Sláinte! Many a Shabby Foal Makes a Fine Horse

It is Spring. The foals are being born. In their gawky long-legged honor, I give you the saga of the Irish and their horses. It is a history that stretches across centuries. It is a tale of friendships and working partners. It is a romance born of the land, nurtured by necessity and fastened by ancient bonds. It is one of the oldest love stories on earth. 

Horses arrived in Ireland long before it became an island. At the end of the last Ice Age, a land bridge connected it to Scotland and another joined England with France. From the Asian steppes where the horse originated, herds migrated west across Europe and into Ireland. Remains found at Lough Gur, County Limerick and Newgrange, County Meath indicate the Irish had domesticated horses before 2000 BC. 

In the ancient Irish epic Tain Bo Cualnge, the great warrior Cuchulainn rode a chariot pulled by two horses that were equal in size, beauty, and speed. The right-hand horse was grey, broad in the haunches, fleet and wild. The other was jet black, his head firmly knit, his feet broadhoofed and slender. The swiftness of these steeds was so superior that even the best Ulster horses could not catch them. 

In another tale from the same source, a man named Crunnchu bragged that his wife Macha could run faster than King Concobar’s horses. The King was outraged and ordered Crunnchu to be held prisoner until his wife proved his word. Heavily pregnant, Macha pleaded for mercy but the King would have none of it. The horses were led out and Macha raced against them and outstripped them easily. Just as she reached the end of the course she fell to the ground and gave birth to twins emitting such a loud scream that the strength of all the men who heard it suddenly ebbed away. They became like Macha, weak with labor pains. Then Macha spoke: “At the hour of your greatest need, when you are under attack, every Ulsterman will become as defenseless as a woman giving birth to a child, and you descendants will be afflicted by the same weakness for nine generations!” Macha’s curse came true. Cuchulainn was the only man to escape the weakness and that was because his father, like Macha herself, was one of the Tuatha De Dannan. 

A story about the goddess Rhiannon also concerns horses. While she was out riding her magical white steed, a prince tried to capture her. Every time he drew near, she sped off and left him in her dust. Finally, it occurred to the prince that maybe he should just ask her to wait. The polite request was exactly what Rhiannon had been wanting to hear. When he trotted up beside her, she chuckled, “It would have been far better for your horse had you asked long before this.” 

Among the multitude of Irish fairy beings there is a creature known as a Phouka. It can appear in many guises, but the most common is a large white horse. The spirit’s main purpose is to carry people away on a wild ride. But Irish horses are much more than the stuff of legend. After tourism and whiskey, they are Ireland’s third largest industry. This vital economic resource centers on three breeds: the Connemara Pony, the Irish Draught, and the Thoroughbred. 

The Connemara is the oldest pure Irish breed. Small native ponies called Breakers were crossed with two imports, Welsh Mountain ponies which arrived with traders in the seventh century A.D. and Spanish Andalusians brought in a thousand years later. The Connemara’s size and sure-footed agility made them ideally suited for harvesting and hauling turf from the bogs of West Galway. In recognition of their historical importance, the Irish government provides a £500 grant for every pure Connemara foal born. 

The Normans came to Ireland with largeboned Great Horses which had been bred to carry armored knights. These huge mounts resembled massive Clydesdales and were bred with another small native horse, the Hobby. The cross-breeding produced an entirely new breed: the Irish Draught. This hefty workhorse is tough, agile, intelligent and well-mannered. It was ideally suited to farm labor, and until tanks replaced cavalry it was the preferred steed of Europe’s military units. Today the Irish Draught is prized as one of the world’s finest show jumpers. 

The Connemara and the Irish Draught have both left deep hoofprints in Irish history, but it is the Thoroughbred race horse which has become a multi-million-dollar business. Part of the reason is environmental. The limestone rocks that pepper every Irish field leach calcium into the soil.

Year-round rainfall produces lush grass. Horses raised in the calcium-rich pastures develop exceptionally strong healthy bones. The other half of the equation is simple. The Irish love a good horse race. 

With dozens of racetracks scattered about the island, there is a horse race somewhere in Ireland nearly every day of the year. The most famous track of all is The Curragh, County Kildare. In the earliest manuscripts, The Plain of The Curragh is named as a place of sport for Celtic Kings and their people. After the Norman conquest, it was made a royal common, and in the thirteenth century its very surface was protected by law from destructive grazing. 

In the seventeenth century the Curragh became a sporting resort for Ireland’s chief governors and administrators. The vast majority of King’s Plates races were contested there, and it became the social center of Irish racing. By the end of the eighteenth century, the Curragh was fringed by the lodges and stables of Ireland’s most prominent owners, breeders and trainers. The most famous was Colonel William Hall-Walker, the talented jockey son of a Scots brewing family. 

In 1900, the Colonel purchased a farm at Tully where he began breeding race horses. Some have called “Willie” Walker’s methods eccentric; others laud his genius. Believing that the stars dictated the destiny of all living creatures, he incorporated skylights above every stall so that the moon and stars could exert maximum influence on the horses. The astrology of each foal was recorded at birth. Those with unfavorable horoscopes were sold, regardless of lineage. After fifteen years of extraordinary success, the Colonel gave his farm to the British Crown for the purpose of founding a National Stud. In 1943, it was purchased by the Irish Government. Today the Irish National Stud Company promotes the Irish Bloodstock industry by providing the services of its stallions to horse breeders from all over the world. 

In the early days of the United States, millions of Irish emigrated to America and many families settled in the South. They built great plantations (think Tara, Scarlett O’Hara and Gone With the Wind), and they bred horses for sport, pleasure and prestige. With the Civil War, the South’s plantation empire crumbled, but its horses lived on. 

Two of the world’s most famous Thoroughbred races are scheduled in May and June. The Irish Derby at The Curragh (June) and The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs (May). Both races date from the nineteenth century, both have million-dollar purses, both feature the best of Irish bloodstock, and both have strong food traditions. 

Everyone knows that The Kentucky Derby’s official drink is the mint julep. A lesser-known racetrack treat is Ireland’s Bookmaker’s Sandwich. 

May I humbly suggest that you consider pairing them? Like horses and the Irish, they go together supremely well. Slainte!

Note: Before the days of automation, the bookmaker was so busy taking bets that he never took the time to have a real meal. 

1 long crusty loaf of bread, Vienna style
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 pound sirloin steak
mustard
salt and pepper

Slice the loaf in half lengthways and butter it well. Cut the steak in two lengthways, rub with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the steak under high heat but do not overcook. Put the meat strips straight away on to the buttered half loaves. Season with salt and pepper and spread with mustard. Put the two halves of the sandwich together. Place on foil, wrap tightly, and put a light weight on top. When cool cut into fairly thick slices, but back together and wrap again. The steak juices absorb into the bread and will keep it moist. Serves 3-4. 
– Theodora Fitzgibbon, Irish Traditional Food 

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 large bunch fresh mint
Kentucky bourbon
crushed ice 
spring water
extra mint sprigs for deocration
sipping straws 

Fill a large jar loosely with mint sprigs. Set aside. Combine sugar with water in a stainless steel saucepan and make a simple syrup by boiling together for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool. While syrup is still warm (but not so hot it will crack the glass) pour over mint to cover. Let cool completely, then cap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Discard mint. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Pre-chill 8-ounce glasses at least one hour before they will be needed.

When you are ready to serve, fill the glasses with crushed ice. Into each glass pour: one tablespoon mint syrup, one tablespoon spring water, and two ounces of Kentucky bourbon. Stir gently until the glass is frosted. Garnish with extra mint sprigs and a sipping straw. Serve at once. Makes 8-10 Mint Juleps. 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the May/June 1997 of Irish America. ⬥