The Fernhill prefix is now ubiquitous at events all over the world and at all levels, from the WEG, Badminton and Rolex, to the popular young event horse classes and everything in between. However some ten years ago, Irish Team member Carol Gee was torn between continuing her competitive career, or carving out a business on her own. Ultimately, she said, the decision was made for her,
“The Good Witch that Jennifer Wooten is riding for America and is coming to Badminton with this year – that was the first big horse I sold on my own. I had to make a big decision: do I continue riding as a career and try to make another Irish team, or do I buy the equestrian centre and make a living? I had that decision to make, and Jennifer came along and tried the Witch and it was like a match made in heaven. I had no choice but to sell her. She was perfect for her. I knew that she would do all the things that I wanted to do with her, and so I sold her to Jennifer and the rest is history, as they say. It was a match made in heaven, and it was like that from the first day she rode her. For me, yes it would have been a dream to do those things with the horse, but I get just as much pleasure watching Jennifer as if I’d done it myself so I don’t feel like I’ve lost out. “
All photos except the one of Fernhill Gloster Rebel & Duarte Seabra are from the Fernhill website with the kind permission of Carol Gee
Carol does not breed the Fernhill event horses, but she does produce them from her fabulous base in Kilkenny, Ireland. The name ‘Fernhill’ comes from the landscape, and there are a few other famous horses besides The Good Witch that Carol has sold without the prefix,
“When I first moved to Fernhill, for the first three years the horses didn’t carry a prefix because I was trying to think of one, to be honest! It’s only really the last seven years that the horses have been prefixed.
It’s not a stud, Fernhill is the name of the hill at the back of the property. I bought it from a builder and it’s built ON Fern Hill. It’s an equestrian centre, I don’t actually breed, but we produce horses here.”
Since moving into Fernhill, Carol hasn’t looked back, and clearly loves her base which boasts facilities and a location second to none,
“We’re in Kilkenny, which is fantastic. We live a stone’s throw from the city, (Dublin), so it’s great for clients coming in to look at horses, because primarily that’s what we do. We produce and sell horses for the event market. It’s wonderful for clients coming in because they can be wined and dined in the city. It’s a medieval city so there’s plenty of culture for them to see as well, and it’s also brilliant for the staff that work here. We have a great team that works here, primarily young people, so be able to go into the city is great for them and they have a fun social life.”
Over the years the operation has expanded, and continues to grow,
“We always used to have 25 horses, but now we’ve upped the game a little bit; we’ve just built a new barn with ten more stables, so we’ll have 35 horses this season. We have two riders that are based on site: Fraser Duffy who is English origin and Sophie Richards who is Welsh origin, but both are eligible for Irish passports so they’ll both compete under the Irish flag. Duarte Seabra still rides a few horses for me, but he’s going to base himself in England for the season because he’s going to Badminton, (on Fernhill Gloster Rebel) and of course hopefully the Olympics next year, so he’s staying in England where he can get some European experience.”
Although Carol was born in England, her mother is Irish. She moved to Ireland, lives in Ireland, competed for Ireland, and very much considers herself Irish.
As her band of horses continues to expand, I wonder if it’s hard for her to keep tabs on them?
“I do try and keep in touch, and the people that buy horses from me are very good at emailing me, and sending photos.”
Carol’s clients not only keep in touch, they come back for more,
“Philip Dutton has Fernhill Eagle, and then he bought two more horses from me at the beginning of this year; one that won the 2* at Red Hills, Mighty Nice. I know what he likes now so I find it easy to find horses for him. That’s why people like to come to me to buy horses. I have a lot of repeat business, and when you have a lot of repeat business you know what suits people. For example, Mary King bought Fernhill Urco, and then less than a year later she came and bought another young horse, and I knew exactly what would suit her, a) because I’ve competed against Mary for years and I know her very well–she’s a friend of mine, and b) because she’d bought the Urco horse I knew what she’d like in a horse, and it was easy to pick out the next one for her.”
Carol convinces me that she doesn’t really miss the competing any more at all,
“This is what I love; I’m not at the top level of competition but I was never the world’s greatest rider. I had very good horses, I was very lucky. They made me as a rider, I was never in the league of the likes of Philip and Mary. I think now I’m lucky that I can do a job with horses that I’m good at – sourcing horses for people, making the right match, and I get a great kick out of it. “
Of course, the million dollar question for Carol must be what she looks for in a horse?
“Temperament. Above anything else. The way an event horse comes out the stable – he’s got to march out of the stable and look like he means business and he’s going somewhere. For an event horse they’ve got to have the right temperament, they’ve got to want to do it. Then obviously there’s the things like they’ve got to have very good movement these days because the dressage has become even more competitive, so they’ve got to be good movers. They’ve got to be quick in front with their jump. I’m not obsessed with them having a good style because I think the horses with the best style don’t always make the best event horses – I think they’ve got to be quick in front and have a conscience.”
Although the horses that have been through Carol’s hands may come in all shapes, sizes and gender, there is a common theme,
“They all have good temperaments, they’re all good jumpers in their own way, and they’re all good movers. Hopefully they’re all matched to the right person which is what I really pride myself in. I’ll keep a horse for a long time until I find the right person for the horse, I don’t just sell to the first person that comes along that wants to buy it, I’m always conscious of trying to find the right match. I do get very attached to them and quite emotional sometimes when they’re sold, but I like to sell them, that’s what I like to do. Hopefully though, if they go to the right people, they go on to do the things they’re trained to do and go on and do well.”
she sells her horses all over the world without any prejudice and says she has no favourites if they’re competing against each other at events,">
Despite Carol’s fervent national pride, she sells her horses all over the world without any prejudice and says she has no favourites if they’re competing against each other at events,
“So long as a Fernhill horse wins I don’t mind! I don’t mind what nation they compete for, I’m just very passionate about selling the right horses to the right people, and that they do well. I wouldn’t particularly want one person to do better than any other. I don’t try and sell horses any more to Ireland than to America or Britain or anywhere, I just sell them to the right person. Like at Badminton this spring, it would be great if my own horse with Duarte riding were to win, but I’d be just as happy for the Witch to win, or any other horse that I’ve been associated with. “
For a Fernhill produced horse, or a horse that’s spent any time at Fernhill to win Badminton, or any four star is a dream yet to come true for Carol, but not a completely unrealistic goal.
“To have any horse at the Olympics is going to be phenomenal, it’s going to give me a great thrill. I think that obviously if either the Witch or Fernhill Gloster Rebel go well at Badminton, even to jump clear cross country and complete is an achievement in itself. Badminton to me is such a test that to even think of winning it is beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, but to place there would be phenomenal. Badminton, the Olympics, or the Worlds’, I think they’re all an equal test in themselves. Just to have horses competing there in such a short time, if you think I’ve only been at Fernhill for ten years, just to have horses competing at those higher levels is a thrill in itself. “
Now for the impossible question, poor Carol! Can she name some of her favourites?
“The Good Witch holds a major place in my heart because without her I probably wouldn’t have Fernhill, and she wouldn’t have been sold had I not found the right match in Jennifer, so I have to say the Witch is pretty special.
My own horse that I rode on teams and things, Sportsfield Iceman, he’s the horse that put me on the map, he got me my Irish flag and my green jacket, and got people to sit up and take notice of me as a rider. I would have to say that he would probably be my ultimate, out-and-out, all-time favourite.
There are others along the way of course: Fernhill Gloster Rebel, I’ve had him since he was a three year old, and the reason I still have him is he was quite naughty as a young horse and it took quite a long time to get him going, I didn’t trust him enough to be able to sell him! I had quite a lot of people who wanted to buy him but I just couldn’t quite put my hand on my heart and sell him to anybody! Now he’s a very good horse, and he’s going to Badminton. Duarte’s done such a good job of producing him, and has got through to him that now anybody could ride the horse, I have to take my hat off to Duarte for getting the horse where he is now, so he would be another one that’s quite special to me.
Fernhill Urco that Mary King bought was the first horse I owned that won a three star, so I’d have to give him a mention in my list of top horses. He was one of the first horses I bought in Portugal when I went out there competing. I spotted him as a 5 year old, and managed to buy him when he was coming seven, and since then I’ve bought three Portugese horses. I’ve had great success with them, and I like them.”
The sunshine tour in Portugal has also been kind to Carol on the rider front; it was there that she met Duarte Seabra who now starts his fourth year of riding for her. The introduction was made through Duarte’s brother Francisco who had also ridden for Carol occasionally; Duarte decided on the Thursday that he would work for Fernhill, and on the following Monday he was driving to Ireland with Carol.
Carol is a dynamo – seeing clients almost every day, seeing horses in England and Ireland, and if she has time, riding a couple of horses herself at home,
“Each year that comes, every New Year I always tell myself that I’m going to have a bit of ‘me time’, that I’m going to do somethings for myself, that I’m going to have a social life and a life outside the horses, but fortunately for me I love the business, I love the horses and I love what I do, so I don’t really get a lot of time outside of it, to be honest. As the Fernhill horses are becoming more popular and more in demand, I get less and less free time, but I don’t think it’s a bad complaint. On the odd day I get off, I probably have two hours to myself and then I’m wandering about the yard, or looking for something horsey to do, or a client to contact, or put something up on the website, so I’m not really sure how I’d cope if I had much of a life outside the yard and business!”
With the way the Fernhill horses are going, it doesn’t seem likely that this is a problem Carol’s going to have to worry about. Just this weekend at the Fork CIC 3* and Horse Trials I counted 7 Fernhill Horses to watch including Mighty Nice, and of course there’s Badminton and Rolex just around the corner. We’ll keep you posted on all the Fernhill action this weekend and in the future. Thank you to Carol for taking time to talk to us, and thank you for reading. Go Fernhill Horses and Go eventing!
Fernhill Horses at the Fork this weekend
Fernhill Fugitive – Danielle Dichting (P)
Mighty Nice – Philip Dutton (A)
Fernhill Eagle – Philip Dutton (CIC 3*)
Fernhill Cubalawn – Alexandra Green (P)
Fernhill Fearless – Nina Ligon (CIC 3*)
Fernhill Can Do – Ashley McVaugh (P)
Fernhill Flag – Abigail Wilson (P)
