PRICES at the August running of the Connemara Pony Sales last weekend were down on last year but there was still a lively market and a number of five-figure sales among the four and five-year-olds. The sale topper this year went for €11,000 whereas last year a determined Laura Geraghty bought Rathkeery Melvin for €14,000.

Overall, there were 662 entries with 546 through the ring and 387 sold giving a 71% clearance rate. Online bidders accounted for 91 of the sales with the majority of overseas-bound ponies going to the UK (56). 25 lots are bound for Benelux countries, eight go to Germany, four to France, two to Sweden and one to Poland.

Gerty Tynan was the most active buyer, signing the docket for 21, while SDV Horses took home 20 and Hannah Taylor accounted for 18. Other buyers taking home multiple lots were Hollie Airey (13), Kieran O’Connor (9), Jason Sweeney (9) and Tiernan Gray (6).

Lot 301, yearling Clareville Arctic Fox, was sold for €3,400 at the Connemara Pony Tales. Pictured with regular seller Grace Fahy \ Rynes Walker

Notable youngstock sales include young Grace Fahy’s sale of Lot 301, Clareville Artic Fox (Mochulla Dun), for €3,400 to Pat Gleeson.

Fahy, daughter of sale regular Ray Fahy, bought this now yearling as a foal at the Clifden sales last October for €1,200 and enjoyed great success showing the eye-catching filly at many shows this year. This was the second highest priced yearling, the top lot being lot 491, Pepsie Noah, a colt by Dunloughlan Warrior who went to Tony Downey for €3,800.

Another sale of note was lot 586, the top priced two-year-old consigned by Michael Rynne of Lahinch and sold for €4,000 to Liam Mulryan of Oranmore.

International interest

Ann de Courcey, manager of the Connemara Pony Sales, said: “Every pony got a bid and there was no shortage of buyers, more perhaps than in May. There was very strong international interest too which is pleasing. There was big demand for riding ponies, especially those with mileage, and we were very happy with day one and day two when the quality and clearance rates were really up.

“When we look at the numbers compared last year, okay, there were a couple of headlining numbers in 2023, but the average was in the same ballpark. Trade peaked on Friday and was very steady on Saturday, and on Sunday, we had more of a mixed bag, with a lot of younger stock with not as much work done, so you couldn’t really compare that with Friday.

“I don’t really think we were affected by the postponement of the Connemara Pony Show,” she went on.

“It would have been better if the show, had gone ahead, more from an atmosphere point of view than a buyer point of view because a lot of people did leave town before Thursday or decided not to come.

“We had plenty of overseas visitors regardless, first timers from Finland, a couple of English buyers and Germany was also very strong.”

Sale topper

Lot 178, Oakland Hero, a five-year-old 15.1hh bay gelding by Maam Hero out of Kinamara Lady Geraldine 15.1hh consigned by Grainne Geary was the top lot at the August sales selling for €11,000 to Kieran Egan.

This pony was described as a very quiet and easy pony who had hunted two seasons with Duhallow Foxhounds and was second in the four and five-year-old showing class at Charleville Show recently.

Egan said it was his colleague Laura Geraghty who spotted the pony while he was busy at the sales ring. “She rang me and told me to come and look at him, we saw him jump and that was it. He was just a lovely all-round pony, a super type.”

However, Egan did not hang on to him for long as a very keen overseas buyer who persuaded him to sell before the end of the day. “He offered us a nice profit so we said if we are going to sell him, now is the day to do it!

“I also sold on another half-bred pony I bought that day so in the end we only took home two. They were also very nice ponies, that’s what you get at Clifden that you can’t get anywhere else, 600 good quality ponies to choose from and the sales team do a super job there.”

Egan said he believed there were a number of people missing from the sales as a direct result of the Connemara Pony Show ridden classes being postponed.

“The show should never have been cancelled, or if it was being cancelled, the whole lot should be cancelled. It put a lot of people out. I hope they can get it together and do it right for next year for the centenary and it should be in Clifden. Someone said to me sure what difference if it’s not there but I say it wouldn’t be the Dublin Horse Show in any other venue and it wouldn’t be the Connemara Pony Show in any other venue.”

Highest prices

Not far behind Oakland Hero was Lot 17, Ashbrook Adventure, another overheight five-year-old gelding, this one by Ballyowen Beau Chance out of Ashbrook Rosin who was sold to Hannah Taylor and Patrick O’Gorman for €10,600.

As usual, this pair were very active buyers, signing also for four more overheight four-year-old lots from the top 20 including Lot 85, Derryveeney Lad, a grey gelding by Kinard Lucky (€8,100); Lot 4, Corha’s Clover, a grey gelding by Dunally Lad (€7,800); Lot 22, Classiebawns Oisin, a grey gelding by Classiebawns Hugh’s Promise (€7,600) and Lot 25, Shelly’s Girl, a grey mare by Ross Fear Bui (€7,800).

Lot 77, Claragh Demi, was the highest priced mare and third highest priced pony. By Glenayre Silver Fox out of Claragh Whitney, this eight-year-old 146cm grey was consigned by William Noone and was sold to Tiernan Gray for €10,000.

Oran’s Dun Lorenzo (Lot 19) a five-year-old 148cm dun gelding by Grange Finnigan Surf out of Ramonlin Grey Lass was just highest of the four-figure ponies sold by Stephen McDermott to Kiaran O’Connor for €9,500.

The highest successful online bid was made by Emma O’Gorman who signed over €9,500 for Lot 291, Olwyn O’Regan’s Knockmoy Corona, a 147cm grey four-year-old gelding by Rineen Robbieout of Cooleshal Kasprovy.

Bound for Holland following his sale to Joop de Jong is Lot 115, Johnny Be Good, a 145cm four-year-old dun gelding gelding by Lydican Johnny out of Ardmore Dawn who was consigned by Karen Connolly.

The second highest price paid for a mare was the €8,800 Jo Challinor paid for Hollyhock Notions, a black 152cm four-year-old by Ricardo Royale out of Latton Blossom.

Close behind was another mare, Pippa (Lot 203), a 15.1hh grey five-year-old by Kildromin Major out of Currachmore Lass, knocked down to Padraig Quinn for €8,600.

Sales regular Gerty Tynan was the successful bidder at €8,500 for Lot 129, Lookout Lockdown, a four-year-old 155cm bay gelding by Rock Bawn Paddy out of May Morning Dew and consigned by Bernard Dunning.

Another sales regular, Tiernan Gray, rounded out the top 10 when he paid his top price of the weekend, €8,400, for Lot 83, Emma Kinsella’s Coolarne George, a five-year-old 148cm gelding by Glencroft Go For Goldout of Coolarne Ashlyn.