IT was a long day for those involved with the Irish Pony Society Western Area Spring Show, which was run in conjunction with the third round of Balmoral Connemara qualifiers at Duffy’s Equestrian last Sunday.

Entries for the Spring Show were well up on last year, with lots of new faces and combinations. All riders in the mini classes received an Easter egg and rosette, while there was a roving basket of chocolates for all the stalwart mothers as it was Mother’s Day.

Aidan Williamson’s flat ring champion for the second year running was the 2020 Connemara stallion Glenville Glic (Glencarrig Knight - Clooneybreen Peigín, by Currachmore Cashel) from the three-year-old and upwards in-hand Mountain and Moorland section. Reserve was Jodie Moran with her daughter Pippa, winners of the lead rein show hunter pony class with the 15-year-old bay gelding Newoak Hot Gossip (Shilstone Rocks Day Of Fury - Barkway Mystique, by Backside Little Toff).

https://foto.ifj.ie/fotoweb/archives/5006-Irish-Horse-World/Irish%20Horse%20World/2020/1-IMG_1049.JPG.info#c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5006-Irish-Horse-World%2F%3Fq%3Dduffys

Jodie Moran and her daughter Pippa won the lead rein class and were overall reserve champions at the IPS western Area show at Duffys Equestrian Centre \ Alan Leonard

Glenville Glic was shown by William McMahon who, with his wife Grace Maxwell Murphy, purchased the grey as a foal from his Co Clare breeder, Francis Murphy. He won as a three-year-old colt in Clifden where, last August, he topped the line-up in the Weatherbys Scientific-sponsored four to six-year-old stallion class. He made his debut under saddle last year, winning each time out and being crowned ridden pony supreme champion at the Northern Ireland Festival.

Terri Manning (phase one) and Lucinda Williamson (phase two) judged the action in the working hunter ring, where their champion was the 133cm class winner Darkly Julie, a 12-year-old dun mare ridden for owner Catherine Cassidy by her daughter Abbey, a member of the Bray Hunt Branch of the Irish Pony Club.

Here, the reserve was the 153cm class winner, the John Tierney-bred 10-year-old Connemara gelding Clareville Codiac (Caherlistrane Bay - Tegan, by Slisneoir), who was ridden by Sophie Cusack for her mother Oorla.

Today, the second of the IPS’s Sports Pony Challenge qualifiers is taking place at the Banner Equestrian Centre, while tomorrow the Tipperary Area is holding its Spring Show at the Tipperary EC outside Thurles.

It’s back to Banner for the Limerick/Clare Area Spring Show on Saturday next, March 28th, when the Northern Area is also staging its Spring Show at Knockagh View EC.