THE Oughterard Show hosted the inaugural Connemara Pony Sales Graduate Class at their 60th annual show last Sunday. The brainchild of committee member Tommy Peoples, the class was sponsored by the sales company to the tune of €3,000, with the winner, the much-ribboned Lough Derg Star and Zoe Price, taking home the lucrative top prize of €2,000.

“Having watched the success of sales graduates and witness some high-class ponies sold through the sales in Clifden in recent years and, as I’m newly involved in the Oughterard Show, I sounded out the idea with the sales manager Ann, who was very supportive, so we worked together with the show committee to develop the concept,” Peoples said about the initiative.

“Thankfully, both the show committee and the sales management team had the same vision as myself around the format of the class. Giving sales graduates the opportunity to demonstrate the attributes desired in the breed was key. As it happened on the day, the weather conditions added an extra dimension for ponies to advertise the versatility of the breed in such circumstances.”

Peoples added: “We were all delighted with the standard of ponies turned out and each one was a credit to their owners; some of which had been purchased through the sales more recently while other ponies had been sold on since being purchased, but one thing they all had in common is that they were a great advertisement for the sales and the breed. There were winners and champions from all the majors shows during the year competing against each other in the one class. Looking forward, we have a plan in place to develop the class in the future, celebrating the fabulous standard and diversity of ponies sold through the Connnemara Pony Sales.”

Connemara Pony Sales manager Ann de Courcey was on hand to present the prizes to the top four ponies called forward by judges Mrs Jane Summerville and Mr Jeff Grace. She commented: “The standard of ponies was a testament to the range and quality of ponies going through the Connemara Pony Sales in Clifden. We were delighted with the first year and hope to build on its success.”

Called forward in reverse order, Zoe Price’s journey from Antrim to the west was worthwhile when she took the top spot with the seven-year-old Glencarrig Joe-sired bay gelding who was ridden Connemara champion for Price at Clifden Show in 2023 and at the Dublin Horse Show in 2024 under Ciara Mullen.

Inishbofin’s Kitty Concannon took the €500 second prize with the four-year-old bay gelding Cappakea Maams Boy who was bought through the sales last October. Third was Cleggan’s Ciara McNamara with Wilma Cheeky, ahead of Clifden native Emer McNamara and Silver Pearl Cascade.