THE sixth Hunter Show and Go Sale, organised by the Traditional Irish Horse Association, was held on Tuesday at Mullingar Equestrian Centre where the top price of €10,200 was paid by Maria Marron for Johnny Vance’s Carrick Diamond Ranger (Lot 27).

This figure fell well short of the €14,000 given last year for Anni Flagmount but sale organiser Eamonn Gleeson, who is a TIHA national council member, wasn’t too downbeat about the results and comparative figures which showed that, on the day, just one horse less was sold than in 2018.

“The prices may not have been as good as last year but you can’t expect a top flight entry every year,” commented Gleeson who pronounced himself “happy enough” with the sale.

“We had more clients registered this year than ever before and some of them had a lot of money to spend but, perhaps a few of these liked the same horse.

“These people like to see the horses perform in front of them and it’s far from jumping a pole up against a wall here as it’s so open and there is a wide variety of fences. We put back the start time of the showing phase as we knew there were people coming in from England who would buy if they found something suitable.

“A good few horses were just short of their reserves in the ring and a few were being followed up after the sale. With all the uncertainty around with Brexit, I thought it was a very good sale and we’ve had plenty of positive feedback from vendors and purchasers alike.

“This year we introduced an amateur competition horse section which we will have to advertise more in the future as it was mainly hunting people who came to the sale,” Gleeson said.

Quality

Carrick Diamond Ranger is definitely heading for the hunting field having been purchased by Marron for her husband, Andre Michalski, who is a joint-Master with the Tipperary Foxhounds and, with his wife, breeds thoroughbreds at their Palmer Hill Stud near Cashel.

“We came here to buy,” said Marron. “We looked at two or three other horses, which Andre tried, but none had the quality hunting mileage behind them that this fellow did; we have enough horses with potential ourselves. The fact that he has plenty of quality on both sides of his pedigree was a bonus.”

Carrick Diamond Ranger was sold by Scarva Harriers Master Johnny Vance who had hunted the tall, brown gelding for two seasons. The Carrick Diamond Lad seven-year-old was bred in Co Monaghan by Jackie Jones out of the unraced Beneficial mare, Cloonaheen Boreen.

Put on the market at €8,000, Ballyhow Boy (Lot 24) was knocked down for €9,500 to Stephen Rayns who was acting on behalf of David Mee. The latter will be cubbing the five-year-old gelding with The Quorn next week.

Ballyhow Boy (Lot 24) was knocked down for €9,500 to Stephen Rayns who was acting on behalf of David Mee \ Mullingar PR

The bay was consigned by Vanessa Daly of Ballyduff, Co Waterford who has hunted, hunter trialled, show jumped and competed in working hunter classes on the son of Heigh Ho Dubh who was bred in Co Tipperary by Pat O’Donovan out of the Errigal Flight mare Birdhill Girl.

Britain-based Rayns made four other purchases at the sale, going to €5,500 for Adrian Burrell’s unnamed four-year-old gelding by Well Chosen (Lot 36). The bay is out of the Huntingfield Heathcliff mare Shanaclune Lass and was bred in Co Tipperary by Michael O’Brien.

Burrell also received €4,500 from Rayns for another unnamed four-year-old, Lot 3. This chesnut gelding is by Collie Mor Corolardo and was bred in Co Galway by Michael Donlon out of the Dock Leaf mare Lackagh Hollow.

Goldie-Scott back

The aforementioned Anni Flagmount was purchased last year by Neil Goldie-Scot who signed for four lots on Tuesday, giving his top price of €8,000 for Maura Rooney’s home-bred Great Notch (Lot 31).

The seven-year-old appaloosa mare, who has been hunted and hunter trialled, is by the Connemara stallion Gwennic de Goariva out of The Road West (by Flagmount King)

The same buyer gave €7,500 for Chris Ryan’s unnamed six-year-old gelding (Lot 15) who had hunted two seasons with the Killinick Harriers and was shown on Tuesday by Jason Furlong. By Crusings Now Or Never and bred in Co Tipperary by James Healy, the grey is out of the Heigh Ho Dubh mare Killnascully Dubh.

Goldie-Scot was also the purchaser of Aideen Kirby’s Knockraheen Boru (Lot 8) who made €6,000. That six-year-old Puissance gelding, who has done a bit of everything it seems, was bred in Co Wicklow by Tom Medlycott out of the Frankfort Boy mare Knockraheen Zora.

In addition to running the sale, Gleeson signed a €7,500 chit for Gerard Curtin’s unnamed seven-year-old (Lot 6). The grey gelding by Watermill Swatch had hunted for two seasons, hunter trialled and competed in Try Eventing classes and at training shows. He was bred in Co Clare by Michael Connors out of the Merry Mate mare Daft Lady.

The first lot into the ring failed to sell but the second, Dunsandle View (Lot 2), was knocked down for €6,000 to Trade Horse Ltd. A seven-year-old gelding by Mountain Diamond, this grey has competed at training shows and in Try Eventing and Arena Eventing classes.

Bred in Co Mayo by Michael Fleming out of the Star Kingdom mare Lucky Melody, Dunsandle View was consigned to the sale by Matt Loughnane.

As the sale clashed with Tallow Fair, Jim Derwin was a notable absentee, particularly as he had purchased six lots last year. Once it started, the sale was conducted quite briskly by Richard Ryan of GVM Auctioneers.

Puckeridge Hounds joint-master Karen Fiske with her daughters, Sophie and Laura Byford, Suzie Harrison and Fintan Sullivan at the Hunter Show and Go Sale \ Noel Mullins

Among those who failed to find a new home were Dominic Furnell’s successful eventer Knockahunna French Twist (Lot 17), an eight-year-old gelding by French Buffet, and Annemieke Plass’s Ceide Prince gelding Hollypark Prince (Lot 26), winner of the four and five-year-old performance Irish Draught championship at the Dublin Horse Show.

Visitors to this sixth Hunter Show and Go sale from Britain included Waterford-born but Cumbria-based Larry Slattery, a former Master of the Blencathra Fellhounds, and Puckeridge Hunt joint-master Karen Fiske who was accompanied by her event rider daughter, Sophie Byford.