THE Connemara Pony Breeders Society (CPBS) is forging ahead with plans to hold the rescheduled ridden classes from it’s annual show at the end of September in Athenry.

It comes in spite of a growing movement among entrants of the original classes, scheduled to be held on August 22nd and 23rd, who say they will boycott any venue other than Clifden.

The CPBS cited weather and safety concerns for rescheduling the classes, however a groundswell of opposition to the move has not abated.

Among those determined to see the show run in Clifden is the Connemara Chamber whose spokesman, John Sweeney, said: “The town is very concerned about the postponement, but more importantly, the relocation of the event to a venue outside of Connemara. I attended a meeting of the international Connemara breeder society’s last week and they were all emphatic that they do not want the show at some sand arena in the middle of nowhere - they want it in Clifden - and they were assured that it would be, so we are hopeful.”

Nicola Heanue, who was involved in organising a beach ride in support of keeping the show at Clifden, said: “My reasons for not attending Athenry are that I don’t want to support the CPBS decision to cancel the classes in Clifden or to move them to another location.

“I also feel that while the CPBS are adamant that they made the right decision, that perhaps they could acknowledge that a large majority of their members think otherwise and issue an apology for their upset and loss of money for costs.”

Breeder and show rider and producer Grace Maxwell Murphy echoed these feelings. “I won’t be attending as I feel like attending is supporting a move from Clifden,” she said.

“I always try to stay balanced on these things and see everyone’s point of view but I can’t support anything that would even look like a step towards moving the show away from Clifden and everything that makes it so special there.

“Not to mention the lateness of it and blatant disregard for all of the work that goes in to producing these ponies for our biggest show.”

Reassurance

This week, the CPBS reiterated it’s commitment to running the 2025 show, the centenary of the event, in Clifden in a lengthy Facebook post.

“We understand and share the disappointment and frustration of those who were eager to participate in the ridden classes at the Clifden Show,” the post stated.

“However, given the predicted weather conditions, which would not normally be a concern with a fit for purpose sand arena surface, the insurance company would expect the CPBS to factor this into its risk assessment and mitigation strategy.

“Consequently, in consideration of both the safety of our participants and their ponies, the CPBS’s liability, we made the difficult decision to relocate and reschedule the ridden and jumping parts of this year’s event.

“I would like to emphasise that there are no plans to relocate the show from Clifden in the coming years. However, it is a top priority to address the sand arena’s condition as soon as possible. We will be seeking significant grant, local and government support in Autumn 2024 to achieve this.”

Entries for the rescheduled classes are currently open and close on September 4th. Those who have chosen to withdraw have reported that refunds have begun to filter into their bank accounts.