30 years on and Irish take Washington
Irish Farmers' Journal - November 3, 2001

Ireland has won the Dwight D. Elisenhower Cup at the Washington CSIO. On Sunday night last before a packed house the Irish side of Robert Splaine, Cian O'Connor, Capt. Gerry Flynn and Kevin Babington beat the top USA team by four faults to win this important round of the Samsung League.

Babington and 'Carling King' jumped a clear and a four. Capt. Flynn had the discard in the first round but came back with a four in the second.

But the stars of the night were Robert Splaine on the stallion 'Coolcorron Cool Diamond' and Cian O'Connor on 'Waterford Crystal' as they each jumped double clears to seal victory. Ireland ended on four; USA had 8; Mexico 24 and Canada 48. Chef d'equipe Col Gerry Mullins noted "this was a splendid victory since it was a cracking USA team that we beat." While Ireland had previously won the forerunner of this cup at Harrisburg in 1949 and 1955. This is the first time ever we ever scored at Washington. The team travels on to New York for the CSI there before heading north for another Cup at Toronto next week. In terms of Irish horse promotion the win was also a triumph since three of the team horses are Irish bred.

New Breeding Unit For Coolcorron
Ireland's Horse Review -March 2000
By Claire Merrick

Following on from the tremendous showjumping success of their flagship stallion, Coolcorron Cool Diamond, Coolcorron Stud continues to expand.

Coolcorron Cool Diamond is a prolific prize-winner in top class international competition with superb results on the European Circuit during 1999. At Millstreet Summer Show he was leading the International horse being a prize-winner in the three main classes including the Grand Prix, gaining the distinction of having no fence down for the three days. He later capped off a tremendous year by winning the Dairygold International Grand Prix at the Millstreet CSI-W in November 1999.

In keeping with the Coolcorron Stud 'Performance' policy, Coolcorron Cool Diamond will continue to compete at Top International level.

His progeny have had numerous show wins during '99. Sales have also been buoyant with breeders expressing satisfaction with prices achieved.

In March 1999 a purpose-built Equine Semen Collection Centre was opened, which has the Dept of Agriculture approval and holds an EU licence. This enables Robert to collect, process and export frozen semen world-wide from his top performance stallion Coolcorron Cool Diamond and indeed, this facility is available to the breeding industry.

This centre includes all the modern facilities and expertise involved in artificial breeding designed to comply with the stringent regulations for stallion quarantine and for the collection of semen for chilling, freezing, evaluation and export.

There are presently several techniques employed by commercial and academic laboratories world-wide. Coolcorron Stud is equipped to utilise any of these various techniques in customising a freezing protocol most suitable for the individual stallion.

The objectives of Coolcorron are to fully exploit the advantages of artificial insemination in the Irish Sport Horse breeding. It offers breeders the opportunity to use stallions who can combine a competition and breeding programme simultaneously. This in turn reduces the generation interval and maximises the genetic progress for each mating. It reduces the risk of both disease and injury to stallions, mares and young foals and allows more mares to be bred to the same stallion on a given day.

It is critically important, when using A.I., that there is clear communication between the stallion owner, mare owner and veterinarian. Insemination timing is a key element in the equation. It is vital that the optimal time to inseminate is determined in order to achieve this, mares should be examined frequently during oestrus. In addition to the stallion facilities at Coolcorron, a new breeding unit has been constructed specifically for this purpose. This unit will include mare and foal accommodation, laboratory, insemination stocks for rectal and ultrasound examination and turn-out paddocks. Coolcorron Stud aims to utilise all available technology and expertise to ensure optimal results with artificial breeding for their mare.

Millstreet Indoor International Horse Show
Ireland’s Horse Review - December 1999
By Frank Mulvihill
Millstreet Results

The highlight of the weekend was definitely the Dairygold Irish Grand Prix for which points were at stake towards the HorsePower Indoor League.

There were 57 starters in this £20,000 Grand Prix including most of the players in the World Cup classes. No less than twenty of these returned with just one fence down - among them Gripshover and Hetzel who hadn't touched a pole the previous evening. In all, eleven riders completed the course without faults with just two of them being Irish and both being from Cork. Both Billy Twomey and Robert Splaine had brought rapturous applause from the stands when producing two superb displays in the first round.

With the exception of William Funnel, who was content to bring the eight year old KWPN stallion Vechta around with a steady clear, all riders made it clear from the outset that their sights were set on the lion’s share of the prize money. Determined efforts from the likes of Katie Monaghan-Prudent (Landato), Clare Bonfman (Enchante), Tim Stockdale (Traxdata Wiston Bridget), and Aldrick Cheronnet (Prima D’Or) was indicative of the fast time required.

When it comes to fast times Robert Splaine can match the best and, while his ten year old stallion Coolcorron Cool Diamond has little experience at this level of competition, it was time to see the fruits of its training. As the stallion had finished second in the World Cup Qualifier on the Friday night and had competed successfully in France on the previous two weekends, the omens were good. From the bell Splaine moved the stallion up a gear and maintained it throughout his round. Despite going wide after the second jump-off fence Splaine’s time was good enough to put pressure on the remaining two riders. The first of these was Anton Martin Bauer from Austria who despite believing initially that he had done enough, slotted into second, just four hundredths of a second behind Splaine.

With just Billy Twomey to go, the spectators were assured of an Irish win but which of the Corkman would take it ? Twomey gave Conquest II, an eight year old KWPN stallion, the ride of his life and looked on target, but he took a more collected approach to the last oxer to miss out by just three tenths of a second behind the Austrian.

The night belonged to Robert Splaine who admitted the win meant so much to him. With a second in the World Cup Preliminary Competition and a win in the Dairygold Irish Grand Prix the future looks bright for Coolcorron Cool Diamond.

Mr. Super-cool Splaine creams off Dairy gold
The Irish Field, November 1999
By Grania Willis

Although O’Connor failed to make the cut in the evening feature, the Dairygold Grand Prix, the partisan crowd had plenty to interest them, with both Robert Splaine and Billy Twomey through to the race against the clock.

The two Corkmen were the only Irish in the running when 11 lined out for the jump-off, with America and France through with a brace apiece, three for Britain and one each for Austria and Belgium.

Katie Monahan-Prudent, thwarted in her World Cup ambitions, opened well with Landato for a clear in 38.15, but was instantly relegated by compatriot Clare Bronfman who came home more than half a second faster with Andante.

That held until Tim Stockdale galloped in on Traxdata Winston Bridget, the Hanoverian/Shire cross that was foaled in Stockdale’s twin brother’s field, is not built for speed, but she gave it her all as she raced round to slice off .18 to take the lead.

But Robert Splaine had something to prove as well and, even though he had never previously put his foot to the floor with Coolcorron Cool Diamond, the stallion responded magnificently and had the crowds shouting with joy as he crossed the beam in the winning time of 36.72, nearly a second up on Stockdale’s target.

Austria’s Anton Martin Bauer nearly caused a major upset, but failed by the merest fraction with Remus Innovation to slot into second before Billy Twomey, giving the seriously promising Conquest II his first Grand Prix outing, clocked 37.03 for third.

Robert Splaine, who vividly remembers August 12, 1998 as the day he broke his back, couldn’t have been more delighted with his victory and has already been swamped with calls to his purpose-built Equine Semen Collection Centre in Belgooly, where Cool Diamond will attend to his stud duties after a couple of early World Cup shows next year.

Splaine launches new enterprise
The Irish Field, March 1999
By Marie-Claire Digby

A purpose-built equine semen collection centre at the Belgooly, Co. Cork equesrian and breeding establishment run by international show jumper Robert Splaine was officially opened by Minister for State Ned O’Keeffe on Friday of last week.

The equine semen collection centre is the third such facility in Ireland to earn Department of Agriculture approval and it also holds an EU licence. The centre, which will be operated under veterinary supervision, will offer facilities for equine semen collection, analysis, processing (either chilling or freezing), preparation for sale at home and abroad....................