▁Grand ▁National s . ▁F oin av on ’ s ▁dam ▁was ▁E cil ace , ▁a ▁nin ete en - year - old ▁bro od m are ▁who ▁had ▁never ▁rac ed ▁but ▁had ▁already ▁fo aled ▁a ▁winner ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Grand ▁National . ▁She ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁a ▁da iry ▁far mer ▁in ▁County ▁L imer ick ▁who ▁paid ▁ 4 7 ▁gu ine as ▁to ▁have ▁her ▁covered ▁by ▁V ul gan . ▁F oin av on ▁was ▁fo aled ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁and ▁spent ▁the ▁first ▁year ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁on ▁the ▁farm . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁he ▁was ▁sold ▁in ▁Dublin ▁for ▁ 4 0 0 ▁gu ine as ▁and , ▁eight ▁months ▁later , ▁sold ▁on ▁to ▁Anne , ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁West min ster . ▁His ▁new ▁home ▁was ▁a ▁farm ▁near ▁Dublin ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁duch ess . ▁He ▁spent ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁year ▁there ▁before ▁being ▁sent ▁to ▁Tom ▁Dre aper ’ s ▁yard ▁at ▁Green og ue , ▁where ▁a ▁stable - mate ▁was ▁Ark le . ▁The ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁West min ster ▁gave ▁F oin av on ▁his ▁name ▁before ▁his ▁first ▁race ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁name ▁being , ▁like ▁those ▁of ▁Ark le ▁and ▁Ben ▁Stack , ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁a ▁mountain ▁on ▁her ▁S uther land ▁estate . ▁F oin av on ’ s ▁first ▁race ▁was ▁a ▁b um per ▁in