IT’s not at all surprising to meet several of the West’s farmer-breeders on the walk to Ballinasloe’s Fair Green.

The first one is Shane Connolly. Between the exploits of James Kann Cruz and their sales-topping foals, the unassuming Connolly family have rarely been out of the news this year.

“A great summer and now here with the family to see the Fair,” said busy farrier Shane, who has just parked roadside, accompanied by wife Mags, their children Jack and Megan, plus Megan’s friend and neighbour Aoibhe Nohilly.

Kevin Garvey, from Briarfield, halfway between Ballinasloe and the Connollys’ farm in Cummer, is spotted carrying his tack, the telltale sign of a sale.

“Yes, sold one! I break horses, bring them cross-country and sell them on, hopefully. Cobs definitely are making good money in there today, but a blood type is not making much money. I sold a four-year-old for his owner, who is happy enough to sell before the winter.”

Such feedback about selling before winter closes in and rising fuel and haylage costs is common.

“Knowing when to cut your losses” is often mentioned too, with the meter ticking for most breeder-owners past the foal stage.

A posse of press photographers, their money shots gathered for the day, pass by on their way to the train station. Earlier on, a visitor, buried in his smartphone, asks where the station is, not quite noticing the signal barriers, tracks and Ballinasloe’s distinctive red brick signal cabin, just 10 metres away.

At the Horse Fair’s height in the mid-19th century, extended platforms were built to facilitate the loading of horses and livestock, which continued throughout the week.

Freight carriages are now replaced by giant horse transporters, rumbling out of town with their Fair load of trade horses aboard. A few modest lorries, the complete Ifor Williams range and a high percentage of livestock trailers line the mile-long route from the train station to the Fair Green.

Cruising by

It’s fair, no bad pun intended, to say that horse fairs are not everyone’s cup of tea. For farmer-breeders from Galway and hinterland counties though, it is their annual sales pitch. Two such individuals, passing by at the same time, are Padraic Naughton and Pat O’Connor.

Padraic was a big Cruising fan, frequently making the journey from Ballinamore Bridge to Hartwell Stud.

Galway grassroots: Pat O’Connor and Padraic Naughton at Ballinasloe Fair \ Susan Finnerty

“I had a good few Cruisings through the years, the last mare I have is 20 years old now. To give her a break one year, I put her in foal to Ross Fear Bui and had four lads wanting to buy that foal before it was even born,” he said about the clever and unique Connemara-Cruising cross.

“I still have mares out of Cruising, Ballinvella and Clover Hill dams. The last Clover Hill mare I had [Queens Clover] died 15 minutes after foaling, but she left me a grand filly foal by Gentle Diamond. She was a sister of the Pride Of Gloster,” he added about the Irish Draught stallion exported to the USA, where he competed at dressage. Both Clover Hills were bred by Sheila Hough in Banagher.

Another with a stack of stories about Philip Heenan’s yard visits is Pat, from Tubber, on the Galway-Clare border. “It’s getting harder to sell traditional-breds, if they don’t perform, buyers don’t want them.”

On the other hand, cobs are doing a roaring trade, with €9,500 reported for one palomino mare. Low maintenance, minimal costs, easy to produce - all part of changing market demands.

20-year-old Jack Brennan is part of the next generation of exhibitors. What brings him from Charlestown, where he has “PJ Wall on one side and Eddie Murphy’s yard on the other” to the Fair?

“I’m the only one in my family into horses, so it’s about meeting friends and horse talk. I’m working for a London company, that has an office in Charlestown, doing estimating. I’ve a couple of mares myself and buy some foals every year. If I’ve one nice enough to show myself, I will and also help Pat Murphy show his Draughts.”

Again, the cost of going to shows topic arises. “Everything is shooting up. You have to kit yourself out, so there’s your suit and hat, your horse’s keep, a good bridle and that’s all before you even leave the yard.”

Shane, Mags, Megan and Jack Connolly with Aoibhe Nohilly at Ballinasloe Fair \ Susan Finnerty

“A great horseman”

Some 40 years ago, John Burke was a similar apprentice starting off. From Turloughmore, he’s helping John Kelly with his Draught mare and foal on the Fair Green and vividly remembers the late Jim Connolly’s Uncle Walter yearling at shows.

“Patrick [Jim’s son and James Kann Cruz’s future breeder] was busy cutting silage, so when Jim would win the yearling class, he’d give me £1 to hold his yearling until the young horse championship. I would have given him the money to be holding his horse, because Jim was such a great horseman.

“Myself and Patrick were a full hour at Clarecastle talking about this lovely chesnut horse with the white face and four white legs and the shows we’d go to: Corrandulla, Athenry, Oughterard, Mountbellew and more. Dolly [Patrick’s wife] was there too at Clarecastle and she said, ‘John, if you could talk about hurling as good as horses!’ because we’re both from a hurling background.

“My brothers played hurling, but I grew up with horses and stories about this place. I used to come to Ballinasloe with my father [Pakie] since I was four.”

At the top of the Fair Green, the lunging competitions were taking place. First held in 1990, the inaugural Horse of the Fair final was won by the late Michael Skehan from Broadford with his Ballinvella entry.

This year’s win for the Slattery family from Mayo is now a poignant one with the sad news during the week about the passing of 16-year-old Lily, one of the country’s bright young show jumping talents.

A bittersweet win, Fair-goers’ memories, and a mix of conversation and hard-hitting economics talk made for an interesting couple of hours on the Fair Green.

The advantages of selling at fairs were frequently heard too. No entry fees, no pre-selections or vetting. “Just your diesel, even with the price of it now, and your grub for the day. Best of all, no-one knows what you got for your horse.”

Grassroots prices are unlikely to pique Inland Revenue’s interest, however, every horse, cob and pony sold all keep the market’s wheels turning.