Dilger Scholarship Winners Reflect On Kentucky Experiences

The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation was established in 2020 in memory of Gerry Dilger, the beloved and well-respected breeder and pinhooker of such horses as GI Kentucky Derby winners Nyquist and Always Dreaming, who passed away on Feb. 24, 2020. The Foundation awarded three scholarships for 2024 for the Kentucky farm experience to Sean Berns and Sara Pepper to go to Springhouse Farm in Lexington, and to Larry Mulvaney, who was placed at Hunter Valley Farm. A pair of 2023 scholarship recipients–Ivanna Dempsey and Elle Sorensen–who did their farm experience at Springhouse and Hunter Valley, respectively, have submitted blogs chronicling their experiences to share with the TDN audience:

Ivanna Dempsey

I was awarded a scholarship with the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation in March 2023. This was a fantastic opportunity to travel to Lexington, Kentucky, to further my education, knowledge, and passion for the horse industry, which was part of my Equine Science placement with UCD. Tara Carroll and I spent the summer at Springhouse Farm, where I had to assist with the concluding phase of the foaling season and the preparation of the yearlings for the upcoming sales.

We felt an integral part of the team throughout our time at Springhouse Farm. Gabriel (Spider) Duignan and farm manager Dermot Joyce provided invaluable guidance that will significantly benefit me in the future. They shared their knowledge on various aspects of horsemanship, including developing an eye for assessing horses, understanding the confirmation of the horse, and handling critical tasks like scanning mares and assisting foals during and after birth. They stressed the importance of meticulous attention to detail with yearling preparation. The entire team at Springhouse were eager to share their knowledge, including the veterinarians and chiropractors.

During the July sale, we had the opportunity to shadow buyers looking at horses. We learned invaluable sales knowledge working with Paramount Sales, and a massive thanks to Pat Costello and the entire team there. We worked the September yearling sale in Keeneland and the Saratoga Yearling sale in New York and also got the opportunity to attend the races in Saratoga.

Our highlight was attending the 149th Kentucky Derby and the Oaks at Churchill Downs. What an incredible experience! On our Sundays off, we traveled to Nashville, Red River Gorge, the Railbird Festival in Lexington, and a Reds baseball game in Cincinnati. We also got the opportunity to ride out on numerous occasions in Keeneland Racetrack with Andrew McKeever, and what an experience that was.

A special thanks to everyone at Springhouse, especially Spider and Aisling Duignan, for their generosity, dedication and support throughout the summer in developing our knowledge of the global Thoroughbred industry and providing a working environment dedicated to excellence in their operation.

I cannot put into words how grateful I am to the Dilger family for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be the recipient of the Gerry Dilger Scholarship. Throughout the summer, Erin, Claire, Grace and Joseph offered support, lots of fun and assistance whenever I needed it. Whenever Gerry's name was mentioned, I could not help but be inspired by the numerous remarkable stories about his generosity and mentorship to young individuals. His legacy lives through his family, who continue to carry forward his commitment to supporting young people in the industry.

Elle Sorenson

The Gerry Dilger Scholarship afforded me the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to undertake my nine-month placement with Hunter Valley Farm in the heart of Kentucky. This experience proved to be transformative, allowing me to significantly expand my knowledge, skills and passion for the Thoroughbred industry.

My time in Hunter Valley was filled with invaluable experience that enriched my understanding and love for this industry. I had the privilege of participating in sales work in Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland in Kentucky and even had the remarkable opportunity to work the Fasig-Tipton Select sales in Saratoga, New York. Additionally, I was fortunate to attend the prestigious Kentucky Oaks, which was truly a highlight of my time.

Working on the farm provided me with a wealth of knowledge and eye-opening experiences. I was involved in various aspects of the industry, including foaling, yearling prep and shed runs during breeding season where I was able to see the most prestigious Thoroughbred stallions.

The memories, experiences and friendships I forged during my time in Kentucky are treasures that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. This incredible journey not only deepened my passion for the Thoroughbred industry but also expanded my horizons in ways I could have never imagined.

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‘We Were Willing To Work – And To Take A Risk’

Year after year, the thread of his horsemanship snags another big prize in the web of his many different interests. And this spring Gabriel Duignan is back on the GI Kentucky Derby trail—this time as breeder, his Springhouse Farm near Lexington having started Forbidden Kingdom (American Pharoah) along the road that has already taken in two of the big Californian trials, latterly the GII San Felipe S. at Santa Anita last weekend. 

Before you ask: disappointingly, there's no real story behind the nickname. When he started as a kid at Airlie Stud, his predecessor had for some reason been known as “Spider”, and the guy in charge just couldn't keep his real name in his head. On the third day he gave up, and announced that Duignan might as well be Spider too. “Though I was a skinny, leggy young guy, so it suited a bit as well,” notes Duignan.

But if that particular line of inquiry turns out to be something of a wild goose chase, then at least we can now formally acclaim Duignan and his wife Aisling as the ultimate such quarry.

Last week they were profoundly touched to return to their native land to be jointly saluted by the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association with the “Wild Geese” Award, made to compatriots who fly the tricolour in exemplary fashion on foreign fields.

They were amused, too, by some of the themes of a video tribute. Repeated reference was made by friends and colleagues, with an air of perplexity, to Duignan's roots in rural Co. Leitrim. (“Okay, so there wasn't a huge horse culture,” he concedes. “But surprisingly enough, there were always a few horses around.”) Paramount's Lesley Campion noted how well the couple complemented each other: “Aisling's smart, hard-working, astute; just a lovely, decent, kind, welcoming person. And, um, Spider is a good dancer. And is tall. And is from Leitrim.”

But the real cornerstone was a contribution from John Magnier, who employs Aisling as Director of Bloodstock at Ashford Stud.

“Spider, I knew you were clever from the time you were working for Tony Ryan and did so well for him,” the Coolmore boss said. “But when you got married to Aisling that confirmed how clever you were.”

Magnier recalled Aisling leading the mares out “as a kid” in all weathers: “Dressed up in rain gear so you could hardly find her. But she always stood out, really, and it's not a surprise to me that she's reached the heights that she has.”

“Those were lovely words he said,” her husband says. “To be fair, I think they've always had a great relationship. Look, it was a beautiful award to receive, the ITBA did a great job putting on the whole night, and the whole thing is very gratifying really. It's always nice to be recognised by your peers.”

Over the years, of course, Kentucky has become something close to a 33rd Irish county. But when Duignan first arrived in 1985, recommended to Bill O'Neill at Circle O Farm, he was only just behind a pioneering wave of migrants led by the likes of the late Gerry Dilger, himself winner of the Wild Geese Award in 2018. It's fitting, as such, that the bursary fund collected in Dilger's memory should be devoted to fresh cycles in that ongoing, transatlantic exchange of enthusiasm and experience, with two young women from Ireland set to arrive for their belated stint at Springhouse.

“Because of lockdown, unfortunately we weren't able to bring them over as planned last year but we're looking forward to the two girls coming over in the spring and that'll kick it off,” Duignan says. “An American student is also being sent to the Irish National Stud. It's a great thing to give young people the kind of experience that we had. Gerry was such a super guy, kind of the godfather to us all over here, and I'd like to think his fund will be around a long time into the future.”

Opportunities like this, and of course the Godolphin Flying Start, were not available when this wild gosling first took wing, and the Irish expatriate community in the Bluegrass duly owes a great deal to the informal impetus provided by John Hughes, in Duignan's own case, and Michael Osborne, in so many others.

“I'll forever be indebted to John Hughes,” Duignan stresses. “He was head vet at Airlie while I was there, and took a personal interest in sending me over here and setting me up with a job at Circle O. He was a great guy. Himself and Dr. Osborne were the two that looked after a lot of young Irish people at the time, and sent us on our way.

“None of us had very many dollars in our back pockets when we got here. But I guess Ireland was in pretty bad shape at the time. We arrived with very little expectations, but we were willing to work and grateful for any opportunities we got. And then there was a little of that entrepreneurial spirit as well. When we did make a few dollars, we were prepared to take a risk and invest in a horse. It's a fantastic community: a great bunch of people, very close, almost like family really. Everybody pulls for each other.”

For all the banter about his upbringing in a relative backwater of the Turf, Duignan came from a farming family and, like so many compatriots, exported an engrained, instinctive stockmanship.

“I was just one of those kids born with a love of horses,” he says. “My brother Cahill was the same, and we were sent to a local guy who broke horses. I started with the ponies and gymkhanas, but figured out pretty early on I wasn't good enough to make a living out of that. So I transferred over to Thoroughbreds at Airlie Stud. I do think a stockman is a stockman, absolutely: if you've an eye for a horse, you'll have an eye for cattle, for any animal really. And that love for the land is very closely related too. You can learn, you can help yourself, but I see American kids that grew up on a farm, and it's just the same: it gives you a little edge.”

That raw material couldn't have been better shaped than by O'Neill, who had managed Bwamazon Farm for Millard Waldheim before taking on Circle O.

“He was a great mentor to me,” Duignan recalls. “He was a proper, old-fashioned Kentucky hardboot. It was hard work, no messing around, but I learned a lot off him. And actually I've just been lucky through life, working with a lot of good people. Like David Garvin, who gave me the opportunity to start buying horses for him at Ironwood, a beautiful farm I managed for him at Bowling Green. And then Dr. Ryan took me on [as president of Castleton-Lyons]. Another great man: he pushed you, he had great foresight. I learned a lot of the business part of things through him.”

And that element would be critical to Duignan's development of such a diverse portfolio: farm owner, breeder, pinhooker and, in 2001, founding partner of Paramount with Pat Costello. They had already been the core investors, along with Ted Campion, in a pinhooking partnership they called The Lads.

“I've always been lucky to have great partners,” Duignan says. “Gerry. Ted and Pat. Charlie O'Connor. Back then, I guess a good bit of it was trial and error. But we all learned a lot from each other. And our timing was good. The market had been a bit more closed before, but as things became more commercial you had more opportunities for striking out and selling on your own.”

His association with Costello now goes back some 30 years. He suspects that they first met in a pub.

“Believe it or not!” he says with a chuckle. “Yeah, we met shortly after coming here and just hit it off and have been friends ever since. Obviously we think a lot alike, as far as a horse is concerned. You do need to have give and take, if you're going to do partnerships, but to be honest we've never had any differences.”

The ultimate partnership, however, is naturally that with Aisling herself. Duignan submits willingly to all the facetious inferences of their friends in the ITBA video.

“She's been huge help,” he says. “It's lovely to have somebody you can bounce things off that's smarter than yourself. She has unbelievable energy, has to juggle lot of balls in the air, and I don't know how she does it: she's a very sharp businesswoman, but also a wonderful mother and just a fantastic person.”

All ribbing aside, however, everyone acknowledges Duignan himself as an outstanding horseman. Wearing his various hats, he has processed too many good horses for there to be any doubt about that. During his time at Castleton-Lyons, Duignan assisted in the rise of Malibu Moon, while young stallions No Nay Never and Gormley are among the graduates of the Paramount consignment. If forced to identify one dimension of his portfolio that gives him most pride, however, it would probably be the mares that have found their way to various farms under his supervision.

When Point Given (Thunder Gulch) was a weanling, for instance, Duignan brought his dam to Ironwood for $160,000; she was sold for $2 million in the same ring five years later. He bought the dam of Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat) for Castleton Lyons. Then there was dual Grade I winner Brody's Cause, co-bred with William Arvin Jr. and Petaluma Bloodstock after the $130,000 acquisition of his dam.

Just last year two juveniles to have been through Duignan's hands scored at the elite level: GI Starlet S. winner Eda (Munnings) was sold by Paramount as a Keeneland September yearling for $240,000, while GI Breeders' Futurity S. winner Rattle N Roll (Connect), pinhooked as a $55,000 weanling via Rexy Bloodstock, was sold in the same consignment for $210,000. And now, from the same crop, Forbidden Kingdom is advertising the alert recruitment of his dam Just Louise (Five Star Day) for just $150,000, despite her GIII Debutante S. success in a light career.

“That's what it's all about, at the end of the day,” Duignan says. “The buzz of good horses. I think the biggest thing, looking back, was the day I started investing in the game rather than just working in it. In life, you always need luck and thank God I've had my share of that too. But there are always risks involved, so you do need the mentality to take the ups and downs. If things go wrong, you have to be able to take it and move on; you don't look back, only forward.”

In raising a horse, equally, he feels you have to let things flow; to expose horses to the challenges that help them mature into fighters on the track—very much, he suggests, part of a culture shared by his fellow “wild geese”.

“I do think we try to let them be horses,” he says. “They're kept outdoors as much as possible, kept in the herd as much as possible. I think it's very important you don't hothouse horses, because I think it's been proven through the years that you just make a softer individual that way. I think probably all the Irish guys are a bit like that.”

Duignan rejects the pessimism expressed by many for the American industry. Purses in some states are very strong, he notes, while that even the pandemic yielded reasons to be cheerful in increased handle, and a remarkably robust bloodstock market.

“No doubt the business has shrunk over the last 20 years,” he admits. “But it's very resilient. At the end of the day, there is that bond between humans and horses. It's a great game, and I often say that I probably never worked a day in my life. If you love what you do, there's no better way to go through life. So long as you're able to take a few knocks along the way, it's a lovely way to make a living.”

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Tony and Anne O’Callaghan Inducted To ITBA Hall Of Fame

The cream of Irish Thoroughbred breeding was recognised on Sunday night, with the headline act being Tally-Ho Stud's Tony and Anne O'Callaghan, who were inducted into the ITBA Hall of Fame.

Last year's ITBA National Breeding & Racing Awards provided one of the bloodstock social media events of lockdown, but after two years of virtual presentations, the prestigious awards ceremony returned to its rightful home of The Heritage hotel in Co Laois.

The O'Callaghans also took home one of the main Flat awards when being named the joint-winners of 2-year-old colt category with Ben Sangster. This was in recognition for breeding Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), winner of the 2021 G1 Middle Park S. and G1 Prix Morny and the co-top-rated Irish-bred juvenile colt along with the unbeaten Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who landed the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy after winning the G2 Beresford S.

Tally-Ho Stud, based in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, is currently home to seven stallions, among them the much respected Kodiac (GB), as well as Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB), who have been the leading first-season stallions of the last two years. A video produced by the ITBA to commemorate the induction included tributes from the O'Callaghans' two sons, Roger and Henry.

“They've worked hard to get here and everything they've got they've earned,” said Roger. “Mum did the night-watching for 25 years. She did all the foaling–mum did the nights and dad did the days.”

Henry also acknowledged his mother's role is the successful business. He said, “When it's a small operation everyone does everything. My mum was up during the night and when my dad got up she would give him a hand with the feeding. Even now, when we are watching the mares, she has an innate ability to predict when they are going to foal.”

In addition to Perfect Power, who was recognised with an award on the night and is himself by Ardad, a stallion bred by the O'Callaghans, the Tally-Ho team was also responsible last year for breeding the Group 1 winner Ebro River (Ire) by another of their stallions, Galileo Gold (GB). Further success came through the G2 Gimcrack S. and G2 July S. winner Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), as well as Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), who won the G1 Commonwealth Cup in addition to her 2020 victories in the G1 Prix Morny and G2 Queen Mary S.

Patrick Burns of Newlands House Stud was recognised with the ITBA Small Breeder Award, with his crowning glory of 2021 being the G1 Nuntorpe S. victory of Winter Power (Ire), a daughter of Bungle Inthejungle (Ire) who stands at Rathasker Stud, owned by Burns's brother Maurice.

“Patrick is the epitome of a successful high-class small breeder,” said ITBA chairman Joe Foley. “From the small number of yearlings that he produces every year he seems to produce a really good horse from every crop. That success rate is really remarkable.”

Burns has never had more than six mares on his farm in Kildare, and recent graduates have included the G2 Lowther S. victrix Living In The Past (Ire), who is also a daughter of Bungle Inthejungle, as well as G2 Lanwades Stud S. winner Devonshire (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Listed winner Hurryupharriet (Ire) (Camacho {GB}).

Another hugely popular category is the Wild Geese Award, which honours Irishmen and women who have carved out successful careers in the bloodstock industry worldwide. Added to an impressive roll of honour this year are the names of Gabriel and Aisling Duignan. Based in Kentucky for more than 30 years, Gabriel 'Spider' Duignan is a founding partner of Paramount Sales, along with his fellow Irishman Pat Costello. Aisling Duignan, née Cross, is Coolmore's director of bloodstock at Ashford Stud.

Addressing the couple via the ITBA's video tribute, John Magnier said, “Spider, I knew you were clever from the time you were working and did so well for Tony Ryan, but when you got married to Aisling that confirmed how clever you were.”

He continued, “I remember Aisling from the time she was a kid really, leading out the mares in all kinds of weather and dressed up in this rain gear so you could hardly find her, but she always stood out and it's not a surprise to me that she has reached the heights that she has.

“She has been the utmost help to all of us. She keeps everybody on the straight and narrow and keeps everybody's morale up.”

The Special Recognition Award was presented to Julian Lloyd, a former trainer with rock star Eric Clapton among his owners, bloodstock agent, and, until his retirement last year, the manager of Kirsten Rausing's Staffordstown stud in Ireland. 

“I think he is defined by his enthusiasm for all matters racing and breeding, and also his professionalism, attention to detail, and great horsemanship in general,” said Rausing, who met Lloyd when they both worked for Captain Tim Rogers at Airlie Stud. 

“Julian, Paddy Moloney and I were the three that started up Staffordstown in early 1991, so Julian and I have been working and establishing Staffordstown with Paddy for exactly 30 years.”

The Grassick family's Newtown Stud and Tim Pabst received the award for breeding the top-rated Irish 2-year-old filly of 2021 in Flotus (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who is now owed by Katsumi Yoshida after selling for a million gns at the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale. 

In the 3-year-old filly division, the award was also shared, this time between the Gaffney family's Churchtown Horse Stud, breeders of Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never), and Tom Cooke's Thomastown Farm, which bred French-trained sprinter Suesa (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}). Godolphin received the 3-year-old colt award for their Derby and King George winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

Brothers Michael and Laurence Gleeson, young pinhookers based at Aughamore Stud in Co Westmeath, were recognised with the Next Generation Award. Among their early successes has been Champers Elysees (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}), who was bought by the brothers as a foal for €12,500 and sold on for €28,000 to Johnny Murtagh, who trained her to win the G1 Matron S. 

ITBA Award winners for 2021

Small Breeder
Patrick Burns, Newlands House Stud

Special Recognition
Julian Lloyd

Next Generation
Michael and Laurence Gleeson

Novice Hurdler
Appreciate It
Breeder: Barmakin Ltd & South Lodge Stud

Novice Chaser
Shishkin
Breeder: C J & E B Bennett

Leading National Hunt Mare:
Colreevy
Breeder:  Niall Flynn

Hurdler
Flooring Porter
Breeder: Sean Murphy

Chaser
Minella Indo
Breeder: Mrs R H Lalor

2-Year-Old Filly
Flotus
Breeder Newtown Stud & T J Pabst

2 -Year-Old ColtJoint award
Luxembourg
Breeder: B V Sangster

Perfect Power
Breeder: Tally Ho Stud

3-Year-Old FillyJoint award
Alcohol Free
Breeder: Churchtown House Stud

Suesa
Breeder: Thomastown Farm Ltd

3-Year-Old Colt
Adayar
Breeder: Godolphin

Wild Geese
Gabriel and Aisling Duignan

Contribution to the industry
David Minton

Hall of Fame
Tony and Anne O'Callaghan

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Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation Announces Two Further Scholarships

The Board of the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Foundation has awarded two further scholarships for 2021 to a pair of Irish students studying Animal Science Equine at University College Dublin. Rachel Doran and Ciara Russell have each been awarded with placements at Gabriel and Aisling Duignan's Springhouse Farm in Lexington.

“I am honored to have been chosen alongside Ciara for this scholarship and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get something like this,” said Doran, who works in a racing yard while studying towards her degree. “I hope to pursue a career in bloodstock and breeding and Springhouse Farm will definitely provide me with experience in that area and it will be amazing to learn from industry experts.”

Added Russell: “I feel so privileged to have been chosen for the Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship Award. I am very excited and look forward to gaining invaluable experience at Springhouse Farm in Kentucky.”

The Gerry Dilger Equine Scholarship, named in honor of the late, beloved Central Kentucky horseman, seeks to “aid, promote and nurture the younger generation in the bloodstock business.”

“I am extremely grateful to all the donors that have generously contributed to establish this foundation,” said Erin Dilger. “It celebrates Gerry's memory and beliefs in such a positive way by helping young people progress and learn in the bloodstock business.”

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