TWO sections of in-hand classes were held on the Sunday of the recent Irish Pony Society championship show at Hollypark Stables, the fixture’s own and those funded by a DAFM breeding grant.

Anne Gomes judged both and her show champion was Joe Burke’s five-year-old Connemara stallion Manor Marble, winner of the Mountain and Moorland breeding stock class. Standing reserve was Co Cork’s Jerry Moloney with his hunter pony broodmare winner Killullt Lass, an 18-year-old bay with no recorded pedigree.

Bred by Noel Noonan, Manor Marble, who stands at Burke’s Cloonisle Cashel Stud in Co Galway, is by Manor Duke out of Rosscon Windy Lady (by Laerkens Cascade Dawn).

““Duke won all these classes and championships in the past, so it’s nice to win them again with a son of his,” said Burke.

“I’d never been to anything at Hollypark Stables before and thought it was a super venue.

“The classes were all held on a surface, which meant that the show could go on no matter what the weather did – they were prepared for anything.”

This championship success on Sunday, September 8th, which was mirrored in the DAFM classes, was followed by another a week later at the Connemara Pony Show of the Year at Duffy’s Equestrian, where Manor Duke’s erstwhile stud companion, Banks Timber, was crowned ridden champion under Burke’s wife, Grace McDonagh.

“When Banks finished covering for the season, he left my yard to go over to the showing and competition yard run by Grace and her mother, Mary Grealish.

“They were absolutely thrilled with the win.”