The former international showumper Mo Chroí (pronounced ‘mockery’) — a past winner of the Dublin grand prix — is expecting two foals by Diamant De Semilly this season by embryo transfer.
Mo Chroí (pictured above with the recipient mares), now 18, was campaigned by the Irish Army and represented Ireland on several Nations Cup teams. She was also second in two consecutive years in the Hickstead Derby.
Her Irish Sport Horse dam Into The Blue, by the thoroughbred Mister Lord, was put to Cruising after sustaining a career-ending injury. The resulting foal was Mo Chroí.
The mare has illustrious connections as Into The Blue’s half-brother is the CCI4* eventer Kilkenny, who competed at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games at just eight-years-old.
Her sire, Cruising, has extensive successful progeny including eventers Mr Cruise Control, Mr Medicott and Electric Cruise, and showjumpers Flexible, World Cruise and Larkhill Cruiser.
Mo Chroí won her final competition before her retirement last summer (August 2014).
The mare won the speed championships at the Dublin Horse Show, ridden by Captain Michael Kelly.
At the time Ireland’s chef d’equipe Robert Splaine said Mo Chroí had made a “great contribution” over the years and was a “typical example of a great Irish horse”.
She was previously campaigned by army rider Commandant Gerry Flynn, who retired in 2008 to start a new career in coaching management.
In his final few years competing his best horse was Mo Chroí and partnered her to win the 2007 Royal Dublin grand prix.
Cruising meets Mo Chroí
It was recently revealed that her sire, the prolific eventing and showjumping stallion Cruising, was cloned in 2012 — shocking the equestrian world.
By Sea Crest and out of Mullacrew, the stallion died in September aged 29 at Hartwell Stud in Co. Kildare, in the stable in which he was born.
The stud took biopsies in 2011, and last year owner Mary McCann told H&H they hadn’t ruled out cloning the stallion.
However, in February it emerged two clones were born at Hartwell Stud in 2012. Cruising Arish and Cruising Encore will be available for breeders this year.
