An insufficient amount of grazing land means the movement of thoroughbred mares from Coolmore Stud to China will not now take place until next year.
The twenty in-foal mares were to be shipped to the far-east as part of a €38 million deal set to boost the Chinese equine industry.
However the mares will now be moved to North Cork to foal – they and their foals will then be shipped to what is being described as a “Horse City” in Tianjin next year along with another 20 mares.
At that stage the issue of a lack of sufficient grazing land for mares in foal will have been addressed.
The project, which was announced by the Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney during a trade mission last April, is seen as a major vote of confidence in the Irish horse breeding industry and particularly in the world renowned Coolmore Stud.