4D meet Regina Byrne

4D meet Regina Byrne, originally uploaded by cpckilcullen.

Recently the 4th Year Equestrian Studies class were lucky to be visited by Regina Byrne, a past pupil of the school. Regina works for the Irish Thoroughbred Breeder’s Association (I.T.B.A.) and she spoke to us about the industry and her work. The I.T.B.A. is currently setting up a youth version of the Program.

We learned many things from Regina. We learned that Ireland is the third largest producer in the world of thoroughbred foals, behind only the U.S. and Australia. The Equine Industry is a major employer, providing 19,500 jobs in Ireland.

We also learned that Ireland has some of the leading sires in the world, both flat and National Hunt. Old Vic and Presenting are examples of the National Hunt sires while Galileo is one of the leading flat sires, costing around €300,000 for a covering fee.

Everyone enjoyed the visit.