An American millionaire’s gift of seven Arabian horses to an Irish leader in the late 1980s left officials red-faced because of the poor state of the animals, government archives show.
Charles Haughey was taoiseach (prime minister) of Ireland when he accepted an offer of supposedly pedigree horses from Vincent Melzac, a businessman from West Virginia.
Mr Melzac, who had met Mr Haughey during his trip to Washington DC for St Patrick’s Day in March 1989, wanted to donate the horses in honour of his wife’s Irish heritage.
Mr Haughey, a well-known horse lover, immediately accepted, but his hopes of receiving exquisite animals were later dashed when, upon inspection, they were found to be “quite inferior”.
The revelation came to light in confidential papers released from the State Archive.
After the Irish ambassador to the US and officials from the Department of Agriculture in Dublin visited Mr Melzac’s property to view the animals, arrangements were made for them to be exported.
The two stallions, four males and a colt were imported to Ireland in late September 1989.
The documents reveal that the Irish state bore the £25,000 ($30,065) cost of transporting the animals across the Atlantic.
A hand-written note by a senior official in Mr Haughey’s office noted that the taoiseach had said “he would like to meet these horses when they arrive in Ireland ― possibly on arrival in this country”.
Mr Haughey was the owner of several horses and riding was one of his hobbies.
On November 21, he indicated that he would attend an acceptance ceremony on December 12 at the National Stud in County Kildare, where the horses had been taken for a resettlement period.
But the animals’ poor condition left a senior vet and the stud manager less than impressed, with the latter telling the taoiseach’s department they were “quite inferior”.
In response, the Department of Agriculture said that the animals were of “impeccable pedigree”.
A memo written only a week after Mr Haughey accepted the invitation indicated that he would not, after all, attend the ceremony.
“The taoiseach spoke to me on November 28 saying that he had received information to the effect that the horses were of very poor standard and in the circumstances it could be embarrassing if he were to visit the stud to inspect them,” a senior official wrote.
Mr Haughey requested that an expert from the British Arab Horse Society be brought to inspect the horses, and offer an independent view. He ordered an assessment to be carried out in early 1990 by brothers Finn and Kieran Guinness.
Finn Guinness, who at the time was president of the British Arab Horse Society, concluded that three mares were “quite nice” and could be used for breeding. The fourth, however, had a “bad head and a lot of white on her, which is particularly unsuitable in the Irish climate”.
He said the colt had “quality” but acknowledged it had weaknesses, possibly due to immaturity. “If space can be found for him while he matures, he may make a useful stallion,” Mr Guinness wrote.
On the two stallions, he said they “do not seem to be good enough to contribute usefully to our breeding here in Ireland”.
After his assessment, the four mares were sent to an agricultural college where they were used for breeding.
The colt was left at the National Stud for fa urther year, while the stallions were leased out to non-thoroughbred breeders.
Mr Melzac, who was terminally ill at the time he offered the horses to Mr Haughey, had hoped to attend the ceremony in Ireland in 1989 but died in October of that year, aged 75.
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The%20specs
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RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
RESULTS
ATP China Open
G Dimitrov (BUL x3) bt R Bautista Agut (ESP x5)
7-6, 4-6, 6-2
R Nadal (ESP x1) bt J Isner (USA x6)
6-4, 7-6
WTA China Open
S Halep (ROU x2) bt D Kasatkina (RUS)
6-2, 6-1
J Ostapenko (LAT x9) bt S Cirstea (ROU)
6-4, 6-4
ATP Japan Open
D Schwartzman (ARG x8) bt S Johnson (USA)
6-0, 7-5
D Goffin (BEL x4) bt R Gasquet (FRA)
7-5, 6-2
M Cilic (CRO x1) bt R Harrison (USA)
6-2, 6-0
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
