AS agricultural shows in the West of Ireland go, it would be hard to find a show better equipped for all the family interests than Corrandulla. The hard working show committee, guided by chairperson Lucille Smyth, have thought of it all from Grand Prix show jumping, in-hand and ridden classes, cattle show, sheep dog displays, and a funfair for children.

Not even the Galway versus Mayo preliminary All-Ireland Quarter Final could scupper the crowd, and the match was shown in the hall for those who wanted to see both the football and the horses. Despite one heavy rain shower before noon, the sun shone for the day and the ground in the field, located in the middle of the village, was perfect.

Jim Carey was tasked with picking the winners in the in-hand Connemara ring where, overall, a good number of entries came forward. After a busy morning, he chose Patrick Curran’s Glencarrig Laurina as the junior champion. The mare by the home-bred Glencarrig Knight out of Wyncroft Dawn had just won the three-year-old filly class before the championship.

The reserve champion was the yearling filly winner Padraig Folan from Inverin with Teach Mor Peige, (Glencarrig Monarch x Thorgal de L’Aubier).

Bryan and Niamh O’Halloran from Clifden are on a great run of form with Cabra Jane who won the four to six-year-old mare class before being crowned the champion mare of the show and the supreme champion of the show. The four-year-old by Hillside Joker is out of the Glencarrig Knight mare Gurteen Breeze and was bred by J. Hogan.

Standing reserve champion was the 10-year-old and over mare class winner, Amy Curran’s Glencarrig Countess (Glencarrig Knight x Glencarrig Princess), shown by her father Gearoid.

Just 24 hours after winning the four and five-year-old RDS qualifier at Scarteen, Grace Maxwell Murphy and Glencarrig Kingman were called forward by ridden judge Phillipa Scott as Connemara ridden champions. The four-year-old gelding, bred by Ciaran Curran, is by Glencarrig Knight out of Miss Eleanor (Glencarrig Prince).

Scott was also in charge of the Irish Draught in-hand section where she judged her champion to be the Newell family’s 13-year-old mare Kilcahill Naoimi. Bred by Tom Newell, she is by Clover Brigade out of Madonna Hill (Triggerero). The reserve champion was Martin Murphy’s Fuerty Princess (Welcome Emperor x Ben Calverstown).

Show jumping

Three rings of show jumping for ponies and horses drew great crowds and the inaugural €1,000 Puissance competition, sponsored by Harrington Group, was a real crowd pleaser. Victory in the class went to Robbie Healy who jumped 1.95m in the third round with his own KMS Clintland (Clinton x Corland).

Tadhg McKiernan took second place when he faulted at the wall in the third round with Gabriel Slattery’s Castlelawn King Claudius, while Michael Caufield retired in the third round with Habab Elrite to finish third.

There was a prize fund of €3,000 in the 1.35m Connaught Grand Prix, sponsored by Kenny Galway. From a startlist of 17, seven combinations made it through to the jump-off. Galway’s Aoife McCabe took an early lead aboard her own Belgian-bred Mona Lisa Quality (Naba de Reve x Clarence C) in 39.03 seconds, but ultimately had to settle for the runner-up spot behind Lee Carey.

In form, having won a National Grand Prix three days earlier at CoilÓg, Carey took almost two seconds off the time with Niall Carey’s Luxity (OBOS Quality x Lux Z), bred by John Mulvey, to take the top prize. Pataire Crawford slotted into third with Claire Crawford’s Jippie, clear in 40.93 seconds.

James Joyce had the time well beaten (34.48) with his own stallion Garryduff Jar of Hearts (Zandeur x Furisto) but the last fence fell and he had to settle for fourth place.