The author examines the policies of the Irish National Stud from 1983 to 1997, focusing on John Clarke, the fourth manager of the Irish National Stud. During this period, the National Stud acquired the stallion Ahonoora, whose pedigree enabled the Stud to finally compete with elite breeders in the private sector. Within a relatively brief time, the Stud sold Ahonoora to one of its main competitors. The author uses quantitative data to demonstrate that this selling policy was detrimental to the Stud. Also highlighted are two government-commissioned reports, where shortly after the sale of Ahonoora, one of the reports recommends that the National Stud source a top-class stallion. Hence, the author raises questions about the peculiar policies in place regarding stallions at the National Stud, which ultimately led to the Stud coming under intense financial pressure in the early 1990s.