DMF Equine Transport New Venture in Ballinasloe

Faye O'Connor and Damien McGuire

Damien McGuire and Faye O’Connor are the founders of DMF SportHorses in Atticorra Creagh where they groom horses for competitions and have recently started a new venture in Horse logistics , DMF Equine Transport.
Local man Damien went to college and studied Business and Equine Studies in Gurteen College and AIT. After graduating, he worked for himself for a time and also worked for another very successful horse producer locally while also spent some time in Laois producing young horses before returning to work in Gurteen College as the Equine Yard Manager.

His partner Faye was born and raised in Dublin, also studied Business and Equine Studies in Gurteen College and AIT. During her time in college, she worked for a top producer of young horses in Dublin and now top coach. After graduating, she also worked for another top producer and trainer in Kilkenny before coming here to find work and begin the long road to building a business.

Damien always wanted to return home and eventually become self-employed again but it was a fine balance between dreams and reality. With partner Faye, they have built up a good business producing and selling horses both nationally and internationally. They pride themselves on honesty while trying their best to stand over and guarantee anything they sell. Although this has been a very strange year for everyone with Covid-19 impacting they have been lucky to keep some really nice horses in the yard and still be able to make sales happen, due to the good relationships they have built up over the years.

Their yard compromises of 11 stables, a feed room, tack room and a spacious grooming box along with a 30x40m floodlit sand arena. They have some very nice horses which compete and produce to a level where they can be sold at the higher end of the market and also keep a few more trade types which can be sold on quicker and keep a little turnover on the go. Over the years, they’ve built up a really good client base in the UK, Sweden, Germany and Belgium.
They’re both firm believers that hard work and honesty does pay off in the long run and have founded  an International Equine Transport company whose main customer base will be with other yards like their own that have sold horses abroad and are looking to get them delivered . They also offer a transport service nationally for anyone that is looking for their horses to be transported to shows, sales or new homes.

They felt that they’re in a good location for this business “only being one hour and 40 minutes from Dublin port and being in the midlands it gives a great scope to reach most of the country within a good timeframe. It is a great location for our new venture as it is so easily accessible because of the M6 motorway and the surrounding road networks”, states Damien.

Damien’s best advice to any business owners is that “every day is a school day, you can and should learn something new every day”.

For Faye’s she notes that new entrepreneurs  “ will need a strong work ethic and be self-motivated in order to have a chance at success, take pride in your work and always be both presentable and approachable”.

They’re based in Atticorra, Creagh, Co. Galway with varied business hours as they do with any type of livestock but try to stick to 7:30am – 6pm. For Livery and sales contact 087-2180363. For Transport contact 087-6445272. Make sure to Follow them on Facebook below and Instagram.