KENNY Darragh

General
RESIDENCE
He splits his time between the United States of America and Meijel in the Netherlands. "I spend January to April in Florida and go back and forth in the fall and summer to Tryon, Spruce Meadows, and Kentucky." (horsesport.com, 28 Feb 2020)

STABLES
After moving from County Offaly in Ireland to the United States of America in 2008, he rode horses for clients at North Run stables in Wellington, Florida, and Warren, Vermont. In September 2012 he set up his own stables, Oakland, with bases in Meijel, Netherlands, and Wellington, Florida, that he runs with US jumper Hardin Towell. "At age 19 I was doing pretty well in Ireland running a little business out of my parents' barn. But I knew, after speaking to my father, if I wanted to do it at a higher level I would have move abroad. For me, North Run was like going to college. You do four years of college and you learn so much. It was just time for me to try and do something on my own and make a go of it. I had no horses, no tack, nothing, just a bit of money I had saved. Then in around 2017 I bought our place in Meijel. I had spent a couple of summers in Holland and I really liked the area." (Facebook team page, 06 Apr 2021; horsesport.com, 28 Feb 2020; theirishfield.ie, 07 Nov 2019; oaklandstables.net, 06 Oct 2019; worldofshowjumping.com, 24 Jun 2015)

BREEDING
He breeds foals at an equestrian facility co-owned by his friend William Funnell called 'The Billy Stud', based in Dorking, England. "I have five broodmares there that they breed from and it's a partnership we own together. Unless you are very serious about breeding, it's very hard to do it well." (theirishfield.ie, 07 Nov 2019; thebillystud.co.uk, 2019)

WEG WITHDRAWAL
He was forced to miss the 2018 World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Tryon, NC, United States of America, due to his horse Babalou 41 undergoing colic surgery. (theirishfield.ie, 03 Sep 2018)