Among these new lives there are future champions,
bred at the Irish National Stud
to thunder home to victory on the race tracks of the world.
Here at Goffs, the finest thoroughbreds
are offered at auction.
A yearling, still totally untried as a racehorse,
may bring close to a million dollars.
At 260... any more now,
about $300,000 at 260,
at 260 one more time.
At 260 that's what I sell her for this time...
Millions are spent as buyers stake their money
on the animal's pedigree and conformation.
Vincent o'Brien is the greatest racehorse trainer in the world
a magician who transforms horseflesh into gold.
An international group of investors depends on
his uncanny eye to select potential champions.
His reputation began to soar
in the '50s with three consecutive wins
at the world's most difficult steeple chase:
England's Grand National.
There is stubborn refusal here by Glen Fire.
And now for a most unhappy landing.
Those were the leaders at the 27th jump,
but alas, this fence accounted
for the gallant Sun Dew and Martuvu.
No, there was not to be a royal victory this year.
At the last fence, Tudor Line jumped wide
but Quare Times made no mistake
and galloped away in great style.
Neither Tudor Line nor Kerry's Cottage
who will finish third, could possibly catch him now.
It was Quare Times' Grand National all right.
And it was the third successive National win
for trainer Vincent o'Brien. These Irish!
Triumphant in the classic races of steeplechasing,
o'Brien next turned his wizardry to flat racing.
Son of a farmer, fifth of eight children,
he started his remarkable career
with a rented stable and three horses.
I must have had a natural liking
for horses right from the start,
and that developed then over the years.
Eventually I started training.
I don't think I would be happy doing anything else.
Today his empire spreads over nearly 1,000 acres.
Ballydoyle is the world's finest private training facility,
with magnificent barns, covered rides,
gallops each 14 furlongs in length,
a 19th century Georgian home, a helicopter pad,
and stables of thoroughbreds worth millions of dollars
all under tight security.
O'Brien retains a percentage of every horse he trains.
Among this season's crop of aristocrats
are seven sons of Nijinsky
three of Alleged, and nine of Northern Dancer.
O'Brien's extraordinary powers seem to spring
from an almost magical ability
to sense what each animal ends to develop and succeed.
It is very important to make a study of each individual animal
because they're like people they all differ.
Some horses have got a very easy, calm disposition,
and they have no mental problems.
But others have, and they give them special attention.
They're specially trained, so as to try
and keep them settled and at ease in themselves.
O'Brien's success as a trainer is legendary:
His race winnings alone have been
as high as a million dollars in a single year.
But it is after a hose's last race is won
that its big moneymaking career may begin.
Today o'Brien focuses on training colts.
After a few major wins of top class races,
the best are retired to stand at stud.
Sold to groups of investors for
more than 25 million dollars each,
these stallions earn huge fees in their years as sires.
So, the mystique of a man
and his thoroughbreds becomes big business
an important component of modern Ireland's economy.
In the 18th century,
Irish farmers began to breed tough, powerful,
work animals able to pull both plow and cart.
Today, the blood of the robust Irish Draft horse
mingles with that of the fiery thoroughbred to produce horses
with the stamina needed forjumping and hunting.
The hunt, as a gentlemanly pursuit,
attained its present form and popularity
in 18th century England and was brought here
when Ireland was under English rule.
Michael Dempsey is master of hounds
of the world famous Galway Blazers Hunt Club.
Tempo, get in. Tempo, come in. Get in.
My grandfather was interested in,
my father was interested in horses, and my uncle.
They used to both hunt.
At that time, you see, we used to do
all the work with horses on the farm.
There were no tractors.
Once the exclusive province of the aristocracy,
today the hunt's traditional style is enjoyed
by thousands of ardent Irish riding enthusiasts.
Dempsey, a local boy, grew up dreaming
of becoming master of hounds.
But I think I was about either 13 or 14 years when I said,
"one day I will hunt those Blazer hounds".
That was my ambition.
Yes, all my life was to hunt those hounds.
A farmer of modest means, Dempsey is paid
by the members' subscriptions to hunt the pack
oh, I love those hounds,
and I Know all of them individually.
And they're all of a character and they all are different.
I see them every day to get very close with them.
You have to be very close to your hounds
before they'll work with you.
Farmers have long considered foxes to be vermin.
Hounds were bred to scent the wild foxes
that his in fields and farms.
Hunters "riding to hounds" followed on horseback,
and so, this sport evolved.
When you get out there and your packof hounds
are going together and you hear their voice,
that is the greatest feeling I Know.
And a good horse beneath you.
To be able to gallop right across the country behind them,
and they're really running on and speaking.
I think it's the best thrill that anybody could ever get.
I don't Know what it does to you the voice of those hounds
it just gets your blood really up.
The first fox of the day is scented and pursued.
Often they lose the fox.
Sometimes, they lost their seat
and occasionally they lose their way.
Are you hurt? Off you go.
Well, where do I go?
Go on, go on across there.
Go on and get on to it.
When the last fox outruns the hounds
and the hour grows late,
Dempsey calls a halt to the day's hunting.
Home now.
We go for the beer now at Raftery's.
The hunters head for a traditional last stop:
A pub called "The Blazers.
The Galway Blazers have a reputation for recklessness.
It is said that a group of hunters from Galway
once reveled so boisterously in a certain hotel
that is burst into flames thus giving the group its name.
Tonight, this pub is ablaze with traditional Irish pleasures:
The pints, the laughs, and the songs.
Every year the town of mill street
hosts international show jumping competitions.
Show jumping began in Ireland a century ago.
Contests to see how high and wide
the horses could jump over fences and walls,
they offered prizes to those judged most suitable for hunting.
This competition is called "Carroll's Boomerang Finder".
It was named in honor of Boomerang,
the horse that this man,
Eddie Macken, rode to fame and fortune
in the world of international show jumping
the horse that made him a national hero.
Macken's great successes with Boomerang began in the mid 70s.
Soon horse and rider were labeled
"the most exciting partnership show jumping has ever seen".
The Hickstead Derby, English, 1977.
Winner in 1976, now can he beat this time?
He'll have to do fantastic turns to do it,
and there are few riders
more likely to do it than Eddie Macken.
Come on, Boomerang...
Yes 27.3!
Boomerang was everything I am.
I just was very fortunate to meet him
at the right stage in life.
He was probably fortunate to meet me.
We came together and developed a great partnership;
and he put me right at the top of the world of show jumping
in a very short period of time.
All eyes are on the brilliant Irishman Eddie Macken.
He just pauses.
He's in plenty of time.
He's absolutely right for it.
Go on, Eddie!
What a magnificent performance by Eddie Macken.
Incredible to think that he's now won
his fourth British jumping derby in a row.
This trophy was commissioned after Boomerang
had won his fourth consecutive Hickstead Derby.
The Hickstead Derby is probably
one of the most difficult competitions
in world showjumping to win.
For a horse to win it once is an achievement,
be he actually won it four times.
In 1980 Boomerang broke a bone in his foot
and Macken retired him.
But Hickstead brought them back
for an emotional farewell tribute.
It was a sad moment for Eddie
as they left the show grounds for the last time.
Three years later, Boomerang's condition
became so painful he had to be put down.
He is buried on Macken's farm.
I never Knew a horse that could mean as much as Boomerang.
And the possibilities of ever finding one
with as much talent are very, very slim indeed.
The loss of Boomerang still haunts Macken's life.
With his wife, Susanne, he searches for a horse
with the unique talent and temperament to replace Boomerang.
Okay?
All right. All right.
Buying, feeding, training, and caring for a stable of horses
is an expensive and time-consuming responsibility.
But the Macken animals get the best...
Including, for some, a bit of Guinness Stout
three times a week on the theory that
what Irish doctors prescribe for old people and pregnant women
must be good for horses.
Youngest of five children,
Macken is the son of a small-town butcher.
Is he ready to go? Yeah. He's fine.
Yeah. You want to leave him for me in the morning.
I'll ride him.
A superb, natural rider, he has grown to be a trainer
with a special feel and touch for a horse.
This animal seems to have a muscular problem.
Macken examines him to see if a veterinarian is required.
He's starting to get a bit of a thing
about this now that I'm fiddling around.
Yeah. He's just anticipating it.
Very tight there.
Will, Robin's coming this afternoon again anyway, isn't he?
He is, eh?
Can you not work that other hand
on top of his hip and save yourself?
There's definitely something catching him there.
Yeah. It's just a really worrying thing
for the horse anyway to have
somebody contracting his muscles without...
Eddie himself has acKnowledged that a horse like Boomerang
comes along only once in a lifetime.
But together, he and Susanne continue their quest,
hoping to find to create his next great show jumping partner,
and soften the loss of Boomerang,
a gallant champion and noble friend.
You remember that chestnut foal we bought at John V. Donna?
Oh, do you remember, yeah?
All over Ireland, boys who would like to grow up
to be the next Eddie Macken are practicing and competing
with the intense hope and fervor of youth.
For them, young riders like philip and Trevor Dagg,
success demands more than practice
it requires financial and emotional support
from the entire family.
As they often do, their parents
devote the weekend to the boy's competition.
The weather's going to break now, too.
How many more do you...?
Ten more, ten more, and he goes again.
Philip was once junior champion in pony show jumping.
Now he trains his 13 year old brother, Trevor,
who began competing just last year.
You come down into it.
You're just going down the hill.
And the horse just tends to go a little bit deeper
because you're coming down the hill.
So you just want to sit him up so he can...
Compensate for the downhill.
You're going too slow and you're half asleep.
Now come on, waken up. Come on.
Philip has already committed himself to a career with horses,
and coaches other young competitors
as well as Trevor.
Just give him a little kick Come on.
That's good.
We'll just go up above and give him a puff,
and then we'll go in.
Now let's have two awake people to jump clear rounds.
All right. You're going to win, okay?
You're going to win.
You're going to win, okay?
You're going to win.
And we will trot, trot.
Oh, crikey!
We're going to win today, aren't we?
Yes, we are.
We're going to win.
Good boy.
Let's go see philip. Okay? Good lad.
Every competition is an opportunity
to grow in skill and experience.
But in Ireland, all competitions are prelude
to the most exciting challenge of the year:
The Dublin Horse show.
Ireland's greatest horse show,
it has been attracting champions for more than a century.
All of the riders have qualified to participate
by winning at a number of competitions throughout the year.
Held at the Royal Dublin Society show grounds,
the Dublin Horse Show has long been
considered the nation's premiere social event.
Enthusiasts from farms, villages and cities
across the country join international visitors
as 1,000 horses and riders and teams
from five nations stage five days
of fierce competitions and showmanship.
Michael Dempsey is here to demonstrate
the obedience of the Galway Blazer hounds...
And Trevor Dagg has an opportunity to compete
in the same arena used by the international teams.
And you'll be all right. Okay?
Don't worry about it.
It'll go all right when you get out there. Okay?
Okay, give him a pop.
And this is George Dagg's Beau Brummel.
To win the championship,
Trevor must clear all the obstacles
and jump the course in the shortest time.
Oh, no.
Good man. Well done.
Oh, no. It's gone.
A caring brother had hoped for first place.
But for Trevor, this yellow ribbon
may be a harbinger of future successes
It was here that the world's first show
jumping competitions were held.
This year Eddie Macken is one of four riders
to set a new Irish jumping record.
In this great yearly celebration of horses and horsemanship,
the ancient spirit of the Irish people
is aroused a new, to stir and soar.
Within each individual, the warmth of the age old connection
with the animal that has helped shape
his nation's history is rekindled.
I think we have produced a lot of really
world class horses on the international scene.
And we've become famous obviously from that.
But I think the greatest asset the Irish horse has is
that as a pleasure horse and for the amateur,
he seems to be more clever,
more easy to deal with, to handle, to ride.
And he seems to give a longer period of enjoyment
than the Continental horses do.
Myself and my family, if we have no breakfast,
today, tomorrow, some other day in the future,
we'll still look after the horse.
We would give the horse our breakfast.
We were with horses for generations,
and Irish people, whatever, they're Irish.
They'll talk about horses,
they'll have horses, they'll keep horses.
They'll never get rid of them.
A tremendous appreciation of the horse
runs through the Irish people.
Ireland is an island.
We are an island people, and as a result,
the traits that were in our forefathers
are still present today after many generations.
In the quite of the countryside
a new Connemara pony enters the world.
Only minutes old, still weak and wobbly,
he is born with the ability to stand alone,
to survive in the lean land of the west.
Within himself he carries the strength
of thousands of years on Irish soil.
The saga of the Irish horse continues in the 20th century
because to the people of Ireland,
horses represent a link with old ways, old values.
A traditional past they want to preserve.
So the children of Ireland grow up with these animals,
each generation adding new chapters of challenge
and hope, triumph and love, to the timeless story
that is the ballad of the Irish horse.
Thank for your watching.