Hi there!
I'm Pluma. I was foaled way back in June 1971, at a place called Lissicurran, Enniskean in Co Cork. I was bred by a man called Denis Driscoll, who took my dam, an Eriman mare called Enniskean Winner, to visit the good old sire Ben Purple.
I was the result. What am I doing on these pages you might ask. Well, how long have you got. Its a long story. I'll keep it short this time. Back when I was only 15, I was living and working in Lower Aghada, just outside Cork, with Bernie Alcock. He used me round the farm to draw the cart and put in the turnips. I also gave him a few foals by stallions such as Teaspoon, Carnival Night, Young Golden, and Jermyn Street.
On New Years Day, these two young folk and their friend arrived to visit. They looked at me up and down and walked and trotted me up and down. Bernie then yoked me in the flat cart and we all headed for the town. As we were driving down the lane, I decided to show these young Northern folk a good time, so I lifted my back feet (together) to let them get a close look at the shape of my shoes. It didn't seem to bother them much, and since Bernie gave me a skelp on the behind, I behaved from then on. After we came home, they had their lunch and headed off home again.
I saw no more of them for another week, until late one night, the girl pulled into the yard with a trailer and a nice old gentleman. Low and behold if they wern't back out of the house inside an hour. It was midnight! The whole family appeared. The young ones should have been in bed hours before. Before I knew what was happening, they put a head collar on me and loaded me into the trailer. After some tearful goodbyes ( I lived there for ~14 years), we set sail North. The journey took about 10 hours and we drove through the night.
I now live at Moyroe House, Killyman, with the "Boss", Robert McIlroy, Charlotte's father. Since arriving in the North I have bred 7 foals by horses such as Carnival Night, Standard Bearer, Pride of Shaunlara, Western Light and Supreme Edge. Funny how there's only one of those stallions left alive. I have retired from breeding now but I still go out riding with the Boss from time to time. Our joint ages are 110 years! Not bad eh! There's a photo of me and the Boss below, and I think they're going to put some of my youngsters on some of the other pages. Call back and see me anytime.
PS They even took me back all the way to Cork for a big show championship at Millstreet, but that's another long story.
Not bad for 110 years between us!