Congratulations to Dale Adams who has won this years Dungar Quality Oats Cash Prize for National Hunt Breeders. Tadhg O’Leary of Dungar Quality Oats presented the cash prize of €2,500 to Mrs Adams and her family at their home farm in Wexford recently. For the second year running, this prize was developed in recognition of the important contribution that Irish National Hunt breeders make to the racing industry.
Pictured Mrs Dale Adams receiving her prize from Tadhg O’Leary of Dungar Quality Oats along with Gary Adams and their daughters Lauren and Maisie and friend Ben. Maisie is holding the chestnut mare Zamani, dam of Clondaw Park.
Showjumping Ireland coach & writer for the Irish Field, Dale Adams bred the impressive four year old Clondaw Park, which sold for £320,000 (€382,160) at Tattersalls Cheltenham March Festival sale for consignor Catriona Goff. The Walk in the Park (IRE) filly, out of Zamani (Teofilo (IRE)) had an eye catching debut win at Lisronagh in February for trainer Mick Goff. The mare was then subsequently sold at Tattersalls to Ed Bailey for Harry Derham fetching a joint top lot price for that day. Read more about Clondaw Park at Irish Point to Point
The Adams family have a long history with horses, with Dales husband, Gary a practicing vet, having particular success with breeding thoroughbreds. Gary bred Fedneys Park, also by Walk in the Park (IRE) out of his Presenting (IRE) mare Fedney Hill. This mare was sold at Tattersalls in January for Catriona Goff and qualified Gary also as a contender for the breeders prize! When it comes to breeding point to point winners, the Adams are a formidable team. A busy household, the Adams daughters Maisie and Lauren are following their parents winning ways as flourishing young riders on the International showjumping circuit.
The prize was presented by Tadhg O’Leary of Dungar Quality Oats to Dale and Gary and their family at home last week. Tadhg said “I developed the prize as a gesture to a sector that are invaluable to the future of Irish horse racing and Dale and Gary are very worthy winners”. It was open to any breeder of an Irish bred 4 or 5 year old mare that had ran in a maiden Point to Point in Ireland between October 2024 and May 2025 and were subsequently sold in one of a number of identified point to point sales. After each sale a potential winning breeder of the top priced mare was identified and entered on a league table as laid out below. Last years winner, was Hilda Rothwell who bred the mare Echoing Silence that achieved a sale topping price of £410,000 for Sam Curling and Correna Bowe at the Tattersalls March sales in 2024.
On presenting the prize to Dale and her family, Tadhg said he wished them many more years of success with their business and he hoped it would inspire future generations to continue the legacy of producing top class NH racehorses. Tadhg then congratulated Dale on winning the prize. In response, Dale and Gary thanked Tadhg for his generous sponsorship and said they looked forward to watching how Clondaw Park performs for her new owners.
