Morningside Stud to Host International Breeders Conference 2002

Ireland will once again be the place for horse breeders to gather as Morningside Stud hosts its popular "International Breeders Conference 2002" on Saturday, March 30th.

This annual conference, which was launched last year by Morningside Stud, brings breeders of competition horses together with European studbook officials, international riders, highly-ranked breeders, and skilled veterinarians. Last year Holland and the KWPN Studbook were featured. This year, the World Breeding Federation, the umbrella organization for all sport horse studbooks, and the Danish Warmblood Society will be under the spotlight.

Jan Pedersen, the keynote speaker at the International Breeders Conference that will be held on March 30 in Nenagh, County Tipperary. Above: Mr. Pedersen is standing with H.R.H. Princess Benedikte, Patroness of the Danish Warmblood Society.

Tom Reed, the owner of Morningside Stud, tells us the purpose of the conference is to improve sport horse breeding through the sharing of information, best-practices, and inspiration. "We are very fortunate to once again have a world-class group of speakers for the International Breeders Conference. Mr. Jan Pedersen, the President of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses and the Chair of the Danish Warmblood Society, will be our keynote speaker. Jan, who possesses a tremendous amount of knowledge about sport horse breeding in the global context, is also a highly regarded breeder himself, having bred a mare that won the 2001 Gold Medal in Denmark."

The conference will also feature Henrik Gundersen, the Danish international rider of Morningside Stud's exciting Holsteiner stallion, Condios. Henrik will speak on the precise attributes that visitors from the USA, Asia, and Europe are looking for when buying young competition horses. And Henrik will show some videos of top-class horses and offer insights from years of training and producing young horses for sale by himself and important clients such as the Holsteiner Association in Germany.

Gert-Jan Bruggink, who won the Gold Medal in the European Championship for Young Riders and led the Dutch Team to victory in the Samsung Nations Cup World Final, will offer his reflections on breeding international showjumpers. Gert-Jan and his family bred Joel, a gelding sired by Morningside Stud's stallion Ekstein, that carried his rider to these and other international victories in 20001.

Elizabeth Lane, a veterinary surgeon who teaches and conducts research as a lecturer at the University College Dublin's vet school, will speak on what every mare owner needs to know about getting mares in foal. Liz and her brother Tommy are well known in Ireland for breeding and producing good-looking horses that win in the show ring and then move on to compete or serve as high quality breeding stock.

The International Breeders Conference 2002 has attracted corporate sponsorship from companies based in Canada (Breeding News for Sport Horses), Denmark (Danish Warmblood Society), Holland (Horse International magazine and the WBFSH International Breeding Guide), Ireland (Red Mills Horse Feed, Horseware Ireland, Equest Wormer, Golden Vale / Kerry Group, Thoroughbred Insurance Services Ltd., Irish Equimarkets, and Genetic Links), and the United States (Norfields's Magnetic Health Care Products).

The International Breeders Conference 2002 will be held on Saturday, March 30th, at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh, County Tipperary. More information about the programme can be found at http://www.morningside-stud.com Morningside Stud's homepage allows for the on-line purchase of tickets with a credit card and offers helpful links including a hotel, airlines, and the Irish Tourist Board.

http://www.morningside-stud.com