By Horse Sport Ireland / HSI
Photography: Laurence Dunne/jumpinaction
Continuing our focus on successful breeders with smaller-sized operations, Mark Sherry – breeder of Up Too Jacco Blue (2011/ISH/g – Chacco-Blue - Celestial Up Too x Ard VDL Douglas) spoke to Horse Sport Ireland about his breeding journey and plans for the future.
The Irish Sport Horse gelding Up Too Jacco Blue had quite the start to 2023, picking up where he left off at the end of 2022 by recording the second international five-star victory of his career at the CSI5* Dutch Masters in ’s-Hertogenbosch.
Ridden by current world number 15 Max Kühner, Up Too Jacco won the €52,600, Audi Prize 1m50 class on March 11; this victory coming on the back of a top-10 placing the previous day at the same venue. Since then this combination have gone on to take top-10 finishes in 1m50 classes at the Paris CSI5*, and Fontainebleau CSI4*.
The 12-year-old is by Chacco Blue (Meckl) and out of Celestial Up Too (ISH), by Ard VDL Douglas (KWPN). He is owned by Hans Christian Jacobsen and was bred by Co Wicklow’s Mark Sherry.
Quality Over Quantity
The success of Up Too Jacco Blue has not come about by accident. Mark works alongside Imelda Creighton, priding themselves on breeding a select group of talented young horses. Speaking to Horse Sport Ireland about their breeding operation, Mark said: “I am in partnership with Imelda Creighton and my breeding interests are modest and small in scale. It’s very much a hobby for me and a business for Imelda – she has a number of good quality mares. Dr. Andrea Carli provides the veterinary expertise, and lots of counselling and advice.”
Celestial Up Too is an Irish Sport Horse mare purchased by Mark from the Creighton family. “I bought his dam from the Creighton family at Old Mill House Stud. Celestial Up Too, ‘Lucy’ to everyone at home, was jumped as a four-year-old by Alan Creighton, and was bred and produced by his sister Imelda.”
Up Too Jacco Blue is the first progeny out of Celestial Up Too who always impressed at home, so Mark is delighted to see him shine on the international stage. Speaking about his personality as a young horse, he added: “He was quite the personality – very bossy – just like his dam.”
Making the right stallion selection is essential, so when it came to selecting what stallion to use with Celestial Up Too, Mark got some expert advice that proved worth listening to. “David O’Brien recommended Chacco-Blue to us and it would be hard to reject advice of that quality. David knew the mare well and given his experience and knowledge of the key stallions across Europe it was very easy for him to advise us.”
Up Too Jacco Blue is not the first success story for Imelda and Mark. “Imelda and I have bred a small number of very nice horses who have gone on to do well – particularly in the UK,” Mark explained.
Celestial Up Too (ISH) is by Ard VDL Douglas (KWPN), and descends from quite the performance damline. She is the full sister of Fernhill Solar (ISH), evented as young horse by Fraser Duffy. Her half-brother, Fernhill Galaxy (ISH) by Harlequinn du Carel (SF by Rosire) evented internationally for British riders Anthony Clarke and Julia Dungworth.
Another half-sibling, Celestial Touch (ISH) by Touchdown (ISH), competed successfully at 1m35 and 1m40 for Alan Creighton, and is the dam of Kitty King’s international eventer Fernhill Mojito (ISH) by Royal Concorde (ISH).
Finally, the mare Sugar Cube (ISH) by Renkum Englishman (KWPN) is another half-sister of Celestial Up Too (ISH), and is the dam of Sarah Ennis’s European team horse, and Badminton-completing mare, Sugar Brown Babe (ISH) by Porsch (BWP)... To read the complete article you need to be a subscriber
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