2017 ITM Irish Stallion Trail Attracts Over 2,000 Visitors
Over 2,000 visitors attended the third renewal of the 2017 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM) Irish Stallion Trail, with the majority of stud owners reporting increased numbers on previous years.
Visitors had 28 stud farms to choose from on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th January, sandwiched between two quality days of racing at Gowran Park and Leopardstown.
With seven of the top 10 stallions in Europe standing in Ireland, the stallion trail is a unique opportunity for racing fans to see these great horses, many of whom gave us lots of memorable moments on the track.
Jimmy Lenehan, general manager of Derrinstown Stud, said: “We had a tremendous flow of people who joined the stallion trail, with increased numbers on the previous two years. To have a recent Classic winner like Awtaad (IRE) standing here and on show today, has been a great draw for everyone and he took it all in his stride.”
Catherine Magnier of Grange Stud, who also participated in the trail, said: “The stallion trail was a huge success. ITM did a great job in promoting the trail and we had a good mix of people, from breeders to racegoers, with a lot of visitors from overseas.”
Feedback from visitors was equally as positive, with British-based breeder David Erwin, commenting: “Myself and Simon Hope of Aston Mullins Stud had a terrific time on the Irish stallion trail. The trail seemed like an unqualified success from where we stood, and racing at Leopardstown on Sunday crowned a great few days.”
Sarah Gavin, ITM’s Marketing Manager, said: “The Irish stallion trail has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2015. It was fantastic to see such large numbers turn out and we would like to thank all the studs and their staff for taking part and providing visitors with a wonderful insight into an industry we are so proud to promote.