THE battle for Clifden’s supreme champion honours came down to two of Ireland’s top young exhibitors - Joe Burke with Drumbad Fletcher Moss and Maeve Conneely with Banks Vanilla - and they both did it in style.

In a marathon session combined with heavy rain and a lot of drenched pride and passion, the 92nd Clifden Connemara Pony show concluded with an outstanding final line-up. Judges Bridget O’Sullivan Lee, John Joe Bolton, Sweden’s Madeleine Beckman and Sean Stagg, selected as the 2015 Supreme Champion the grey stallion Drumbad Fletcher Moss (Frederiksminde Hazy Match out of Robe Grey Abbey), owned by Eamonn Burke from Castlegar, Co.Galway. Bred by Jim Ferguson in Belleek Co.Fermanagh, the stallion was exhibited by Joe Burke.

The reserve sash went to the outstanding mare Banks Vanilla (Teglstrup Duke–Banks Squares DoDo), a multiple winner in Ireland and Britain, owned by Noel Noonan from Manor Connemara Ponies in Clifden and exhibited by Maeve Conneely from Ballyconneely.

Vanilla was originally imported into Ireland by Sean Dunne from Garryhinch Stud in Portarlington who enjoyed considerable success prior to her changing hands to her present owner. Dunne was in the ribbons when he won the four to five-year-old mare class with Vanilla’s daughter Garryhinch Vanilla by Monaghanstown Boy, bred at Garryhinch.

Murvey Rocco (Glencarrig Knight-Murvey Rita) owned by Martin Keaney from Roundstone and exhibited by Bernard Keaney, fresh from winning the supreme championship at Midlands, was a deserving winner of the junior championship where Barbara Fallon’s Cashelbay Kate (Cashlebay Prince-Frederiksminde Mathilda) stood reserve.

The champion foal was the filly Ballyconneely Heather (Moorland Snowy River-Bunowen Lady) owned by Malachy Sweeney. Eddie Fleming from Streamstown took the reserve sash with Gneevebrack Comet, a son of Monaghanstown Prince and Gneevebrack Belle.

The Festival commenced with the crowning of Clifden’s show queen - local girl Meave Vaughan - last Sunday while an estimated 4,000 visitors descended on Clifden this week ahead of this weekend’s sale at Clifden Mart.