We caught up with PJ from P&S Horses before the Dublin Horse Show 2019 and we asked him a few questions about his journey in horses and about the amazing success of P&S Horses in the Show Ring. Here is what he had to say.
PJ were horses always in your family and when did you first start to ride?
No there were no horses in my background. My family had no interest in Horses. I didn’t have a pony as a child. When I was about 10 a man moved in beside us and he had horses, I had been for some Ridding lessons and just started riding out for him. It all started from there really.
Who has been your greatest inspiration and who did you train with through the years?
I can’t say I looked to anyone for inspiration; there is nobody I could say I looked at and said I want to be like you… I have always just done my own thing and I think it’s worked well so far.
However, I learned a lot from the man I began riding with Tommy Stafford was his name. He taught me how to sell horses, how to have them looking and going their best in order to achieve a good sale, and that applies to the show ring too.
What attracted you to the Showing scene?
Selling horses attracted me to the show scene, I like to buy a nice model, a good mover and buyers like to see horses doing their job, so the best place for this is the show ring at the RDS in Dublin.
How long has P&S Horses been in business?
P & S Horses has been in business for four years now. We decided to take the plunge and go it alone four years ago. The business has gone from strength to strength and it was the best decision we ever made.
What have been the Highlights of your Career so Far?
Winning the Supreme Hunter Champion last year at Dublin has been the highlight of my career so far.
Who has been that Special Horse in your lives and why?
I can’t say there has been one horse in particular that is the one special horse. We don’t have a lot of room for sentiment here, it’s a business, we are very proud of all the horses we have had the privilege to produce.
We get great job satisfaction from what we do here, whether that be finding a nice riding club type horse for an amateur or pleasure rider or from finding and producing a Supreme Hunter Champion for Dublin and seeing him go on to do great things in England.
What do you look for in a potential Show Hunter Champion?
When looking for a potential Show Hunter Champion, I look for a good set of limbs; the frame has to be there to start with. It needs to be true to type, it’s no good having just a nice horse, he needs to fit into its class, there are a lot of nice horses out there, but if they are not true to type you’re wasting your time. It’s got to be a true lightweight, middleweight or heavyweight…. there are plenty of misfits. It’s got to move well and it’s got to have the X Factor…. the presence to show itself off.
Do you prefer a Traditional Irish Horse and what are your thoughts on the influx of warm blood into the Irish Breeding Scene?
In a perfect world I would prefer a traditional Irish horse but unfortunately the breeding trends are moving further and further towards warm blood breeding.
Breeders are breeding what sells well and at the moment there are very few people breeding show horses. Breeders are breeding for performance not necessarily a good type, which is understandable; they too are trying to run a business. We always like to have some Irish breeding in there passport and there are some stallions that are just not suitable for show horses.
Are there any rising stars in your stable yard that you are excited about?
We have a few really nice horses in the yard this year….. We are really looking forward to seeing them do great things.
As you prepare for Dublin, will you be aiming for another repeat of that Spectacular Win in the Supreme Hunter Champion at the RDS 2018, and following that what are your plans for the rest of the season?
Of course we would love to win Supreme Hunter Champion again this year.
We have a few horses capable of emulating Somerville’s achievements last year.
Following Dublin our show season will end, all our horses will be sold and off to their new homes, then we search again for the next year’s team of horses and concentrate on the point to point horses and hunters for the winter.
If you had one piece of advice to offer a young equestrian starting out, what would that be?
My advice to young equestrians starting out would be….you have got to work hard…. you only get out what you put in. Keep it simple and get the basics right.
Showing is not for everybody, you have got to have a thick skin. The best horse in the class doesn’t always win.
“My advice to young equestrians starting out would be….you have got to work hard…. you only get out, what you put in. Keep it simple and get the basics right.”
PJ Casey – P&S Horses
This Interview was Originally Published in the August 2019 Issue of Irish Sport Horse Magazine. PJ Casey had won the Dublin Horse Show Supreme Hunter Championship in 2018 with the horse, Someville. PJ Casey and his wife Sonia Casey went on to win the Supreme Hunter Championships and Reserve Supreme Hunter Championship at The Dublin Horse Show 2019, making history in the process.