'It is rare indeed for property developers to write memoirs, or leave anything on the public record. But that's what Joe McGowan, of once-notorious builders Brennan and McGowan, has done with Clearing the Hurdles, in which he recounts his life and times, including a four-week stint being cross-examined by lawyers at the planning tribunal in Dublin Castle; he calls it the "Theatre of Ice". . . . [The book] will be of compelling interest to those with a passion for horses as well as anyone involved in the precarious, up-and-down business of house-building.'
-Frank McDonald, An Irishman's Diary, the Irish Times

Joe McGowan is a builder and developer, and a former showjumper. Davy Lad, owned by his wife, Anne-Marie, won the Gold Cup in 1977.