Judith Faherty

A LIVELY two-day Connemara pony sale in Clifden last weekend saw some 307 change hands with Tomas Hester’s five-year-old gelding Evening Mist fetching the top price of €5,000 when purchased by Jim Derwin.

There were 434 ponies catalogued over the two days, up 100 lots of the same sale last year, and 388 passed through the sales ring. Some 110 ponies were sold overseas with the largest number (29) sold to German buyers, followed closely by French buyers who purchased 27 and the Dutch who accounted for 24 lots. A further 20 ponies went to Britain, seven lots to Belgium and finally three to Sweden.

Saturday’s sale saw a high demand for geldings that were broken and ridden and a good number of them fetched over €3,000. The sale topper was a smart five-year-old dun gelding by Woodfield Sammy.

Connemara Pony Sales manager Padraic Heanue commented: “Trade was swift from the start and an air of positivity emerged around the sales yard from early in the sale on Saturday. Broken and ridden geldings were much in demand. There was also good trade for unbroken geldings aged three and four, they were up in price on previous sales with some fetching €2,000.”

Day two (Sunday) entries were mainly for young fillies and mares and a number of yearling colts also passed though the ring. The price for fillies varied depending on quality with the top price lot a three-year-old dun filly by Lightening Star purchased by a British buyer for €2,700.

The next best prices were for three fillies sold by Robert Hatton from Co Carlow by the sires Westside Mirah, Templebready Fear Bui and Dexter Leam Pondi, making €2,600, €2,400, and €1,500 respectively.

“Quality well-bred unbroken three to five-year-old fillies sold for good prices, varying from €2,000 up to €2,700. Yearling colts made from €600 up to €1,800, and yearling fillies, again depending on quality, fetched between €700 to €2,000,” Heanue added.

“It was a very good sale all round and a significant move in the upward trend in prices for all ponies. A total of 110 ponies went overseas with the remaining lots sold to Irish and northern Irish buyers. The next Connemara pony sales will be held in Clifden on Saturday, August 20th and Sunday, August 21st with entries now been accepted.”