ABOUT US

We are Jackie & Brian O’Shea and we run Poplar Lodge. We established Poplar Lodge about 12 years ago at a property in Hautapu Road, Cambridge where we had 10 acres. We purchased our 1st two yearlings off Sir Patrick Hogan who along with his staff helped us to get into the yearling preparation game. We prepared at that property a maximum of 6 yearlings a year of which one of those sold from there turned out to be a Group 1 winner Little Jamie trained by the O’Sullivans. As we got more established preparing yealings the property became too small so then we shifted to a property on Victoria Road, Tauwhare, just out of Cambridge where we are today. We have got 20 acres which we have fenced to our standards with 15 yearling paddocks that are 9 wires high with a rail on top and are centrally raced at the top of the farm with approx 7 acres down the back in bigger paddocks suitable for spelling horses and weanlings to grow. We have a 12 bay purpose built yearling barn and also a 2 bay barn further down the farm.

We prepare around 14 horses per year with most of them being either K2 or Festival. We have a staff at the Sales consisting of Mark Hodge (our leader of 10 years), Liz Fairweather (who has been with us for 6 years) Lisa O’Shea (who has been helping for 10 years) and Brian and I. We have the same staff helping at home so we know how everything and everybody works. We box our horses during the day and then they are put out at night ensuring they don’t have to put up with too much daylight sun and heat. Our stables are open plan with each horse being able to see the horse next door. Each has a window that opens and we have fans rotating on the roof to cool the stables down. We have a cobbled parade area that is enclosed by a hedge and wooden fencing.

Brian is a practicing veterinarian having our own practice in Cambridge. It is a great help having him around to attend to any horses in an emergency as I know he is never far away.

Jackie is a secretary who works up until the start of yearling preparation (1 November) and then takes time out to attend to the yearlings and then returns to work early February.