By Nadia Rea / HSI
Photography: Laurence Dunne/Jumpinaction, Helen Cruden

This month, Horse Sport Ireland’s Nadia Rea catches up with breeder and owner Marguerite Ryan and international rider Jack Ryan about their family’s love for the one and only BBS McGregor (ISH)

BBS McGregor (ISH) is by Cardento (Holst) out of Random Chance (ISH) by Mark Twain (TB). BBS McGregor (ISH) is a horse that is loved by all who meet him, and his success on both the national and now at international levels has generated a fan base for this dynamic duo on the world stage.

Q Please tell us about BBS McGregors dam?
Marguerite: His dam is Random Chance (TB). I bought her as a six-year-old from Ronan Tynan and competed her myself for many years. Then due to family and time commitments I decided to put her in foal. The first of her offspring was a filly foal by Guidam (SF). She was sold to Jim Bourke and she competed successfully internationally at 1m45-1m50 level. Random Chance was by Mark Twain (TB) she really was a lovely mare with a great attitude, but unfortunately her time was cut short when she got colic and passed away.

Q What happened to BBS McGregor (ISH) as a three-year-old to give him his famous stable name of ‘Lucky’?
Marguerite: As a young horse BBS McGregor got one infection after another. It was a worrying time because the source of the infections could not be found. When he turned three he got really sick and we all thought we were going to lose him. He just fell apart completely, and we could not keep condition on him. Eventually a large lump appeared on his nose. An x-ray finally identified that he had a tooth in the roof of his mouth. The lump was caused by the tooth splitting. We were extremely lucky that it split or we may have lost him and never known why. We then sent him to Ger Kelly at Fethard Equine Hospital. My brother Seamus Drea nursed him back to full health and thankfully we have never looked back... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber

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