THE sale of performance horses and ponies attracted a good-sized crowd to Mullingar Equestrian Centre last Saturday where the list of buyers featured regular visitors from Britain, Sweden and The Netherlands as well as home-based purchasers.
The busiest of the latter group were Jim Derwin (15), Felix Burke (11) and Trade Horse (five) with the last-named giving the sale’s top-price of €5,900 for Michael and Maria Conroy’s Kylemore Pursuit (Lot 84), a gelding by Musical Pursuit.
The six-year-old dark grey, who was bred by his Co Galway consignors, is the last of 12 registered foals out of the Diamond Lad mare Kylemore Diamond. He was hunted last season.
For €3,650, Trade Horse secured Sara Davis’s Drumnacraig Lady, a nine-year-old 158cms piebald mare who has competed in riding club activities and has hunted.
Jim Derwin’s most expensive purchase in the horse section was Auto Graaf (Lot 63) for whom he gave €4,400.
Described by vendor Ian Cunniffe as having “three good paces” and “a great attitude towards work”, this four-year-old by Diamond Graaf is out of the Connemara mare Shanbo Killowen Bluebell, a daughter of Grange Kings Surf. He was bred in Co Kerry by Maurice O’Sullivan.
Britain’s Harvey Drea bought seven lots in total. His four purchases in the horse section included Hazel Bye’s cob King Trump (Lot 87) for whom he parted with €4,050. A dark bay gelding with four white socks, the six-year-old has hunted and taken part in cross-country rides.
Good eye
Bye also made a purchase on the day and among others with dual roles at the sale were Clare Sloan and Valerie Gateau who combined when it came to Lot 10.
Cummerpark Storm, who was consigned by Sloan, was knocked down for €5,800 to Gateau who purchased the 138cms Connemara on the advice of her son, Jack (13), who qualified four ponies for Dublin this year.
“As I was concentrating on selling our own two ponies and had no intention of buying anything, I hadn’t seen the mare jump but Jack told me she was the best pony there, so that was good enough for me,” said Gateau.
“I like to support the sales here as they are good supporters of pony show jumping through the Starfinders series.”
Cummerpark Storm, who has 63 Show Jumping Ireland points, is an eight-year-old grey by Anbally Cloud Storm and was bred by Gabriel Nohilly out of the Westside Hector mare, Molly May.
Gateau Stables, run by the Franco-Irish family in Tulla, Co Clare, were celebrating at the weekend when one of their ambassadors, Charlotte McCracken, won the 128cms 80cms Northern indoor championship at Eglinton on Gateau graduate, Tyrrellspass Mademoiselle.
Jim Derwin signed the €4,200 chit for Declan McArdle’s 148cms grey gelding Mylestown Hero (Lot 34). Bred in Co Cavan by Thomas Smith, this 10-year-old by the Connemara stallion Dunlewey Seamus has done some show jumping and cross-country.
Trade Horse were in early to give €3,750 for Lot 2, Karen Fox’s Rua, a 10-year-old 128cms gelding who started registered jumping on the Connaught circuit this season. The chesnut has also competed in inter-schools jumping, eventing and showing
The same vendor received €3,500 from Clare Sloan for Roadside Coronation (Lot 24), a four-year-old Connemara mare who has done some show jumping and eventing. The 148cms grey is by Westonhouse Staboe Bobby out of the Aran Brown Bomber mare, Manninard Mint, dam previously of the Grade A mare Athenry Mint (by Black Dandy).
Darragh McMahon gave the same amount for Gateau Stables’ Gateau Mr Bond (Lot 13), a five-year-old 138cms dun gelding who has competed at a few registered shows and has also been well schooled on the flat and over cross-country courses.
Vincent Smyth purchased two ponies on Saturday, giving €3,400 for Maryanne Reddin’s Tonto (Lot 29). Described as having the potential to be a successful working hunter, the four-year-old grey Connemara gelding is by Fiona’s Man out of the Ballinaboy Tom mare Forest Twilight.