THE mixed sale of sport horses and Connemara ponies at Mullingar Equestrian Centre saw a successful number of transactions during the two sessions. Buyers travelled from Sweden and across the water and many went home happy.
The main attraction on Saturday was the dispersal sale of exceptionally well-bred mares from old and successful Irish families on the instructions of Mr Tom Duffy.
The ring was packed as top price of the session was €5,800 paid by Gene Ormiston from Kells, Co Meath, for the black Clover Hill mare Kilmeague Clover (Lot 12), scanned in foal to Umonia 60, by Voltaire. She is a half-sister to the approved stallion Olympic Cruise Z. Her filly foal by Umonia 60 (Lot 12A) fetched €2,900 to the same buyer.
Lot 8A, a well-balanced colt foal by Creevagh Ferro out of Cruise Over Clover, by Cruising, looked good value at €2,400 when knocked down to Vincent Meaney.
An unnamed bay colt foal (Tolan R - Aldantus Diamond) bred by Mayo man Noel Kilroy realised €2,750 and went south to Anthony Ryan, who bought a total of five lots.
Lena Dawson from Kilronan EC paid €1,600 for Lot 2, a chesnut colt foal by Harlequin, out of Miss Clover Hill, and she also bought the grey mare Kilquilly Clover Diamond (Lot 5), who is in foal to Umonia 60, for €1,500.
The chesnut mare Killossery Cupcake (Lot 15) (Clover Flush-Spring Diamond) went to Brian Maguire for €1,800.
CONNEMARAS
Auctioneers Noel Corcoran, John Varley and Mick Farrelly all took their turn at the rostrum. There were plenty of buyers for the performance ponies and Michael Dolan from Mullingar paid the top price of €6,200 for Lisa Bushway’s six-year-old gelding Fair Prince Rooney.
The pony by Ballinavilla Prince will be aimed at the six and seven-year-old RDS pony qualifiers next year.
Five Star Transport paid €3,300 for the roan class three mare Pricella (Lot 2) by local stallion Gwennic De Goariva and out of Mary’s Lucky Lady, one of five ponies that headed for Sweden.
The main market at the sale was for the geldings who sold well throughout the session. Sive Ryan’s Orchard Castle Star (Lot 66) (Castlestrange Fionn – Orchard Rose) was one of 25 lots bought at the sale by Athlone-based horse dealer Jim Derwin for €2,800.
“I have customers from all over the world for good horses and ponies so it is great to have a sale so close to home,” Derwin said.
Niall Daly from Ballinasloe secured three beauties in Noel Flannelly’s grey gelding Balacana Oscar (Lot 56) (Oisin – Balcana Bridge) for €2,600, Cathy Cuffe’s grey mare Newgrove Spring (Lot 138) (Killea Island – Proudstown Kate) and Prospect Lucky Charm (Lot 41), a grey son of Tulira Robuck offered by Michael Keane, who looked a genuine all-rounder and a bargain at €2,400.
David William’s Larkhill Primrose (Lot 111) (Racecourse Bobby – Wellview Misty) was knocked down to Darragh Kennedy for €2,200
Lorna Foster’s dun gelding Tallyho Jacko (Lot 141) (Kingstown Cavalier – Curragh Beauty) sold for €2,100 on the nod of Lorraine Kelly from Goresbridge.
Nicky Coventry from Carmarthen in Wales commenced filling her shopping cart when she paid €1,700 for Lot 27, Gavin Naughton’s Kildromin Molly (Carraig Eibher – Kildromin June).
“I cannot believe the facilities here and I am very happy travelling home with six lovely ponies,” Coventry said.
There was a steady trade throughout the session with several changing hands. The Skewbald gelding Paddington Bear (Lot 178) was sold to Sweden for €2,100, while Gay Parkinson’s Ballinaclough Rebel went to Jim Derwin for €1,850.
A pleased Robert Fagan told The Irish Field: “We are in the embryonic stage but we plan to get bigger and better next year by holding sales in April, June and October.”