A MIXED catalogue at the Mullingar Connemara pony and performance horse sale featured some nice Connemara youngstock but buyers of foals were a little cautious.

The best price for a foal was €700, paid by Dermot O’Brien for Nelius Foley’s dun filly Cross Ban Bui (Lot 15), by Ross Fear Bui and out of Blakehill Christina.

Kier McMenamon’s strong grey colt foal Newgrange Aisling (Lot 10A), by Boyne Valley Woody) was knocked down to Carl Dore on the bid of €625.

Top price of the overall session was €5,000 paid by Jim Derwin for Olly Steele’s six-year-old dun gelding Cratlagh Curlew (Lot 45), by Ballybawn Robuck and out of the Tulira Barney-sired Fanad Shussi.

Derwin also paid €3,000 for Lot 36, Sandra Fox’s Shanbo Harvest Gold, a five-year-old grey gelding by Illaunurra Cathal.

Another heading for his Athlone base is Aidan McGoldrick’s five-year-old roan gelding (Lot 46) by Woodfield Sammy who sold for €2,800.

CONSIDERABLE INTEREST

There was considerable interest in Lot 52, Fiona and Matt Purcell’s 14-year-old mare Quetsche du Moulin (by Hurricane of Laps). The auctioneer extracted every euro he could get and finally settled on €2,350 from Derwin.

Trade Horse paid €3,500 for a lovely traditional Irish Draught mare named Molly (Lot 83), by Silver Banner out of a Clover Hill mare. She was beautifully presented by Maril Liguri for seller Brendan Hayden.

The same purchaser also paid €2,500 for P O’Reilly’s five-year-old gelding Drumgola Tom (Lot 31), by the Connemara stallion Glencarrig Ri.

Maeve McGinity sold her three-year-old gelding Dunguaire Darwin (Lot 30C), a son of the prolific show ring winner Banks Timber, for €1,700 on the bid of M Butler.

Shane Kelly signed for Debbie Ryan’s four-year-old 158cm gelding Perrins George, by Dunlewy Seamus, at €2,600, and another respectable price was €1,300 for Liam Lynskey’s nice six-year-old coloured mare by Western Warrior, purchased by Felix Burke.

Burke also signed for Lot 68, Oliver Walsh’s well-balanced five-year-old bay gelding. Overall, there was good trade for geldings.

As the shutters come down on the 2018 sales at Mullingar Equestrian, Robert Fagan and his team are already looking towards Saturday, March 30th, when the first sale of 2019 will take place.