IT was a very different Dublin Horse Show last week as far as Connemara owners, riders and producers were concerned as it came after Clifden, there was no international competition on the schedule and, for the first time, ponies had to qualify for all but one of the ridden classes.

That odd-one out was the stallion class but there was nothing odd at all about the winner, Robbie Fallon’s home-bred Cashelbay Rocket who, under Michael Harty, won the class before going on to take the Berney Bros Saddlery championship as the combination had done in 2019.

The now 13-year-old Cashelbay Cruise grey, who is as well-known in Britain as he is in Ireland, warmed up for his Dublin assignment by winning the ridden championship at Clifden where Fallon had initiated a famous double when finally landing the in-hand championship with Cashelbay Kate.

“It was a dream come true at Clifden and the dream continued at Dublin,” enthused the Athenry-based Cashelbay Connemara Pony Stud owner.

“I was very pleased too with our young stallion, Cashelbay Prionsa Óg, a five-year-old by Cashelbay Prince who was ridden by Julie (Donaghy) Simpson. He’s going to go to Niamh Grimes’s show and then Ray Hackett’s charity show. Rocket is out on a break, and I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere, but, you never know, we could change our minds.”

Asked what he thought about the qualifying system for the other ridden classes, Fallon replied: “Well, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword as everyone wants to compete in Dublin – a lot of good people with good ponies – but, unless they can accommodate everyone, they have to restrict the numbers and there has to be a fair system in place to do that.”

Excellent achievement

Second place in the stallion class went to Réaltaí Tadhg who was ridden by the busy Rachel Moore for Newtownards exhibitor Joanne Flynn Hunter of Loughries Connemara Ponies. This was an excellent achievement for the Glencarrig Knight grey as he is just a five-year-old.

Réaltaí Tadhg is known as Kevin at home, no doubt in tribute to his Clifden breeder, Kevin Clancy. He is out of the Dunloughan Troy mare Réaltaí Molly. According to connections, Kevin “is a wonderful character with a perfect gentlemanly temperament and exceptional movement”.

Another busy rider, Jessica Murphy finished third on board Gavin Curley’s Rocklawn Braveheart, a 12-year-old Newtown Pedro grey who was bred in Claregalway by Michael Moran out of the Robin Hood mare Robin’s Pet.