ONE hundred shows on from when the Connemara Pony Show first began, three things remained integral to the success of both the ponies presented and the event itself last week in Clifden. The people, the ponies and the place, in the heart of the Connemara region, remain the steadfast pillars ensuring the prosperity of both the event and the breed, inside and outside the ring. Staged under the stewardship of the newly-formed Connemara Pony Show-Clifden CLG of Mary Coyne (Chair), John Sweeney, Karen Mannion, Terrence O’Toole, Cllr. Eileen Mannion and Cllr. Gerry King, the four-day showcase was both a tribute to the past and a promise to the future.
The aim of the new committee is to ensure the show thrives into its second century and, in this centenary year, a new generation of Connemara pony champions were crowned. Standing proudly beside them was, in many cases, the next generation of breeders carrying forward the legacy of their families with home-bred ponies.
The Curran family of Glencarrig Connemara Ponies epitomised this continuity. In 2014, Ciaran Curran’s home-bred Glencarrig Knight claimed the Supreme Championship, igniting a dream for his son Patrick. Eleven years later, Patrick realised this dream with his own stallion, Glencarrig Douvan, a son of Knight, standing as the 100th Anniversary Supreme Champion. Having followed in both their fathers’ footsteps, Douvan then went on to prove himself further, winning the Ridden Championship the following day with Grace Maxwell Murphy in the saddle, an achievement that has never been done prior.
Reserve Supreme Champion and winner of the 2025 Broodmare Championship was Castle Charm (Glencarrig Knight x Castle Urchin), bred by Henry O’Toole and shown by his sons Michael and Henry Jnr. Her dam Castle Urchin had herself stood Supreme Champion twice with Henry Snr.
While the quality and stamp of past champions lives on in their offspring it is the intergenerational love, knowledge and understanding of the breed shared for the past century that has preserved the native pony breed.
Historic
“It’s surreal,” an elated Patrick Curran said of his home-bred Glencarrig Douvan’s (Glencarrig Knight x Wyncroft Dawn) historic achievement. “It’s everything you hope and dream for. They are dreams for a reason because you don’t think they will come true.” Winning the Seven-year-old and over stallion class, sponsored by Weatherbys Scientific, before Patrick and Douvan received a hero’s roar from the crowd when the Championship was called on Wednesday evening.
“Ponies are everything to me. It’s my life, it’s my family’s life,” said Curran. “It’s what I was brought up with. You have such a passion for it from such a young age and you just hope that you can have days like today. To be here in this crowd, the atmosphere, the camaraderie, it felt like everyone was willing us on and they were following a journey.”
The bond between Patrick and Douvan is evident inside and outside the ring. “Douvan is just such a star. He deserves these titles. For him, more than anything, we are truly delighted.”
Grace Murphy on the winner of not only the Supreme in hand Champion, but the Ridden Champion of the 100th Connemara Pony Show Clifden, Glencarrig Douvan \ Rynes Walker Photography
Adding to this auspicious occasion were his achievements under saddle with Grace Maxwell Murphy. Winning Thursday’s Ridden Stallion class for the second time, the duo’s ticket to the Ridden Championship was secured. Called forward to make history, the emotion shown by all members of the Curran family highlighted just how meaningful it was for them all. “To do it with my best friend is incredible. I wouldn’t have met Grace only for ponies, so to share this with my family and friends, it’s just everything. I am so happy for her, as she has put so much work into Douvan,” Curran said.
Recording her third ridden championship at the Connemara Pony Show Clifden, the significance of the achievement is still as meaningful to Maxwell Murphy as if it was the first time. “Any time to get a red rosette in Clifden is so special. I don’t think people understand just how hard it is to get a red one here - in-hand or ridden. It is so rewarding, it makes it feel like all the work was worthwhile.
“It is so hard to do both,” Maxwell Murphy added. “The fantastic thing about this is it is a testament to the Connemara pony and such a fantastic advertisement, proving that what you want under saddle is the same as what you want in-hand. I think it is really special that we have shown that it can be done and, hopefully, it will be done again. It is incredible and it takes a really good pony to do it.”
Accolades
As the Henry O’Toole-bred Castle Charm, daughter of Glencarrig Knight, stood Reserve Supreme Champion and the 2025 Champion Broodmare, the mare’s accolades were extra meaningful this year.
“It’s particularly special for us after losing Charm’s mother (Castle Urchin) last December,” Michael O’Toole, who has shown the mare to numerous Clifden wins over the last number of years, explained. “It’s everything to us to win in Clifden.”
Showing this year’s foal on the day, brother Henry Jnr shared: “Clifden Show is the biggest day of the year for our family. All summer, every evening after work, we’re lunging and preparing, seeing what you could do better. For it all to come together and get a red in Clifden, it’s huge.”
For Henry Snr, his commitment to breeding great Connemara ponies is what has driven him over the years, with Charm being the sixth direct generation of the mare line. “Her great great great-grandmother, Village Swallow, won Clifden back in the ‘50s. Her daughter was Village Belle in the ‘60s. I was lucky enough to acquire her daughter Village Star in the ‘70s and then we had Castle Dame and then her daughter Castle Urchin and now her daughter Castle Charm.
“For the most part, I get a kick out of breeding ponies and to be able to achieve quality generation after generation. But what was extra special on the day is when we have our own grandchildren with us on Show Day. Having two little fellas in your arms, while your sons were showing our ponies, it doesn’t get better,” Henry said.
Henry O' Toole's Castle Charm was the Broodmare Champion and Reserve supreme champion at the Clifden Show last Wednesday \ Rynes Walker
As well as celebrating the efforts of breeders and competitors, the four-day festival celebrated the hospitality of Clifden and wider regional community. Opening on Tuesday, August 19th, a riding demonstration by Connemara Therapeutic Riding drew crowds from early in the day before the final of All-Ireland Three-Year-Old Loose Jumping.
In association with Horse Sport Ireland, the final saw qualified ponies compete over a series of jumps, assessed for movement and performance ability. Inishbofin native Tazmin Murray was ecstatic to win on the day with the dun three-year-old colt Poulawillin River Lucky (Cloonaveigh Cisco x Knockbridge Kelly’s Girl), owned by Thomas Gilmore and bred by Michael Sexton. One of the new introductions for this centenary year show was the Welcome Reception, hosted in the Show Marquee on Tuesday evening, where international guests, competitors and community members gathered for food and music to kick off ‘Show Week’.
In-hand classes
Wednesday saw the traditional In-Hand classes with the best of breeding and young stock competing for coveted Clifden placings. The centenary show was formally opened by MEP and former champion jockey Nina Carberry, whose presence underlined the prestige of the occasion.
Community spirit was evident throughout the week, with local businesses, volunteers and international visitors contributing to a celebratory atmosphere. Trade stalls, artisan food and children’s entertainment ensured that the event retained its unique balance of world-class equestrian competition and community festival.
Ring one’s morning classes culminated in the Junior Championship where winner of the Two-Year-Old Colt class, Malachy Gorham’s striking bay colt Moate Echo (Magherafadda Lad x Derrynamacka Rose), bred by Vincent Kelly, was awarded Junior Champion for 2025. “We are over the moon,” said Gorham, whose father Joe won the first-ever Junior Championship in Clifden in 1991 with Rocky, the only pony to win the Junior and Supreme Championship on the same day.
Speaking of Vinny, as he is known at home, Malachy said: “He has phenomenal presence, power and a great temperament.”
Malachy Gorham with Moate Echo after winning the Junior Championship of the 100th Annual Connemara Pony Show Clifden \ Rynes Walker
Gorham’s ring craft was outstanding on the day and the pair captivated from the start. Daughter Maria, who does much of the work with Vinny at home, was there to celebrate in the ring and proudly led the family’s newest champion on his victorious lap of honour.
Reserve Junior Champion was awarded to the Three-Year-Old filly winner Moorland Snowdrift (Lucky Rebel x Kilpatrick Snowdrop), owned and bred by Cathy Snow and Martin Coyne.
Hotly-contested
In ring two, the best of this year’s foals was judged by Gill Glynn and Noel Nee. Winning a hotly-contested colt foal class was Peter Molloy Jnr’s Dooneen Noble Knight (Glencarrig Knight x Dooneen Stephanie Rose) before taking the top honours in the Foal Championship. Molloy inherited his passion for ponies from his father Peter Snr, who purchased the foal’s great-grandmother, Sukie, in Maam Cross. “My dad was brilliant with ponies and our journeys on the road were non-stop talking about ponies,” said the winning owner.
The knowledge and learnings he garnered from his father are now what Peter Jnr is passing on to his son Nathan, who showed the foal on the day. “From day one, the foal really looked amazing and he just kept on going. His quality is brilliant. When you see a nice foal turn up, you’re thinking, how are they going to get on in Clifden? When you’re putting a mare in foal, that’s what you’re thinking about, it’s the ultimate dream.
“I was hoping that it might go well for him, that he’d get the rub of the green and he did, so it was worth waiting for. It’s hard to get those wins. When you have something good, and they do come to the top, that makes it worthwhile. This was a fabulous day.”
The 2025 filly foal class winner Clover Hill Sugarplum (Glencarrig Knight x Inverin Misty), owned and bred by Caitlin Lee, took the Reserve Champion sash, shown on the day by Kevin Mullen and with Amanda Conroy on the mare.
WITH ponies’ ability under saddle the order of the day on Thursday, Glencarrig Douvan’s dynamic qualities shone through, adding the Ridden Championship title to his name.
With significant numbers competing across the day’s classes, Lucy Watson aboard Slievebloom Hilda (Brock Lodge Buster x Slieve Bloom Gail) saw off stiff competition to stand Reserve Ridden Champion. Bred by Joseph Conroy and owned by Lucy’s mother Beatrice Hughes, the family purchased the mare from the Glynn family after Clifden Show in 2023.
“They have really come together as a partnership this year under the coaching and guidance of Philip Scott,” Hughes explained. This was Lucy’s first time to compete at Clifden and she loved that ‘the show is all Connemaras’.
“We have been doing all the qualifiers and competed at Dublin this year, so we thought it was time to come to Clifden,” she said. “She is such a lovely pony and we have lots of fun mainly doing flat work and hacking. In the winter, we do a little bit of jumping and I’d like to try side saddle in the future.” Joining in the sunshine celebrations was Kitty Harburn, who also helps Lucy with Hilda and Lucy’s aunt Mags Durkan.
Lauren Kerins and Fionnan Finnegan doing their lap of honour after winning the Champion and Reserve Champion Working Hunter \ Rynes Walker
As competitions culminated on Friday, August 22nd, the excitement of the Working Hunter and Performance classes was evident. Lankill Lad (Dunally Lad x Dolly), owned and ridden by Westport’s Lauren Kerins, demonstrated the versatility of the Connemara pony winning the Working Hunter Championship title. Having previously stood Ridden Champion in 2018, breeder Cathy Hughes was on the Showgrounds to see him win again: “Lad is very special to us. He’s the perfect all-rounder, he does absolutely everything. He’s out of a mare we bought from the mart, Dolly, and he was the first foal she had so he has always been so special to us.”
One in a million
Speaking after the Championship, Kerins was still in disbelief: “I dreamt of riding in the Parade of Champions again some day, so now to be able to do it again and show him off is a dream come true,” she said. “He does it all. He was doing dressage at the AIRC Championships last weekend. He goes beautifully in the side saddle. But most importantly he has manners, and Cathy puts manners on all her ponies. He is my one in a million.”
Having enjoyed their lap of honour, she shared: “We put a lot of work into our flat work this year and I think that’s really helped with our jumping. He has so much personality, so this was a focus for us this year. It has been worth every minute of the hard work. My mum Tracey grooms for me and Cathy comes to all the shows with us. I couldn’t do it without them.”
Standing Reserve was winner of both the Family and Under 16s Working Hunter classes, the five-year-old gelding Glasson Dexter Tulira (Glasson Dexpress x Clareview Lana), ridden by Fionnán Finnegan, bred by Felim Finnegan and owned by Fiachra Finnegan.
Despite the wetter weather on Friday, the crowds remained on the showgrounds for the High Performance Final. Continuing on from their Dublin Horse Show success, Pem Boy (Clifden Silver x Ballinvoher Lady) won the Horse Sport Ireland and Carey Building Contractors-sponsored class, with Diarmuid Ryan in the saddle.
Saving one of the most exhilarating classes until last, the ever-exciting Puissance competition saw Bernadette De Courcey pilot the brave Annaghbay Jewel (Cashelbay Prince x Annaghbay Silver Star) to clear the red and white wall at a height of 1.50m to win the class outright. Having been joint winners in 2024, De Courcey is a great supporter of the Puissance annually and was joined in accepting her prize winnings by the gelding’s breeder Michael Flanagan.
Winner of the puissance competition Bernadette De Courcey and Annaghbay Jewel at the Connemara Pony Show \ Rynes Walker
Iconic
One of the most iconic parts of the Connemara Pony Show Clifden, the Parade of Champions, saw tourists, business owners and competitors line the streets as the 2025 winning ponies were celebrated in a procession around the town. A tradition that brings the ponies into the heart of Connemara, this is a true homage to the equestrian heritage the Irish are revered for.
In a new format, commentator Cathriona O’Toole and Show Chair Mary Coyne introduced winning ponies to the gathered crowds. Winners did two laps of the town, the first lap ending with Patrick Curran leading Douvan, the 2025 Supreme Champion in-hand and the second lap with Grace Maxwell Murphy showcasing his duality under saddle.
The centenary gathering of 2025 was not just another show but a living testament to a century of dedication, heritage and passion, stitched together by families, breeders, riders, volunteers and a community that has preserved this tradition for generations.
The Connemara Pony Show Clifden committee expressed their wish to acknowledge that this milestone could not have happened without the incredible community that came together to enable this year’s show and extended a “heartfelt thank you to all the breeders, owners, riders, handlers, judges, stewards and competitors who brought their ponies and their passion to the ring”.
Thanks were also given to show sponsors, supporters and trade exhibitors, who brought this year’s show to life and to “every single volunteer whose tireless work, often behind the scenes, ensured that the show ran smoothly and that visitors from all over the world felt welcome in Clifden”.