THE annual October Connemara Pony Sales four-day sale begins next Friday, October 27th, with huge book of 850 ponies catalogued.
A growing trend at the Clifden sales over the past year is the amount of Connemara ponies sold overseas, and in particular the arrival of Spanish buyers to the sale. They purchased a total of 25 ponies in August and are returning next week, with their interest focused mainly on unbroken geldings and fillies.
Day one will see mainly broken and riding ponies pass through the ring, while Saturday will focus on one, two and three-year-old colts and fillies, as well as unbroken geldings and a number of mares and foals.
Sunday and Monday will see 370 foals enter the sales ring, as well as a small number of mares. One of the highlights will undoubtedly be Paddy Kearns’ 2017 Clifden champion foal Brocklodge Emma (Lot 669), by Brocklodge Buster and out of champion mare Loughmore Suzy.
The same sale last year saw the Henrietta Knight-bred Lockinge Coriander top the sale at €6,000 and the well-known ex-racehorse trainer is again sending two lots to the 2017 renewal – a four-year-old mare (Lot 142) and a two-year-old filly (Lot 457), both sired by the 2011 HOYS winner Lecarrow King.
The sale will commence at 10am sharp each day.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27TH
Lot 56 Manor Glen, reg 6yo dun s 147cms by Templebready Fear Bui out of Eileen’s Pet. Consigned by Mullingar agent PJ Watson, this six-year-old dun class 1 stallion looks to be one for the future in the show ring. Hailing from Noel Noonan’s Manor Connemara Ponies, the stallion has good performance pedigree being sired by Templebready Fear Bui. Broken and riding, he has not been shown in the show ring yet but is ready to make his mark.
Lot 111 James’ King, reg 4yo gr g 148cm by Castleside Carrig out of Aran Lady.This attractive gelding is by the popular performance sire Castleside Carrig and is a half-sister to Aoife’s Star, who travelled as part of the Irish team to the FEI European Championships in Hungary during the summer.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER
28TH
Lot 457 Lockinge Chicory, 2yo gr f 146cms by Lecarrow King out of Sweet Charity. One of two lots consigned to the sale by Henrietta Knight, this well-handled two-year-old filly is a half-sister to the 2016 sale topper Lockinge Coriander (€6,000). Her dam, Sweet Charity, was supreme champion at the 2011 British Breed Show.
Lot 459 Rosscon Simply Class, 4yo b m 147cms by Rosscon Sunrise out of Circular Beauty. This four year mare comes to the sale with a foal at foot by the highly rated French show jumping champion Gwenic de Goariva and is scanned back in foal to the stallion. Sired by a past RDS and Clifden winner, she has potential in the show ring.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29TH
Lot 669 Brocklodge Emma, g f f by Brocklodge Buster out of Loughmore Suzy. The highlight of the foal catalogue is this smart Clifden champion, who was also champion at Ballinalee and the Midlands. Her dam was the winner of the of the Midlands All Ireland Broodmare Championship in 2015.
CONNEMARA PONY SALES
Telephone: 095-21861
Email: info@connemaraponysales.com
Web: www.connemaraponysales.com
Date: October 27th-30th at 10am
Total lots: 850
Last year’s top lot: Cian Geoghan’s Lockinge Coriander, eight-year-old by Castle Comet sold for €6,000