THE number of Connemara ponies sold overseas at the Connemara Pony Sales four-day October sale hit an all-time high last weekend with 134 of the 592 ponies that changed hands going to new homes outside of Ireland.

The top price paid over the four days was €6,000 for Lot 581, Lockinge Coriander, who will make her way to Vanessa Compton’s established producing yard in Lincolnshire, England. Bred by Henrietta Knight, the eight-year-old mare is by the dual Olympia and Horse of the Year Show champion Castle Comet, who Compton owned. The dam, Sweet Charity, was herself the British Breed Show champion in 2011.

Sold by Cian Geoghegan from Cong in Co Mayo, the mare is scanned in foal to the class 1 stallion Cnocban Casanova.

Compton had her eye on the mare for quite some time and while she didn’t make it to Clifden for the sale, she bought the pony over the phone.

“The obvious attraction is that she’s by Castle Comet but she’s also out of a pony that has been supreme champion at our Breed Show. My other Comet mare is also out of a past Breed Show supreme winner and therefore I thought the two would pair up quite nicely here,” Compton said.

“I understand she is a good mover and not too big so will hopefully breed pony qualities. She is booked to travel over in the next 10 days. I am hoping to show her next year with a foal at foot and then decide whether to cover her or break her to ride.”

A huge number of 840 ponies were catalogued for the sale, with 702 passing through the ring and 592 sold. German buyers were active at the Clifden venue, buying a total of 41 lots. The Dutch were close behind purchasing 30 ponies, while 29 Connemaras left for the UK. As usual French customers were present at the sale, buying 22 ponies and a small number left for Belgium (6), Sweden (4) and Switzerland (2).

Day one, Friday October 28th, comprised mostly broken and ridden ponies. The top price of €5,250 was paid by Kieran Egan for Lot 138, Michael Rouse’s Barraghmore Bailey, a seven-year-old gelding by Drimcong Cove with 96 show jumping points. Gerty Tynan paid €3,350 for Lot 166, Towerhill Shamie, a five-year-old gelding by Celtic Bobby Sparrow, consigned by PJ Goggins from Claremorris.

Some 14 ridden ponies sold for between €3,000 to €5,250 with a further 15 ponies fetching between €2,400 and €2,900.

The top price on day two was €3,200 for Lot 282, Fortane Heather, a four-year-old unbroken mare by I Love You Melody. Sold by Michael Moloney from Galway, the mare was purchased by Emma Rugman and will make her way to the UK.

There was a notable increase in the prices paid for two and three-year-old fillies, with four lots selling for over €2,000.

The majority of lots on day three and four of the sale were foals and Lot 590, a filly foal by Gwennic De Goariva out of Mountain Primrose, fetched the highest price of €1,650 when sold to Gabriel Farragher by Mary Nee.

Lot 632, Kevin Nally’s dun filly foal by the 2016 Clifden reserve supreme champion Moorland Snowy River and out of Addrigoole Neana, was sold for €1,600 to Conor Coyne.

Padraic Heanue, manager of the Connemara Pony Sales, said: “It’s great to see the rise in prices especially for quality stock, but what’s even better to see is, at last, the young stock of two and three-year-old fillies have finally come up in price.”