Cavan Horse Marketing Centre

Address: Cavan, Co Cavan.

Telephone: 049-4332017

Fax: 049-4331400

Email: info@cavanequestrian.com

Web: www.cavanequestrian.com

Date: Tuesday, February 20th, 2024

Time: Performance Sale: 11am. (80 lots plus late entries).

Last year’s top lot: Kieran Kennedy’s Ryagan Lad, five-year-old gelding by Lancelot (dam by Tannenhofs Carmelito) €12,500.

MARKING the opening of the sale’s year, the first sport horse renewal gets underway at Cavan next Tuesday. Running two weeks later than 12 months ago, the one-day edition offers a varied catalogue of around 80 lots and, while numbers are down on last year, the quality appears to have held up well.

Featuring among the eye catchers, and certainly standing out in terms of pedigree, is the four-year-old home-bred filly Omard Luna by Barely A Moment. Very well-related and with future paddock potential, she is out of a sibling to the American-based five-star event horse OBOS O’Reilly, as well as to the Belgian ridden show jumper Crack Star (1.50m).

Another likely to make an impact is the five-year-old Captain Star Clover who, by Quite Capitol 11, is the first foal out of a sister to the four-star Nations Cup event horse Amiro Sky and the useful jumper Rose of Lennon, Alfadaeo and DHI Bounce.

Looking at the list of covering sires, no sire is especially prominent, but heading the numerical table with two progeny forward is one of last season’s stand out stallions, Sligo Candy Boy.

Ponies

Lot 2 Call Me Pebbles, reg 14 yo gr m 128cm. The first of the 22 ponies on offer, the diminutive Call Me Pebbles is a reluctant sale. Now waiting her turn to bring on her next little rider, she is a straight forward ride and suitable as a second pony. Under Dressage Ireland rules, she completed the 2023 season with a win at Garranmore Equestrian Centre, as well as filling a runner-up placing in Hillcrest. She has also competed in numerous unaffiliated dressage competitions and has been placed every time. Pebbles has also attended Pony Camp and has hunted.

Lot 9 SNS Maverick, reg 6 yo b g 128cm. Another of the smallest height groups, this pony show jumped last year to win 79 SJI points and has headed many league finals. Measured, fit and ready to compete, he is thought an ideal prospect for this season’s six and seven-year-olds RDS qualifiers. In addition, he has been well schooled across country and on the flat, and is well hunted.

Lot 14 Mister Spots, reg 5 yo gr/ro g 147cm by Mackney Buster out of Mackney Dapples. A proven hunter, Mister Spots has followed hounds for two seasons, and is happy to cross drains, hedges, wire and gates. He has also competed in a few pony club events and fun rides, and shows the potential to make a classy show jumping or event pony.

Lot 15 Dancing Dawn, reg 5 yo b m 148cm. Belived to be by an Irish Sport Horse out of a Connemara pony, this good moving mare has clocked up 15 SJI points and is measured for the coming season.

Competition horses

Lot 25 Laylas Way, reg 13 yo ch m 162cm by High Roller out of Seamyway (Sea Crest). Featuring Sea Crest as the dam’s sire, this attractively bred mare has been successfully evented by an amateur to win 6 EI points. Boasting a very good record, and yet to incur a cross-country penalty, she has racked up numerous wins and placings at EI100 level, and won the EI110 at Blackstairs in 2021. She was also placed sixth in the CCI*Intro at Ballindenisk International the same year.

Lot 33 DS With Me, reg 7 yo gr g 164cm by DS Are You With Me out of DS Baby Bouncer (Moylough Bouncer). By the popular Corrado sire DS Are You With Me, this high class gelding has hunted, show jumped, evented and competed in dressage. The winner of 8 SJI points, and with placings in unafilliated events, he shows plenty of scope to progress through the grades. He is also described as a machine in the hunting field, and is only for sale as his rider is in college.

Lot 36 Balief Imperial, reg 6 yo b g 163cm by Imperial Tiger out of Lazio (Aldato). A well-bred individual - and a sibling to several graded performers - Balief Imperial has enjoyed many small hunter/intermediate wins in the show ring. He headed the line up at Balmoral last year and has also been show jumped and cross-country schooled. He is thought suitable for a competitive, experienced rider, who is looking for an exciting prospect to take jumping in 2024.

Lot 42 Roscrib Jige, reg 6 yo bl m 162cm by Exquis Powerfee out of Diamond Clover Betty (Flagmount King). A well-related half-sister to the German-based international jumper Roscrib De Ross (1.45m), as well as to Roscrib Lady Bird (1.20m) and to Roscrib Harry, this mare bred a foal last year. She has jumped at training shows, is extremely quiet and thought likely to make a top class amateur competition horse in any discipline.

Lot 44 DSL Point the Way, reg 8 yo ch m 170cm by Pontilliste out of DSL Honeysuckle Rose (Cruise On). From a performance family and by one of last year’s leading thoroughbred sires, this mare has been professionally produced and is suitable for any branch of equestrian sport. Dam show jumped to win 25 SJI points with Andrew Bourns.

Lot 63 Our Creewood Star, reg 5 yo b m 168cm by Reach For The Stars (KWPN) out of Dakoda (Nad Elshiba). The second foal out of the 1.20m jumping mare Dagoda, this potential event mare has been quietly produced and has attended HSI training sessions.

Hunters and all-rounders

Lot 31 Drumany May, reg 12 yo b m 155cm. Ridden by a 13-year-old boy for the past three years, but now sadly outgrown, Drumany May has competed at pony club rallies, area competitions, interschools and Balmoral qualifiers. He has recently qualified for an arena eventing final and, as a highly rated hunting pony, has followed the Mid Antrim Harriers on more than 40 occasions.

Lot 52 Clorogue Bell, reg 5 yo gr m 153cm by Irish Pride (unrecorded). Described as an ideal mother and daughter share, this mare has hunted with the Donegal Harriers for a full season. She has also competed in unaffiliated events and training shows and looks to have the scope, temperament and ability to go far.

Lot 64 Captain Star Clover, reg 5 yo gr g 165cm by Quite Capitol 11 out of Ruskeys Silver Lady (Star Cruise). This attractively related gelding is the first foal out of a sister to a string of good performers. Among them is the four-star event horse Amiro Sky, ridden by New Zealander Bruce Haskell, while others include the useful jumpers, Rose of Lennon, Alfadaeo and DHI Bounce. Quietly produced with his future in mind, Captain Star Clover is currently competing in training shows in classes up to 1m level. He has also hunted with the south Westmeath hounds, and carried the Field Master.

Lot 76 Omard Luna's dam is a sister to the American based event horse OBOS O’Reilly pictured here with William Colman at Aachen n 2018

Four-year-olds

Lot 68 MMD Highway, 4 yo gr g 168cm by Phil VD Wezelse out of Newton Buffet (French Buffet). A brother to the very decent young rider jumping mare Madam Buffet, this gelding was a big winner in the show ring, and headed the Mayo and Roscommon line-up as a foal.

Lot 75 Billie Eilish, reg 4 yo b f 156cm by Wild Balou Bill out of Unbelievable Cappolla (Unbelievable Darco). By the Balou du Rouet-sired 1.35m show jumper Wild Balou Bill, this filly was broken over the winter and is now cantering around a course of small fences. Well-related, her dam competed to 1.20m level and, according to the catalogue, she has already bred a four-star event horse.

Lot 76 Omard Luna, reg 4 yo b f 160cm by Barely A Moment out of Omard Princess (Beach Ball). By a thoroughbred sire and with future paddock potential, this home-bred filly is showing plenty of ability to jump and is proving to have a good attitude when schooling across country. Very well-related, her dam is a sister to the American-based event horse OBOS O’Reilly (CCI5*), who under Will Coleman was placed at both Kentucky and Luhmuhlen. Another half-sibling to the dam is the show jumper and puissance specialist Crack Star (1.50m). Adding further depth, the damline includes many other top performers, including KEC Aligator Alley (1.60m), RNH Tom Tom (CCI4*) and Omard Connery (1.35m).