THE ridden Connemara ponies at the RDS featured some outstanding examples of the breed as huge crowds lined the rings watching the iconic ponies going through their paces in glorious sunshine before Sweden’s Madeleine Beckman and the UK’s Heather Prescott.

The four and five-year-old mares and geldings (O.12) class was won by Rakerin Bobby (Westonhouse Strabo Bobby-Gurrane Joy), owned by Ria O’Callaghan from Athenry and bred by Tomas Keane from Gort.