MULLINGAR Horse and Pony Sales’ first running of a combined loose jumping competition and auction for three- and four-year-olds attracted a diverse range of entries of both ponies and horses last Friday evening at the Co Westmeath venue.

Friday’s loose jumping competition attracted 16 horses and of those, just six were sold. The standout lot in all aspects was the winner, John Nash’s Moonshiner (Lot 30), a three-year-old bay gelding by Celtic Hero BZ out of a Radolin mare, who won the horse section of the competition before making the top price of €12,000 when knocked down to Derwin Sport Horses.

UK online buyers were active in the horse category, and Barbara Miles from Devon gave the next two best prices. She paid €6,000 for Lot 16, Gabriel Slattery’s three-year-old grey filly by Castlelawn Captain Junior out of a mare by the Connemara Pony stallion Young Walt. Miles is also taking Lot 23, Norman Allen’s Heart of Glass, a three-year-old bay colt by Cara Touche, back to England after paying €4,400 for him.

UK-bound

Also going to England is Lot 24, James Creagan’s three-year-old bay Granpa’s Rebel filly My Lady, who was knocked down at €3,200 to John Thornton from Carlisle. The other two horses were sold for €3,300 and €3,400.

Of the 14 ponies that jumped in the loose jumping, six were sold, with top price of €9,600 paid by Ted Fagan for Edward Bourke’s four-year-old 12.2hh grey Connemara Bodella Boy (Lot 4). The gelding is by Doonreaghan Marty out of a Rehan Pride mare won the loose jumping competition on a score of 77.5.

Lot 4 Bodella Boy

Michael Kelly paid €5,500 for Lot 9, Colman McDonagh’s four-year-old 14.2hh gelding Mirah’s Clover, by Moore’s Clover out of a Westside Mirah (CP) dam.

Dylan Creagan’s four-year-old 12.2hh skewbald mare Suzie May (Lot 5) purchased for €5,000 by Laura Stanley who also went home with Lot 3, the three-year-old 12.2 PDS Lucky Lady for €2,800.

Saturday

Saturday’s sale combined foals, yearlings, two-year-olds and broodmares and it was a mixed affair with just a 41% clearance rate.

The Connemara foals achieved the highest clearance with six of the seven through the ring sold, with an average return close to €2,000.

There were less satisfactory returns for the cob foals and yearlings, with no buyers for the eight lots shown.

The two-year-old cobs did better with 60% clearance and an average of €1,833.

Seven of the sport horse foals were sold for an average of €2,100, three yearlings averaged €1,333 and two two-year-olds €3,250. Four of the six broodmares shown sold for an average of €1,325.

The top price on the day was €3,800 for Lot 44, Joseph Delaney’s two-year-old chesnut colt by Carrick Cottage Star. He was sold to regular Mullingar buyer Dermot Considine of Trade Horse, who bought a total of five, including the Road To Happiness colt foal Pomerol (Lot 58) for €3,000 from Adair Milligan Leech.

Declan Fagan of Mullingar reported good participation from UK buyers both ringside and online, with some travelling to Ballinasloe for the unofficial fair the following day.