O’Reilly Passes Away Peacefully
31 December 2014
Waikato Stud is very saddened to report that our legendary sire O’Reilly passed away peacefully in his paddock this morning.
“I have to say, I’ve had better years,” said Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick.
“All good things must come to an end. O’Reilly has been wholly and solely responsible for the go forward and momentum of Waikato Stud as we know it today.
“We could not be more proud of his achievements or more thankful for his legacy.
“He has certainly been a breed shaper and we are indeed fortunate to be able to continue his amazing influence at the stud through his daughters and with his exciting sire son Sa-cred Falls in 2015.
“He has provided us and many people with some terrific highlights and will continue to do so in the future.”
O’Reilly was 21 years old.
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