FROM the Olympic Games to the Dublin Horse Show to the Connemara Pony Show. I have attended all three events in the last three weeks and, while the scale might have been getting smaller, the passion certainly wasn’t.

Being on the ground in Clifden this week, I have witnessed the sheer disappointment and anger from locals, visitors and most of all competitors, following the show committee of the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society’s (CPBS) decision to postpone the ridden and performance classes with two days’ notice, and reschedule for a venue outside of Connemara at the end of September. The postponement was attributed to worsening weather conditions and fears the grass arenas would not hold up.

The town of Clifden is a sea of ‘Save Clifden Show’ posters on every shop window, while on Thursday, there was a show of support to keep the annual event in the capital of Connemara for it’s 100th anniversary next year, when ponies and people took to Omey Beach. With a new show committee in place, the crux of the fallout goes as far back as last February, when the show was placed in doubt following the warm-up sand arena being deemed unsafe to ride on.

Local business owners, who are really feeling the effects of the postponement with booking cancellations and huge revenue loses on what would be traditionally the busiest week of the summer, have gotten behind the campaign and the Chamber of Commerce have requested urgent meetings with the CPBS.

Special win

The in-hand classes on Wednesday did go ahead and let’s not allow the controversy take away from what was a very special win for Bryan O’Halloran and his wife Niamh. The Clifden couple welcomed baby Colí Gérard O’Halloran into the world just 11 days before their mare, Cabra Jane, was judged the Supreme Champion on Wednesday. A week that will be hard to top for their family.