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| Staff Writer |
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Leading Irish consignor Willie Browne has a reputation as a great judge of horses thanks to experience passed down to him from his father as well as a lot of learning along the way.
Born in Ireland his father was a jockey who would have a notable career in the saddle before going into training.
“I was born in a small village called Ballagh.
The Journey With Horses
“My father bought his first property when I was five years of age, and we moved to Mocklershill, which would have been about 20 miles farther away'’
“My father was an acclaimed National Hunt jockey and when he retired, he started training horses.”
His father Mickey Browne moved to Mocklershill and fulfilled his ambition of setting up a training establishment.
He was one of the first Irish consignors to sell at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales and after a successful training career, he set his sights on becoming a very successful pinhooker.
“We had horses since we were very, very young and I didn’t have any choice really than to get involved with horses.
”My father had a small piece land and money wouldn’t have been very plentiful.
“I and my brother Mike, finished our education around 15 years of age and then went to work with the horses.” ^
Taking The World By Storm
With his brother, Willie would become two of the first pinhookers of two-year-old Breeze Up horses in that part of the World.
“Previously I did a bit of showing ponies and then I progressed to show jumping and then started riding in races when I was 15 years of age.
“Basically, that’s the background to where we started.”
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“I know him very well, so I tell him about the stocks, and he listens to me, so we have a good relationship.
“But like everything you don't get it right all the time but when you’re watching them training every morning you should have a good idea of what your horse is like.”
The other lot from the Dubai Breeze Up sale was a colt by Honour Code out of Bunairgead bought for US$160, 494, another prospect that Browne is excited about.
“Very very happy to have him for Sheikh Muhammad, which is greatly satisfying for me. “He is a nice horse, and it probably will be the second half of the season before he runs. “We liked him for sure and the sire is doing okay in America.
“He is a very good-looking horse, and he will hopefully go and do something for His Highness.
“I really want that to happen, hopefully, it will.”
Lot #59 was a colt by Not This Time out of Morediamondsplease which did not sell at sale and was returned home leaving Browne very confused about the situation.
“We were completely baffled about that horse.
“I thought he was a very nice young horse and two weeks after the sale, I still don’t know why he didn’t sell.
“So that was disappointing, it was very weird.”
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The plan for him now would be to take him to Arkana to show and Browne has hopes he will be able to
get in as a wild card.
“We buy to make a living and resell, so I am open to options for him as he is a very nice horse.”
For the next two months, Browne will head to sale-after-sale as he looks to sell and look for the next horse to sell on for the next season.
“It’ll be hectic. But anyway, we’ll have plenty of time to recover afterwards.”