BUYERS from Belgium, England, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland and Sweden, were busy throughout the day at the Mullingar Equestrian Performance Horse and Pony Sales last Saturday.

As proceedings got under way, it was evident that the market is stabilising for good stock.

Top price of the day was paid for Lot 81, Lisa Bushway’s four-year-old 17hh bay mare Starfield Principessa (Riverland Roi-Kouette) who fetched €6,500 on the bid of Sweden’s Michelle Frank.

There was considerable interest in Damien Keenaghan’s six-year-old skewbald mare Curraghavarna Phil (Lot 89) who should provide her new owner Graham Thorn with an armchair ride for the coming season. He said: “I had a bad car accident four years ago and thought I would never go hunting again but now I have found the perfect mount, it’s a dream come true.”

Clearly there is a big market for good ponies.

Jenny Blommeskold from Sweden paid €5,250 for the bay mare Gold Finch Spartacus (Lot 6), a winner of the 2017 National Championships 70cms with 700 SJI points. She said: “I bought the pony for my daughter Alma and we are all so happy to have her.”

Rosemarie Hynes from Galway paid €3,500 for a handsome dun four-year-old gelding Earl (Coolfin King-Coolfin Robin) (Lot 38). Consigned by Colm Kearns, he looks an ideal working hunter prospect.

Robert Frazer’s bay four-year-old gelding Sonas Ricardo (Ricardo Royal-Bananuma Pride by Master Imp) (Lot 73) sold for €3,400 to Schmid Urspring GMBH in Germany.

ACTIVE TRADE

Jim Derwin was busy all day, he paid €5,500 for Brian Judge’s quality well-bred gelding A Qidam Echo (Lot 74), a six-year-old gelding with traditional Irish and continental bloodlines matched with 30 SJI points to date. Also in Derwin’s draft was Pat McGree’s high quality unnamed four-year-old grey filly (Young Carrabawn Flash Frisky) (Lot 69) who looked a bargain at €3,400. Derwin also went to €5,100 for Brian Judge’s fluent brown gelding Vinnie (Lot 96) (Ars Vivendi-Killaloe Jewel)).

Robert de Vries from Holland went home with three purchases. He paid €1,750 for Gerald Devaney’s dun gelding Dundrum (Lot 45) and €1,200 for Charlie Gilroy’s five-year-old bay mare Barrackfield Lady (Lot 51) plus €2,250 for Sandra Maher’s black mare Kyles Black Beauty (Lot 52).

Diarmuid Considine went to €3,000 for June Mooney’s four-year-old unnamed bay gelding (Porsch-Secret Mint) (Lot 82). He also bought Jonathan Quigley’s Benowen Bay (Lot 67), hunted with the Glasson Farmers, for €3,150.

David Harrison’s Connemara gelding Drumacot Boy (Carraghkeen Cashel-Drumacott Lady) (Lot 28) sold to Niall Daly for €2,700.

IMPRESSED VISITORS

Raul Elfstrom from Sweden was pleased to acquire Nigel Crowe’s five-year-old brown gelding Henry Dark Shot (Lot 19) for €1,450. He said: “I am very impressed with the facilities at Mullingar and I will be back again.”

Ciara Skerry sold her bay gelding Leim Master (Bell Spailpin Fanach – Akira’s Justice by Rebel Justice) (Lot 29) to the bid of Kevin Reilly.

Richard Fitzgerald bought some lovely Connemara Ponies. He paid €2,850 for Michael Healy’s quality class 1 five-year-old mare Tawnytaskin Princess (Maghera Fadda Lad-Corroy Lass) (Lot 34).

Haras D’Andaine from France paid €900 for (Lot 20), Michael Maguire’s five-year-old filly Shanbow Coffees Girl (Urrachree Clad out of Shanbo Coffee) by the great jumping sire Monaghanstown Fred. She will surely make a lovely broodmare.

Sive Ryan paid €2,500 for a very nice dun gelding (Lot 55) offered by Andreas Dolan.

Pure Irish Draughts are scarce, Peter Doolan’s unnamed six-year-old chesnut I.D. mare (Huntingfield Ruler-Doolans Vision) (Lot 68) looked value at €2,850 when bought by Michael Dilger.

Eddie Burke from Claremorris got some nice animals, he paid €2,000 for Feaha Moore’s strapping 16.2hh chesnut gelding Dock (Near Dock- Annsfort Coole Robin) (Lot 90) who looks like making a name for himself in the future.