Top returns

Conor and Caoimhe O’Meara’s MH Bellamianta, seven-year-old 138cm mare (no recorded breeding) €16,000.

Beth O’Leary’s Oke Beach Time, five-year-old mare by Beach Ball (dam by Germus R) €14,000.

Mooney Farm Ltd’s Flossy’s Little Lady, seven-year-old 148cm mare (no recorded breeding) €13,500.

Fiona Donohue’s Loobrhu Looking Dazzled, five-year-old gelding by Meeklickisland Dazzler (dam by Looking For) €10,400.

Tracey Quinn’s Lilla My, seven-year-old mare by My O My (dam by Great Palm) €9,500.

CONOR and Caoimhe O’Meara’s seven-year-old 138cm mare MH Bellamianta took the top billing at Cavan last week where, at a whopping €16,000, she headed Tuesday’s lively one-day fixture.

Bought as a project by her Co Dublin-based vendors, she was one of four, five-figure returns garnered during the session which, solid from the outset, led a highly satisfactory day’s trading.

The enduring demand for well-produced competition and general-purpose riding stock produced a competitive market throughout and, driven predominately by the commercial sector, closed with very healthy clearance of 82% (73% in 2023). In comparison to 12 months ago, there were fewer returns over €8,000, but despite this, the figures clustered well to deliver a similar average of €5,853 (€6,057).

Sale toppers

The day’s top price came early in the proceedings, when brother and sister duo of Conor and Caoimhe O’Meara consigned their seven-year-old 138cm mare MH Bellamianta to realise €16,000. Described in the catalogue as safe, very talented and with a bright future ahead of her, she had been sourced just two months earlier, and produced as a project. “My trainer Paul Curtis from Hampton Lodge Equestrian found her for me and helped me bring her on,” explained 13-year-old Caoimhe, who is a pupil at Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh in Rathfarnham. “She had great potential for the RDS qualifiers.”

Unsurprisingly, Bellamianta was the subject of a competitive exchange before the hammer finally dropped in favour of Munsboro buyer, Padraig Dolan. Never far from the ringside, the Roscommon man acquired a further five lots over the course of the day, commenting: “This was a really nice, easy pony and I didn’t mind spending that much on her.” He said: “We sell a lot to Eastern Europe, and we look for potential and their ability to be good at the level they will be aimed at. We like to give them time, and then we’ll do a bit with them during the summer.”

There were a further three, five-figure returns, the best of which, at €14,000, fell to Beth O’Leary’s home-produced Oke Beach Time (Lot 74a), a five-year-old mare by Beach Ball. Very well-related, the Martina McCrory-bred mare is a daughter of the imported dam B Termie R 6, who has already produced the up and coming Canadian-based CCI4* event horse Oke Ruby R, as well as the Edward Doyle Jnr-ridden young jumper Oke Lulu Star (1.35m). “She was always bought to produce and so she did very well for herself,” commented O’Leary afterwards. “We broke her last year, and have slowly produced her to win 4 SJI points. She’s a very classy individual with lots of blood, and she really loves herself!”

Once again, there were plenty of buyers on hand for this smart individual, who was eventually snapped up by Sligo trade buyer Tiernan Gray.

Dominic McFadden’s four-year-old Durrow Chester (Lot 93) realised €9,200

Such was the demand for good ponies, the next notable figure at €13,500 also went to the smaller of the species. This time, it was the turn of Mooney Farms Ltd’s attractive Flossy’s Little Lady (Lot 11), an eye-catching 148cm seven-year-old dun mare who, although offered with no recorded breeding, was believed to be by a Connemara sire. Consigned by Jason Mooney and knocked down to the busy Padraig Dolan, and, she had been produced for the sale by neighbour, Grania Flavin. “Jason had originally bought the mare for his daughter Alicia,” explained Flavin. “However, this is a real performance pony, and was just a little too much for Alicia, who was just setting out. She really jumped at Cavan, and was spectacular on the day with Rebecca Buckley, making 1.20m fences look like cross-poles. She behaved beautifully, and we think she will be a very special pony.”

Bootylicious (Lot 17), a 148cm pony, made an impact at €8,500

The final lot to break the €10,000 bench was Fiona Donohue’s traditionally bred Loobrhu Looking Dazzled (Lot 63), a five-year-old gelding by the Connemara sire Meelickisland Dazzler out of Loobrhu Looking For by Looking For. Sourced as a yearling, and slowly produced by Donohue, together with Elerie O’Connor and ridden on the day by Abi Cornath, he had attended pony club, had hunted and was described by his vendor as: “A really good looking horse with an exceptional temperament.” This smart sort is now bound for Belgium, having been snapped up by Paul McEntee on behalf of Luc DeLoof.

Other notables

Few would have travelled as far as Tracey Quinn, whose four-and-a-half-hour drive from near Listowel in Co Kerry was well rewarded, when her seven-year-old mare Lilla My (Lot 38) changed hands for €9,500. A daughter of My O My, Lilla My was bought three years ago, primarily for her daughter Sarah, who was coming off ponies. “Sarah is now busy with her studies, and this is a mare that needs to be jumping,” explained Quinn. Bred by Fiona Hickey, who also stands the sire, Lilla My has clocked up 113 SJI points, and will now travel to the Swedish yard of regular buyer, Tomas Johansson.

A further two lots realised €9,200 apiece, the first of which was Dominic McFadden’s four-year-old Durrow Chester (Lot 93). Joint highest price of his age group, this 168cm gelding (no recorded breeding), had been purchased privately last summer and, ridden on the day by Emma Dolan, will continue his career in England with successful buyer and producer, Caron Nicol.

Also making €9,200, and the final lot to make in excess of €9,000, was Eddie O’Connell and Sarah Barry’s Silver Divine (Lot 96), a blue and white gelding standing 155cm. Well-described in the catalogue, the four-year-old had hunted with the North Tipperary hounds and, good to cross any kind of country, looked well bought by Armagh customer, Sylvia Steele.

It is disappointing to note that seven of the top 10 lots lacked any recorded breeding, three of which were ponies. Another of the latter to make an impact at €8,500 was David Egan’s 148cm pony Bootylicious (Lot 17), while Daniel Mee’s well-hunted Aglish Pet (Lot 47) by Huntingfield Sunny C (dam unrecorded) realised €8,400 and Sarah Hickson’s unregistered Hickson Flosi Girl (Lot 39) sold at €8,200.

Harwel Drummer Boy (Lot 21), a 128cm approx six-year-old bay gelding, made €7,800