CAVAN’s final international performance horse and pony sale of the year took place on Wednesday when the profile of potential purchasers changed with the fare on offer.

The highest price of the day, €11,500 was given by the Browns from Strabane for one of the early three-year-olds, Frank Rogan’s Shilo (Lot 116), an attractive Irish Sport Horse gelding by Cobra who made a very good shape over a fence. Bred in Co Cork by Michael McCarthy, the grey strongly resembles his dam, Annaghmore Clofi, who was by the under-utilised Clover Fields (by Clover Hill).

Although he wasn’t involved in a strong pony market, Jim Derwin was the sale’s busiest purchaser, signing for eight lots. The Athlone dealer gave his top price of €10,500 for the first four-year-old to come under the hammer, Nigel Kenny’s home-bred Derrycastle DDC (Lot 96).

The chesnut gelding, who was produced by Smyth Sport Horses and has five Showjumping Ireland points, is registered with the Anglo European Studbook.

He is by the Selle Français stallion Desir du Chateau out of the Heartbreaker mare Corrib Heart who jumped and is a half-sister to, among others, the Harlequin du Carel gelding Corrib House (CSI4*) and the Try-Time gelding Cavalier Rusticana (winner of the Puissance at Dublin and Liverpool).

Jim Derwin paid €10,500 for Lot 96, Nigel Kenny's home-bred Derrycastle DDC at Cavan's performance horse and pony sale on Wednesday \ Cavan EC

Catch the eye

Another four-year-old to catch Derwin’s eye was Ballywilliam Felix (Lot 108) for whom he gave €10,000.

This ISH gelding was consigned by Donegal show jumper Kenneth Graham who, sharing the ride with girlfriend and groom, Megan McGettigan, had amassed 10 SJI points with the bay. Ballywilliam Felix, a son of OBOS Quality 004, is out of the Ekstein mare Derg Stein Cruise and was bred in Co Tipperary by Noel O’Brien.

Derwin also purchased Graham’s Kannan mare Lenamore Mary Lou (Lot 95), giving €7,100 for the bay who came on the market at €5,600. Bred in Co Waterford by Ellie Moloney, this Kannan five-year-old has taken part in hunter trials as well as jumping up to 1.10m level.

She is a half-sister to the Cobra gelding MBF Countdown (a €17,000 graduate of the 2018 Go For Gold Sale), being out of the Lux Z mare Calgary Girl.

Lux Z is also the damsire of Derwin’s €6,750 private sale purchase, Michael Reilly’s Blondie (Lot 58). One of a number of smart hunters on offer, this six-year-old dun gelding, who was bred in Co Meath by Philip Dolan, is by the Connemara stallion Gwennic de Goariva out of Drakerath Clover Lux and has hunted, hunter trialled and competed at training shows.

Britain’s Katie Pollock signed the €7,000 chit for Dorothea Wilson’s Templepatrick Tiger Lilly (Lot 82) who has 31 SJI points. Ridden most recently by Stacey Watling, this home-bred five-year-old mare by Luidam is out of the Touchdown mare Touched who previously bred the international show jumper Touch Button (by Gee Apollo).

Also heading to Britain, following Poppy Stronge’s €6,800 bid, is Paraic Kelly’s Jessie (Lot 107), a four-year-old roan filly by the British Sport Horse stallion Wonder Wall who competed at 10 shows during the summer including Millstreet where she jumped double clear in the 1m classes.

Italy’s Giuseppe Trombetta bought two three-year-olds giving his higher price of €6,700 for Paul Flanagan’s home-bred gelding (Lot 164). The bay, who is out of a Cavalier Royale mare out of a Cruising mare, comes from the family of Ballintogher Cruiser, HHS Fortunas, etc.

There were a few event riders in attendance on Wednesday with Newcastle, Co Dublin-based Ian Cassells being the successful bidder at €5,000 for Seamus Drea’s unnamed three-year-old gelding by Beowulf (Lot 170) who was one of 14 animals listed in the day’s supplementary catalogue.

Bound for Belgium

There weren’t many coloured horses at the sale but heading to Belgium is the Vincent Meaney-consigned nine-year-old unnamed Lancelot gelding (Lot 43) who was purchased for €3,500 by the De Loof stable.

Many foreign buyers were present for the opening pony section of the sale but it was the home-based David Harrison who had the final say at €9,000 for Atshanboe Socks (Lot 10) who has 182 SJI points. The seven-year-old bay 148cms gelding, who came on the market at €8,200, was consigned by Co Clare’s Albert O’Brien whose nephew, Alex O’Brien, rode and presented the pony on the day.

David Harrison paid €9,000 for Atshanboe Socks (Lot 10) at Cavan horse and pony performance sale. Consigned by Albert O'Brien, the pony was well showcased by his nephew Alex O'Brien on the day \ Cavan EC

Another 148cms pony to find a new home was Seamus Hynes’s Show Time Cruise (Lot 13) who has nine SJI points and has hunted and hunted trialled. The six-year-old grey mare was purchased for €5,500 by Co Derry’s Diane Weatherup.

This year’s sale saw three lots fewer sold than last November but the average grew from €3,324 to €3,812.

As I had criticised Cavan for the lack of working screens at the last sale I covered there, I was delighted to see that not only was the one on the rostrum working again on Wednesday but so too was the screen in the restaurant.