Racehorse Ownership often takes people on journeys they never imagined possible, and for Ger Teahon and his three friends, it has been exactly that. Formed during the COVID lockdown, the Furze Bush Syndicate began as a shared dream, they just needed to find their first horse. With little experience in the horse racing world, a gut feeling led to the purchase of Stumptown. Four years later, that instinct has carried them into Irish racing history as Stumptown has taken them from local tracks all the way to Cheltenham and beyond.
In this Owner Spotlight, Ger shares how it all began, the friendships forged with trainer Gavin Cromwell, his family and the team around him, and of course, the unforgettable experience of making history in the Velká Pardubická in the Czech Republic.
Did you always have an interest in horse racing?
I think we've always had an interest in horse racing, myself and Garrett, one of our four syndicate members lived in college together. So, we always shared that same interest. From attending Tralee and Galway races as a kid, to then the big festivals like Cheltenham through college, always keeping a close eye on racing over the years.
How was the Furze Bush Syndicate formed?
I had been on the verge of buying a horse for many years and had spoken to the lads about it. We were in the middle of COVID, everybody was interested, but nobody was doing anything. So Garrett and I had been in touch with Gavin Cromwell for quite some time, we had been looking, and we had bid for a few horses, but nothing fell our way. We were talking to Gavin one evening, and a horse that looked like something that we would be interested in became available, but by the end of the evening, it wasn't. We had traveled to Wexford anyway to see Stumptown, and Sean Doyle pulled out about 15 horses for us. One of them was Stumptown, and he had just come second in a point-to-point in Tipperary to Chianti Classico. We were driving out afterward and Garrett said, look, which one did you like? And I said, well, to be honest, there was only one. And he said the very same. Stumptown. Now, look, we certainly didn’t know much then, not that we know a whole lot now! But the fact that Gavin was sweet on him as well meant a lot.
Is there a story behind the name of the syndicate and the colours?
We're all from Kerry, so that's why the silks are green and gold. And the name 'Furze Bush' came when I was talking about it to one of the syndicate members, George, who was in a truck at the time, and I said green and gold colours, and he said, yeah, just like the furze bush I'm looking at! And I was like, well, there you go. That works.
How did your partnership with Gavin Cromwell come about?
I had been somewhat involved in racing for a while in terms of sponsorship through my company Uniquely, we have sponsored races in Punchestown for several years. I like numbers and figures, and at the time, I had gone through who we could have spoken to and why. I asked a few people what they thought, but going through the data and perhaps the numbers, it all came down to Gavin. When I spoke to him initially, I said, look, I don't want to just buy a horse, I want to learn about the industry, he said, absolutely no problem, I’m very happy to bring you through it, which he did. Now that was four years ago, and he's been incredible to us. When you don't come from the industry, you ask a load of stupid questions! But he's been fantastic. The whole team up there, Gavin and his wife, Kiva, we've gotten to know all the family and, importantly, all the staff who are involved in the yard. The ownership experience has been incredible for us, undoubtedly, we know that we've been very lucky. But like every good team, if you can bring in the best manager, things seem to fall into place.
Was Stumptown the first horse you were involved in?
Stumptown was the first horse we bought, and we've had a couple more since. When we spoke about it originally, we always said it would be a dream to get to a festival, like Punchestown or Galway, we didn't dream big enough to think about Cheltenham! But he's brought us everywhere. It's a dream come true to have a horse like him. We may have gone down the cross-country route by default, but Keith and Gavin could see that it would be an option for us, and we haven’t looked back since.
Stumptown has given you some incredible days. What has the Ownership journey given you that you didn’t expect?
When we we were setting out on this journey, we were thinking of changing Stumptown’s name to "Dare To Dream" as you still have hope at the start of any journey. But you can never prepare yourself, particularly when it's your first horse, for how the racing world can open up to you and the lovely opportunities that it brings from a social aspect and meeting new people and friends, regardless of whether your name as the owner is JP. McManus or you're a syndicate. And that's what I love about it, you have a horse, you get lucky, you have a winner, you're into the winner's enclosure, you get to a festival, you get treated the same as any owner in terms of how you get looked after. It doesn't matter whether you're part of a syndicate or you're Rich Richi or JP; everybody is treated the same, which is lovely. I feel like it's very inclusive for everyone involved.
Was the plan to go to the Pardubice always in the pipeline?
I think it was in the pipeline, probably since last November. I think when Keith rode in it last year, we all had an eye on it then. So, we were aware of it, and I think, as Gavin says, horses make their own plans, and those plans change. But we were so lucky with him from winning in Punchestown & then Cheltenham in December was more than we ever expected. The Cheltenham Festival was the only target, but with a hope that we might get to the Grand National. He had a nice break then; he came down to Kerry for a few months and paraded through the streets like a champion! He went back early with the Velka Pardubicka in mind, going into it fresh without a prep run.
What is it like being involved in a syndicate on these big days?
It’s all part of the fun. The victories are huge, like they are in any sport, but in terms of memories and experiences and the wonderful people you get to meet, we get treated so well everywhere we go. The Czech Republic was no different. Everything that we hoped wouldn't go wrong went wrong! We were split up, there were some watching in different parts of the stand, and some of us were watching in the parade ring. My wife didn't watch any of the race, she walked around the parade ring saying prayers! Look, it was nerve-racking, we kind of knew halfway through the race that he probably wasn't enjoying it as much as he had at Cheltenham or at Punchestown over the banks. But we knew he stayed, and he has a bit of class. I was watching it with Gavin, and when he jumped the last fence, though he was quite a bit behind still, I got a belt in the back from Gavin and I was like, okay, we're going to do this. So that was so cool.
What was the course and atmosphere like on the day?
The course is absolutely beautiful. Just how they have it laid out, how they keep it, even just that every fence over there is different, every horse turns left, and they turn right. But it's pristine. It has a regal kind of feel to the whole place. There was great English and Irish support there. Every time the horses passed us, which they passed several times in the race, there were huge cheers from the crowd; it was a great atmosphere. It was amazing to see how delighted everyone was to see an international horse win, just like one of their own would have. Just seeing the reverence that they held for Gavin and Keith was second to none. People were singing to Keith as he was coming off the course and looking for autographs!
What was the experience like after the race?
It's great for us, obviously, but seeing how much it meant to Tara, Grace, Keith, Gavin, and Kiva made it extra special. I was chatting with Keith on Monday, and he was saying it was so different, he actually got a chance to enjoy it as it was the last race of the day. We went out for dinner that night, there were about 12 of us, and there was no racing the following day, so we really got to soak it all in. We ended up going for a few drinks in the Irish Times bar in Prague afterward, and we met a stag party from Tipperary who had been at the races, and even just seeing the joy they got out of it was great.
How did it feel to be in the winner’s enclosure on Sunday, making history?
It was such a different experience over there because they bring the owners onto the track afterward for the presentation. We were there on course for about 30 minutes for the prize giving, and it was great that the crowd stayed to watch it all. It’s very different and very unique. Regardless of anybody, whatever sport you are involved in, your dream is to raise the tricolor, and to do that internationally and see Keith put the flag over his head with your horse involved was just unbelievable! Winning something at that level, watching your national flag being raised and the national anthem being played at the end of it, we were no good after that. It really is a dream come true.
When you do get a chance to reflect on it, you realise this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we just feel so lucky.
What would you say to anyone who is thinking about getting involved in ownership that may not have taken the leap yet?
Take the leap. It has brought us to places that we never believed it would, and it has brought us to places where everybody has been so welcoming and so inviting and so helpful. And that's not just the people we meet on courses, but in HRI, AIR, everybody we deal with is just really helpful, and they want people to have success. I know it doesn't happen to everyone, but even if you don't have success, you're going to have a great time and meet some really great people.
If you're interested in exploring racehorse ownership opportunities and discovering the stories behind the sport, contact us on [email protected] to find out how to get involved.
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