GALWAY breeder Tony Walsh was “absolutely delighted” to hear the winner of the 2024 HOYS Connemara Pony of the Year was the stallion he bred in 2013, Moyabbey George, who was also the ridden Connemara stallion winner at the Dublin Horse Show in August of this year.

Second in the class was Skellorn Deja Vu, with the 2023 HOYS champion Connemara Castle Kestrel, bred by another Galwayman Henry O’Toole, in third. Moyabbey George, by Castlestrange Fionn out of Glencarrig Heather (Rebel Justice), left Ireland in 2017 and he and British rider and equine physiotherapist Ailsa Vines have had huge success since.

Walsh was all set to go to see George in action, but an unfortunate slip in the yard saw him break his leg badly.

Watching via television from home, he said the win brought a tear to his eye.

“It was just unbelievable. The achievement for George and for Ailsa and her family. To be honest with you, it’s the stuff of dreams.

“I bred him out of our foundation mare Heather, who I got after seeing an ad in The Irish Field. She had originally come from my friends and neighbours, the Curran family (of Glencarrig fame) to a lady that primarily had Thoroughbreds. She was only five and already had a foal, who was a full-brother to George and who won at Dublin also around 15 years ago.

“That was why I decided to go back to Castlestrange Fionn again. She was an amazing mare and George an amazing foal, he was so placid he was given the nickname Georgina! I have Heather, the mother, and I have the daughter and the granddaughter, and they’re just all the same.

“Pauric Curran was a visitor every second day asking about him and eventually bought him off me and they produced him for the showing and then Ailsa came over and purchased him and, every step of the way, she’s been on to me. She wasn’t going rushing him, there was no rush in the world and he has a forever home there. She even came to visit me a few times and actually bought Heather’s last daughter.

“It’s amazing to see him win at that level, surreal, for a family who just has three or four mares. I show myself in-hand and you might win trophies or championships, but this is just unbelievable, there’s no comparison. The minute Alisa got out of the saddle, she rang me straight away. It’s lovely, and it shows it’s not all about money, it’s about them being part of the family.

Amazing mare

“I just started with breeding when I got too slow for hurling and football and I was just so fortunate to be able to get my hands on this mare, she was an amazing foundation mare - she had the bone, the chest, the neck, and that’s in all her offspring. But the main thing being the good temperament, she was one a million.”

Posting about her win, Vines said: “From the minute we saw George, we always believed he would be special. We’ve been patient, worked hard and everything has fallen into place this year! Winning Dublin was unbelievable and now to add HOYS to his accolades in the same year is just remarkable. He gave me his absolute all on Wednesday in the Arena of Dreams and I am so unbelievably proud of him! Tony Walsh you bred an absolute superstar with a temperament second to none!”

Further news from HOYS 2024 will appear in next week’s edition.