CLIFDEN is gearing up for its world famous 94th Connemara Pony Festival which takes place next week from Tuesday, August 15th to Sunday, August 20th.

Attracting visitors from around the globe, the best of Connemara ponies will be on display across the in-hand, ridden, working hunter and loose jumping classes at the Co Galway venue.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, will officially open the show next Thursday.

The beautiful Abbeyglen Castle Hotel hosts the international welcome reception on Tuesday evening after a tour of stud farms. The International AGM will take place in the Station House Hotel on Wednesday morning at 9am.

New to the schedule this year is the teams’ International Connemara Performance Hunter class over a Derby style course for a prize fund of €1,200. The final of the Irish green hunter, three-year-old loose jumping and the four-year-old performance mare championship take place on Wednesday, all with generous prize funds.

Thursday’s action starts at 8.30am with the young stock in-hand classes continuing through to the afternoon with older stock and the ever popular ridden classes.

Judging commences at 1pm and the winners will be announced at 3pm in the best dressed ladies and gents competition.

Friday starts with the working hunter classes, followed by the final of the Clifden High Performance with a prize fund of €3,000 and is open to ponies who have qualified at venues around Ireland. Also on Friday is the exciting puissance contest with the current record at 1.63 metres. Afterwards, all the winners of the festival will parade through the town.

Saturday and Sunday hosts the Connemara Pony sale.

The main sponsors of this year show are Horse Sport Ireland, Sweeney Oil company and Galway Irish Crystal.

Visit www.cpbs.ie or contact the CPBS office on 095 21863 for a full list of events.