SEAFORDE’s Chloe Rooney, one of a number of riders who contested Balmoral qualifiers on both Saturday and Sunday at The Meadows last weekend, left the Lurgan venue with one win in the bag having landed the concluding ridden class for Connemara mares and geldings aged six and over.

Fitting the bill as a rider over 10 years of age, Rooney topped Valerie Davis’s standings on Mandy Boyle’s Fairyhill Markle, a seven-year-old grey gelding by Monaghanstown Boy who was bred near Cleggan by John Noel Mullen out of his Kingstown Fionn mare Fairyhill Madonna who, in turn, was out of a mare by Coral Prince.

“I bought him about a year and a half ago from Laura Napier in Hazeldene to ride myself but then decided to get Chloe to produce him for me and she has done a great job,” said Boyle. “Since buying ‘Markey’, I’ve got to know the breeder quite well and we keep in touch regularly. I look forward to seeing Markey at Balmoral and I think that we will venture outside the Connemara classes to do some working hunter competitions as well.”

Having ridden all her life, Rooney first came to wider notice as an event rider but changed tack having reached the stage where she had to sell her 148cms eventing pony Molly May on whom she had plenty of success at EI110 (J) level and finished sixth of 31 in the CCIJ1* at Tattersalls in 2016.

“I purchased my first Connemara, Turloughrevagh Sparkle, from Clifden sales after which I fell in love with the fun and versatility of the breed and that’s when I knew I wanted to focus on them. Shortly after, I began breaking and schooling Connies for clients and that’s how I got involved with Mandy who I’ve known all my life. She has become more like a second mum! We go out to shows with no stress or pressure and have a bit of fun; if we come home with a rosette it’s a bonus!

“The highlight of last year was qualifying for the Dublin Horse Show with Markey. He can be quite a character so we weren’t really sure what to expect of him as he had never been in such an atmosphere before, but he was brilliant and finished a very respectable fourth in his ridden class. He has continued to mature and we’re excited to see what this year can bring.”

Also qualifying by right on Sunday were Emmalee Turley and the 2015 Teach Mor King mare Balsa Beag, Jamie Smyth with the 2018 I Love You Melody mare Glencoaghan Rachel Girl and Caitlin McGuckin on board the 2016 Ballybaun Robuck gelding Fanad Beauty.

Banks win

In the class for four-year-olds and over partnered by riders aged 10 to 15, the honours went to Piper Lewis-Copeland and the 2020 Banks Timber gelding Seafield River Banks who was bred in Co Galway by Peter Keane. Desna Lewis’s grey is the only produce recorded on the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society database out of Seafield Heather, a daughter of Drumbad Fletcher Moss.

Seafield River Banks was ridden last year by Charlotte Smiley under whom he qualified for the Dublin Horse Show where he finished second in his ridden class to the reserve champion, Teach Mor Sparrow. On Sunday, he booked his Balmoral ticket ahead of the Poppy McIlduff-partnered 2019 Gwennic de Goariva gelding Cleendargan Boy, the Sophia Campbell-ridden 2017 Oxhill Mairtin gelding Oxhill Andreas and the 2011 Mountain Cascade mare Kinnard Kitty who finished fourth in the hands of Lucy Knox.

Sunday’s action commenced with a working hunter qualifier for riders in the same age group as the class above and here the winner was Donegal’s Lisa Hegarty on board Rosemary Fisher’s Tallyho Dun It. This six-year-old bay mare by Goblin King was bred at his Tallyho House Stud in Co Wicklow by Alan Woods out of the Kingstown Cavalier mare Tallyho Pearl.

Also securing their qualification for this year’s Balmoral Show (May 14th to 17th) at the first attempt were Ella Robinson and the 2014 Templebready Fear Bui mare Rickamore Faith, Zac Hanna with the 2018 Golden Glint gelding Highburren Cameron and Brook Kennedy with the 2019 Silver Shadow gelding Cupid’s Magic Shadow.