BUYERS from Britain and mainland Europe were very much in evidence, and play, on Tuesday at the performance sale in Cavan, where the Westphalian stallion KEC Maximum Joe featured in the pedigree of two of the top-priced lots.

Both animals were consigned by members of the Kennedy family at whose Kennedy Equine Centre in Tralee the deceased Maximum Joe once stood and where they still have semen available. It was the mother of the family, Anna, who sold the top-priced KEC Happiness (Lot 77) for €12,500 to Sweden’s Annika Kinde of AP Haste.

This five-year-old 167cm home-bred Irish Sport Horse gelding, who has competed at training shows and been schooled cross-country, is by the also deceased Oldenburg stallion OBOS Quality 004 and is the oldest produce registered on CapallOir out of the KEC Maximum Joe mare KEC Maximum Happy Boo. The bay was followed by a full-sister in 2020, half-sisters in 2021 (by Conticco) and 2023 (by Future Trend) and a three-parts brother in 2022 (by Lagans OBOS Quality).

Anna’s son Kieran, who runs the family’s Coolballyshan Stud near Adare and, with brother Liam, has established Kennedy Brothers Sporthorses, was the vendor of Josefina (Lot 12), the third highest-priced lot in the sale and the top-priced pony, when selling to Sligo’s Tiernan Gray for €11,400. This 148cm six-year-old bay daughter of KEC Maximum Joe out of a thoroughbred mare has 21 ShowJumping Ireland points to her credit, all of which were earned under Christian Kennedy.

Lot 12, Josefina, was the top priced pony at Cavan Performance Sale \ Cavan Sales

Engand’s Terence Smith went to €10,000 to secure Kieran’s TWS Sinead (Lot 68), a five-year-old Vivant van de Heffinck mare, who has done a small amount of show jumping up to 1.20m. Described as a suitable type for age classes next year, the Pat Talty-bred bay is out of Lisdeen Guidam (by Guidam).

Kieran also sold KBS Red Fusia (Lot 37), a six-year-old home-bred ISH mare by Matisse de Mariposa out of KBS Calidad Estelar (by OBOS Quality 004), who has competed up to 1.10m and has been hunted. From the family of Shannondale Vintage (CCI4*-S), among others, this chesnut will be residing closer to her birthplace, having been purchased by Co Limerick’s Karl Dore for €8,100.

Kieran’s sister Sinead also featured as a vendor on Tuesday, when she sold Kams Wee Molly (Lot 84) to England’s Sharon Condron for €9,400.

Bred in Co Roscommon by James Gormley, this four-year-old by Landenco, out of the Rapid Raimondo mare Toujours Daisy, has done a small amount of registered jumping (nine points), has been schooled cross-country and lightly-hunted.

Good value

Away from the Kennedy clan, Co Wicklow’s Jean Morton sold ‘Moses’ (Lot 40) to Jim Derwin for €11,700. A tall, dappled grey by Cougar, this six-year-old ISH gelding was bred in Co Galway by Michael Martyn out of the Silvano mare Kinguaire Lady. He was described in the catalogue as a ‘stunning gelding’ and Derwin agreed with the vendor in that regard.

Jim Derwin signed for Lot 40 at €11,700 at the Cavan Performance Sale \ Cavan Sales

“He’s a really good-looking horse, a dappled grey with a white mane and tail,” said Derwin. “He has done a bit of everything – showing, jumping and a small bit of eventing. He had all the work done and rode very well. He could be a horse for the US, but could go anywhere. People now seem to be looking for an older horse and I thought he was good value for the money.

“It was a good sale, with horses and ponies selling all day. I bought seven and, with the 31 I bought in Ballinalsoe over Sunday and Monday, I’ve enough of buying done!” concluded Derwin, who signed the €10,000 chit for Niall McGarry’s Dourough Moonprom (Lot 99).

This four-year-old mare, who has jumped up to 1.10m and has been cross-country schooled, is one of just three foals registered on CapallOir by Dourough Bluemoon (a seven-year-old son of Hiello) and, as her name would suggest, was bred in Co Cavan by Gordon Drury, out of the jumping mare Promise Me This (by Pik Labionics).

Derwin gave €7,800 for another mare, Fairview Stud’s ‘Tolan Queen’ (Lot 48), who was described as having ‘serious potential for the future’. The brown six-year-old is by Tolan R out of the Sligo Candy Boy mare Captains Candy.

Irish Draught

The top-priced four-year-old, and top-priced Irish Draught in the sale was ‘Harvey’ (Lot 89), who was sold by Co Louth’s Niamh O’Connell to Co Mayo’s Niall Daly for €10,500. Described as a very honest, genuine horse with plenty of scope, the Dunbeggan Grey Mist gelding was bred in Co Westmeath by Sarah Hennesy out of Corrcullen Heirloom (by Fast Silver).

Heading to Germany, having been purchased by Tino Burger for €8,400 is the sale’s top-priced three-year-old, Sean O’Reilly’s unnamed Sligo Candy Boy gelding, Lot 127. This tall, home-bred bay is out of My Decison (by Appraisal), whose dam was by Clover Hill.

Mentioned above, Tiernan Gray parted with €10,200 to secure Jimmy Dermody’s Ballyquirke Paddy (Lot 24), an 11-year-old 169cm gelding, who has 161 ShowJumping Ireland points to his credit. The bay, for whom an experienced rider is required, was sold with a clean set of x-rays. He is out of the Clover Brigade mare Ballyquirke Brigade, who is dam also of the OBOS Quality 004 siblings Dartans Quality Brigade (CCI4*-S) and Agatha Raisin (CCI2*-L) and the Courage II gelding Ballyquirke Tipp Top (CSI5*).

Tiernan Gray parted with €10,200 to secure Jimmy Dermody’s Ballyquirke Paddy (Lot 24) \ Cavan Sales

While the clearance rate at 63% was down on the previous four years, the 74 lots sold resulted in an increase in aggregate to €409,100 with an increase in average to €5,528.

“We were well pleased with the sale,” said Cavan’s Stuart Clarke. “There was good trade all day and the market held up well when it came to the older ponies and horses. It was a little bit tougher with the three-year-olds, but that seems to be across the board this year.”