ADARE village has all the hallmarks of an imminent ‘big event’, with Ryder Cup signage starting to spring up and the ongoing construction of a four-lane motorway before next year’s golf tournament (September 13th-19th, 2027).

Just outside Adare, Clonshire Equestrian Centre hosted the annual Clonshire Country Show Day last Sunday. With autumn starting to creep in and schools reopening, there was an end-of-show-season atmosphere at the event. A wide range of events attracted not only horse and pony owners, but the all-important urban footfall to offset the finances of running shows.

Jumpcross and working hunter classes were particularly well-subscribed and ran throughout the day, which also featured a farriery competition and a leg of the Irish Pony Club mounted games league.

Judges were listed in advance on the Clonshire schedule, a feature of Irish Pony Society schedules for years. Listing judges tends to divide opinion, however, many owners and exhibitors tend to prefer knowing in advance who is judging, particularly with the rising expense of going to shows.

Fuel costs were a constant topic throughout this show season and performing the official opening at the show was local TD, Richard O’Donoghue, a prominent figure during the springtime fuel protests and strong advocate for a cap on fuel taxes. The West Limerick TD also sponsored several of the day’s classes.

Bitless series finale

First on the day’s schedule was a new addition, the Heney bitless series, which had run at several recent Munster shows and had its finale last Sunday. Here, the winner was Sophie Orr, whose Connemara mare Tirnaskea Starstruck not only competed in a bitless bridle, but was under side-saddle too.

Husband and wife duo, Paul and Amy Kinane, were on judging duty and their working hunter champion was Rachel Deane’s West Coast Darling. Reserve champion was Katelyn Leddin with Skittles in a well-supported section.

Receiving the Mary and Emma O’Doherty Memorial Trophy had a special significance for Rachel. “It meant so much winning today, especially getting the Mary and Emma O’Doherty Memorial Cup, as I had my very first lesson with Eugene [O’Doherty, a producer-rider of several Dublin finalists].

“West Coast Darling, aka Indi, was born on the Fourth of July, hence his nickname. He’s a nine-year-old by Craigsteel out of a West Coast Cavalier mare. When I’ve told people his breeding, they always say he must be hardy, which is not the case. He is a show man at competitions, has never let me down, just always tries his best and loves his days out.

“We had absolutely zero expectations for today, as we mainly do the riding horse classes and, during the week, I couldn’t see a stride into a cross-pole!”

She has owned the thoroughbred-cross for five years. “I bought Indi as a rising four-year-old, after I’d spent ages looking for a horse for myself and travelled the country with my friend Emily Woods. We ended up in Donegal and stayed with her mum. Over dinner that evening, she turned around and said ‘I have visions of you, Rachel with a black horse’.

Rachel found her prince

“I’d given up looking but then, a few days later, Shannon O’Mahony brought Indi over for a lesson where I’m based in Streamside Stables and happened to mention she was thinking of selling him. My ears pricked up and I kept after her for a few days until she agreed to sell.

“After travelling the country looking, Indi was just 20 minutes over the road. We all know the saying, ‘you have to kiss a few frogs to find your prince!’” Rachel added about her smart gelding, sourced from the Kingdom County Show secretary.

“What I enjoyed about judging today is there was a couple of people, who put a lot of effort in and it was their time to shine. They really, really enjoy it and it’s wonderful to see people enjoy their horses. You have way of going [mark] as well in a working hunter class and that provides people with a benchmark or a criterion that they can work towards. I think that’s very, very important in equitation and also that people are learning and watching each other and that’s really important,” Amy commented.

“Two very, very nice horses in the champion and reserve and people need to be commended for what they’re doing,” added Paul.

One suggestion from the midlands-based couple, following on from a similar move on the UK show circuit, was for the introduction of working show horses. “It’s more like a riding horse type and maybe we need to see that split in Ireland, because we’re seeing a lot of riding horse types in working hunter,” he suggested.

Ridden horse

Harry Scanlan and Shane McKenna’s ridden horse champion in the adjoining ring was Sophie Thompson’s pure-bred Connemara, Monaghanstown Sonny. Bred by Mary Rabbitt, the 11-year-old roan is by Illanurra Lad out of the Monaghanstown Boy mare Beech Honey and was scoring a first-time championship win for his delighted Tipperary owner.

In reserve was another native breed ambassador in Carol Ruttle’s Shirsheen Mayday, by the triple Dublin performance champion Gortfree Lakeside Lad. The Limerick pair finished third in the popular Sportsman class this year at Dublin.

Elle Fitzgerald’s Taylors Black Benny and Sinead White’s Rivie’s Girl were the champion and reserve champion cobs, a well-supported section at many shows.

There were plenty of Connemara bloodlines seen in the working hunter pony classes. The rider’s name of the champion working hunter pony - Isobel Hurley - caused a double take. However, it wasn’t the former Irish Horse World editor, but her Rathkeale namesake with the pure-bred Connemara, Frenchfort Snow, by Moorland Snowy River.

In reserve was Sophie Ott with another versatile Connemara, Aurora Pondi Melody by Hollywood de l’Aubier.

Over in the ridden pony rings, Richard Shannon had well-filled pony classes to judge with many of the next generation Limerick entries having a final pre-back-to-school outing.

Connemara bloodlines were again to the fore in the ridden championship, won by Sophie O’Donnell and the distinctive dun Killaneen Boy, by Western Boy. In reserve was Zoe Thompson’s Gleann Mor Taylor, by Murvey Chelton.

The young handler championship was won by Grace Liston, showing the family’s larger-than-life Shetland character Knockdromin Boy and reserve was Sophia Casey with Cookie.

Lead rein

The hotly-contested lead rein championship went to four-year-old Addison Murphy. She stepped up from her usual pony Minnie to win her first tricolour aboard Gucci, normally partnered by her brother Michael and led by their proud dad, Damian.

“That was Addison’s first time riding anything other than her trusted best friend Minnie in public,” said her proud mum, Jane Foley Murphy.

“Addison, who’s back to playschool tomorrow, made a dash from her cross-poles working hunter third place on Minnie to have her first championship ride. Michael had won his class on Gucci, but rode his other pony in the championship and was delighted to see his little sister take the win on their shared pony.”

Brooklaw Dream Boy lived up to his name for his little pilot Pippa Considine by claiming the reserve title.