THE first Foal Show run by the Pony Breeders’ Group was held at the Irish Military Museum at Collon, Co. Meath, on the very fitting day of Armistice Day last Sunday. It proved a superb location and the group is very grateful to William Sullivan.

The day started with Connemara classes for colts and fillies. The filly class was the largest in entries and out of this came the Champion, Francis O’Reilly’s Gleann Mor Willows Daisy, a lovely bay filly with reserve champion from the colt class, Sarah Brashaw’s Ringcreevy Brigader. It was great to see so many Connemara foals, some of which had been bought from Cliften Sales and on an outing with their new owners.

It’s not often there is a class for the traditional cob and the group was very grateful to get support for this class with Chloe McConville placing first and second with her ponies Taylors Goldfinch and Taylors Poppet. The Mountain and Moorland classes also had very big entries with 10 in the large class won by Gleann Mor Willows Daisy and the very mature Welsh Section D Ashenhurst Nice to Be Nice, owned by Andrea Morton, in second.

NICE VARIETY

The small Mountain and Moorland class had a nice variety of breeds with the winner being Zoe Bell’s lovely Dartmoor pony foal, Beltoy Panthere. Tim Hurley travelled all the way from Kerry and did not go away empty-handed when winning the show hunter foal class with the nice roan Blennerville Geraldine, by his own stallion Robe Thunder. The Parcglass Ponies had a nice range of successes with both their ponies Parcglass Kalinda and Parcglass Apollo winning the show pony and the part-bred Welsh classes. Both foals are by stallions that stand at Parcglass Stud, the well known Eskdale Splendid Venture and Nordy Razamatazz.

TOP-CLASS

Beltoy Panthere returned to the ring again to contest the potential lead rein class and achieved a red, with Natasha Burn’s Greenwell Corr Blimey in second and Becky Grimes Glanyfenal Tlws in third. These three looked like they will make top-class M&M lead rein ponies in the future.

The smallest entry, but with a big name of Silversmith Raja Roja, was the miniature foal winner owned by Yvonne Woolfenden.

The Welsh classes were kindly sponsored by the Irish Association of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society and the group is very grateful for their support. The Section A winner was Natasha Burns with Greenwell Corr Blimey and the Section B winner the Irish-bred Gowlaun Amadeus by Bryngwennol Troubadour out of Pilheath Summer time owned by Anthea Steele.

The Section C & D class was won by Andrea Morton’s imposing black foal, Ashenhurst Nice to be Nice, with Katrina Griffin in second place with the pretty chesnut Section C foal Charmel Ginger Snap. The Overall Welsh Champion was Ashenhurst Nice To Be Nice, with Charmel Ginger Snap the reserve champion.

SUPREME HONOURS

A big crowd stayed to watch the Overall Supreme of the show and it was a lovely sight to see so many different breeds of foals walking around the ring and being judged by Nigel Cathers. He picked the Supreme to be his Connemara champion Gleann Mor Willows Daisy and in reserve place, the cracking Dartmoor foal Beltoy Panthere.

The Irish Pony Breeders’ Group are extremely grateful to the many sponsors for their support, to the competitors who travelled great distances to compete from all over Ireland and especially to the Irish Military Museum for the unique, special venue.