WITH the end of the show season in sight, entries continue to dwindle for the autumn shows and a clash with the Clifden sales didn’t help numbers at the Connemara Pony of the Year Charity Show last Sunday.

The fourth running of this popular fundraiser, the original in-hand format was since expanded to include ridden classes. This led to a championship double for Glencarrig Knight at the show, held at Duffys Equestrian Centre as the supreme champion, Grace Maxwell Murphy’s Glencarrig Princess Ella and Patrick Curran’s Glencarrig Douvan, produced by her husband William McMahon, are both by the same sire.

The first championship on an overcast day was the junior championship. Visiting Isle of Wight judge Mark Sheen opted for Cabra Jane, owned by Clifden couple Niamh and Bryan O’Halloran.

Bought as a yearling as a potential broodmare, the three-year-old Hillside Joker filly stood champion ahead of Kieran McGrath’s Manor Duke yearling colt Viscount Duke.

The next championship was decided in the outdoor arena where Yorkshire judge Jodie Risdon, a Connemara convert after previously showing ridden hunters, found her champion in Patrick Curran’s home-bred stallion Glencarrig Douvan who is out of the Laerkens Cascade Dawn-sired Wyncroft Dawn.

Kathy Curley’s Glencarrig Bracken, another stallion son of Glencarrig Knight, won the side-saddle class with Jessica Murphy on board before completing a double in the ridden championship for his sire when he stood reserve.

Memorial cup

Back to the indoor arena where the fun-filled young handler classes were followed by the broodmare and foal classes. Another first for the show was the presentation of the Jarlath Grogan Cup to the winner of the mare and foal combination class, won by Peter Keane’s Gloves Bobby mare Kiltullagh Lass and her Banks Timber filly foal Seafield Sinetta.

“Dad always liked the mare and foal combination class because it was a bonus one to enter at a show with your mare and foal,” his daughter Joanne explained about how the family decided which class to present to cup for.

The foal champion was Eimear Coleman’s Clounanna Lady May, the winner of a strong filly class. She is from the second crop of Eimear’s own stallion Doohulla Dunally, bought as her birthday present at Clifden sales by dairy farmer dad John while the dam, Galey Lady, is the dam of the Clifden three-year-old loose jumping winner Clounanna Georgie Boy. Reserve champion foal was Emma Campbell’s colt winner Cahanagh’s Numero Uno, by Lettermuckoo Lad and one of several eye-catching dun foals present last Sunday.

Glencarrig Princess Ella won her way through to the senior in-hand championship after winning the four-to-six-year-old mare class, then sealed the next champion title of the day here for her sire. Paid O’Cualain’s stallion class winner Teach Mor Cormac, by Thorgal De Lauibier, stood reserve to the Glencarrig Knight mare, who is bred by Gearóid Curran.

Even better was to follow after the foal, junior and senior champions came forward for the supreme title.

The two visiting judges, ably assisted by an excellent group of stewards, selected the five-year-old Glencarrig Princess Ella, a win that capped both a memorable couple of months for her connections and another worthy fundraising show.