THE 2022 Connemara Pony Sales season came to an end last weekend in Clifden where, without breaking any records, trade held strong once again to close out an exceptional year which saw the sales reach the heights of 2007.

Another strong clearance rate of 70% (67% at the same sale in 2021) and a top price of €12,200 (€14,000 in 2021) relayed any fears that the roaring trade for Connemaras was going to peter out at the back end of the year. In fact, it is the opposite, with agents reporting they simply cannot buy enough of the ponies.

Connemara Pony Sales’ Ann de Courcey commented: “It was a great sale to finish the year. Two years ago we didn’t have a December sale at all and now we have two days and it will be a permanent fixture. We had a bigger entry than we expected and all the vendors were very happy.

“The market continues to hold up very well. On Saturday, we had four ponies that made over €10,000 and there were plenty of foals sold for good prices too. It was hard to know what way it would go so close to Christmas, but we had a lot of new English people and actually some people came up from Goresbridge which was a help to us.”

De Courcey added: “Overall, it has been an exceptional year. We had the biggest entries, most days and highest prices of any year. We had 17 sales days overall and there was plenty of demand throughout. We are probably getting ponies now that we wouldn’t have gotten years ago.”

Sale topper

Some 370 ponies passed through the ring over the two days with four selling for a five-figure sum and topping the sale was Alice Reynolds’ five-year-old gelding Cloonaveigh Mosco (Lot 152). Ballinasloe-based Niall Daly had the final say on the dun gelding by Shadow’s Dun who, bred by Michael Houlihan, is out of Cloonaveigh Heather (Fairyhill Hawk).

Daly runs Attyrory Horses alongside his brother Ronan in Ballinasloe, Co Galway and buys and sells all types of horses and ponies. Commenting on the sale- topper, he said: “He is a super model and was very well turned out and produced by Alice.

“He looks like he’ll be a very good jumper and he has a great temperment also which helps. I don’t think we will have him too long as we always have people asking us for this type of pony.”

Daly added: “It’s myself and my brother Ronan in the business. We buy a lot of ponies and horses for export markets. There’s always a good demand for 148cm jumping ponies with some experience.”

One of 23 ponies to go to the UK is Lot 63, Rathcline Fionnuala’s Lad, a four-year-old gelding by Rathcline Melvins Boy out of Miss Fionnuala (Monaghanstown Fionn).

Clifden regular Patrick O’Gorman paid €11,200 for the 160cms grey who, described as the “perfect gentleman” and has schooled cross-country, was consigned by Yvonne Bradley.

Clifden producer Emer McNamara got €10,800 for her four-year-old gelding Cabra Joker (Hillside Joker – Gurteen Breeze, by Glencarrig Knight), Lot 93, who was previously bought at the Clifden sales. Well broken and schooled by McNamara, British customer Catherine Storey signed for the smart type on Saturday.

The final five-figure sum went the way of Joe Burke’s Mountbrown Minstrel (Lot 76), a six-year-old by Park Ronan out of Killaspic Queen (Coral Gold). The 153cm bay was purchased by Ballinasloe regular Kieran Egan.

Lot 63, Rathcline Fionnuala's Lad, was sold for €11,200 \ Rynes Walker

Local success

Ballyconneely breeder Conor Little enjoyed a lucrative sale when, as well as consigning the top-priced foal, he sold the seven-year-old Corrib Daisy for €9,600, making her the highest-priced mare.

By Gurteen Cathal out of Menlo Star (Coral Ross), the mare was described as a top-quality ridden pony and is well related to proven performance ponies. She was purchased by Sligo’s Tiernan Gray who, as the leading buyer numerically, bought another six lots over the two days.

Among them was John Harte’s nine-year-old mare Niabh (Lot 128), who he signed for at €9,000. By Moy Hazy Cove out of Northern Holly Lights (Lissduff Rebel), the grey has done Pony Club, hunting and cross-country.

Another to exceed the €9,000 mark was James Winterbotham’s seven-year-old gelding Carrabeg King Elvis (Funambule II x Carraig Galen Miller) who was knocked down to O’Gorman at €9,500. Also active throughout, buying five lots, was Co Laois dealer Gerty Tynan who gave her highest price of €8,800 for Lot 213, Dara Hawkins’ six-year-old Go Moydrum Clover. By the Clover Hill stallion Moores Clover, the 148cm dun gelding is out of Moydrum Cailin Bui (Templebready Fear Bui).

Foal trade

Foals dominated Sunday’s sale where, despite some slow trade early on, the top price of €5,000 was significantly better than the same sale last year (€3,000).

Having earlier sold the dam Corrib Daisy, Conor Little’s Blakesfield Shadow Dreamer, by Silver Shadow, commanded the highest bid online from German buyer Daniela Decker. The filly is the first foal registered on the CPBS database to the seven-year-old mare.

Lot 263, Blakefield Shadow Dreamer, was the highest price foal when sold for €5,000 at the Clifden December sale \ Rynes Walker

Martin Kenirons sold his unnamed filly foal by Prince Richard out of Cremully Hazy Dawn for €4,100 to Martin Connolly, while two filly foals made €3,000.

The first was Bríd Uí Ráinne Trá Bháin Cool Contender (Lot 64), by Pumkins Pondi, sold to Vincent O’Reilly. Padraic Heanue gave the same amount for Lot 279, Terry Reilly’s Rathcline Jasmine (Western Boy – Lorvale Princess).

While the proximity to Christmas more than likely kept some mainland European buyers away, there were 35 ponies sold online with eight going to France, four to Germany and two to Denmark, and Britain remains the biggest export market with 23 ponies sold to our nearest neighbours. The first sale of 2023 at the Clifden mart takes place on February 11th and 12th. Entries are now open.