THE last of the Irish Shows Association’s equestrian All Ireland finals yielded wins for a range of delighted owners, ranging from Inverin’s answer to Katie Taylor and a 90-year-young showing veteran who finally won a coveted All Ireland title.

Originally scheduled to coincide with Ballinasloe Agricultural Show, the finals went ahead as a standalone event following the decision to cancel the country’s oldest show for a second successive year. One silver lining was having the entire area of the permanent showgrounds available, while the grandstand proved invaluable later in the day.

However, unlike last year’s monsoon conditions, the weather had held up until mid-afternoon when the forecasted rain appeared and the finals attracted its usual number of Connemara, Irish Draught and donkey enthusiasts who had gathered for their traditional end-of-year outing.

Fresh from a judging engagement in Germany, Jimmy Canavan selected the first of the day’s champions in the opening Parkmore Stables and Fr. Christy McCormack-sponsored three-year-old Connemara filly final. One of Canavan’s hallmarks when judging is viewing the ponies moving towards him during the initial trot-up and correct, athletic movement became one of the day’s themes.

The Inverin Corner

He swapped around his initial order, promoting Glencovitt April to champion, to the delight of her owner Roisin Gannon and her supporters in the ‘Inverin corner’. At home in the boxing ring, as in the showring, Gannon had spotted her future champion as a foal at Clifden Sales, where she was entered by her Donegal breeder John Crawford.

Standing reserve was Roscommon owner Noel Mahon’s Rathkeery Lady Katie, another trademark dun offspring of Western Boy, sire of this year’s Connemara performance champion at Dublin, Killaneen Boy. Third from the line-up of eight was Slieve Rushen Pearl, owned by a beaming Olivia Kealey, who also claimed one of the ISA’s bronze sculptures for herself and the Glencarrig Ri filly being judged as the best-turned-out.

In his post-championship interview, when the achievements of the purebred Connemara mare and dual European pony showjumping championships medallist Cul Bawn Mistress was also referred to, Canavan spoke about the Connemara enthusiasts in Germany who travelled up to 400 kilometres to attend their show, and the importance of movement.

MOVEMENT

Improved movement was evident in this year’s Irish Draught foal finalists with several eye-catching movers amongst the contenders. Another discernible feature was the emergence of Ballinasloe prizewinners by more recent approved stallions from the Cavan inspections, with a changing of the guard from older stalwarts.

The first champion - Anne Rabbitte’s Springvale Dawn Rose - was one example from the crop of the Carrickrock Close Shave sire Carrickcottage Star and once again it was a Castana dam, Springvale Rose, that helped provide another All Ireland title here for the Clara owner. Anne’s other Castana mare Lecarrow Gypsy had produced her other ISA champion; a Fintan Himself filly back in 2013.

Progeny of both Class 1 and 2 stallions are eligible for ISA finals and Leitrim breeder Padraig Fitzpatrick has been a supporter of Millhollow Stroller, now fully approved, since the Cappa Cochise stallion went to stud. Fitzpatrick’s colt moved right up from 10th to record yet another reserve champion place for his owner and his Grosvenor Lad dam Benbo Hero, to match his full-brother’s result in the 2015 final.

Third place went to Claregalway owner Jim Quirke with his Rathcoona Prince, another by the new brigade of sires Ceide Prince, out of an All The Diamonds dam.

Shoo The Donkey

The very last of the ISA finals is one of the most delightful sights in the showring, when donkeys take centre stage. This year’s final, sponsored by local businessmen Gerry Stronge and John Harney, was confined to donkey mares with foals at foot, which reduced numbers to eight on this occasion. Buttonholes, top hats, brand-new headcollars and their compulsory bright yellow passports were some of the sights, and while donkey enthusiasts treat this final as seriously as other equestrian exhibitors, there was much laughter too as donkeys went off-script.

Ernie Somerville was tasked with judging this championship and selected Frank O’Down’s longtime ‘bridesmaid’ Ballinrobe Girl as his champion. Frequently placed in this final, this was the first All Ireland win for her Castleblakeney owner who celebrated his 90th birthday last month. Reserve went to her longtime nemesis Betsy, back again for owner Michael Foley, and in third place was another Banner County exhibitor Deirdre O’Laoi whose Cloncoe Fiona had an adorable Yeti-like foal at foot.