Foal crops

Editor's Note: the tables mentioned in the piece below have all been inserted into the article individually in alphabetical order. Please see those for reference. As an Englishman, I can assure my friends in the Bluegrass that America does not have a monopoly on political division. But in this rancorous age it is a comfort, either side of the water, that a mutual love of the horse can keep people not just talking, but outright friendly, who might otherwise only be yelling at each other. It is not too often...

The recently published Weatherbys Fact Book outlines the extent to which the foal crops have declined in Britain and Ireland, with the number born in Britain having contracted by 27 per cent over the last 20 years, while last year Ireland recorded its lowest figure since 2015. With the caveat that late registrations could still boost the number of foals slightly, as of December 31, 2024, there were 8,887 foals registered in Ireland for that year. The lowest number recorded in the last two decades is 7,546 in 2012 when...