THE third Ireland West foal show and auction was held last Sunday at its usual Claremorris School of Equitation base. Organised by Liam Lynskey as another option for western breeders to showcase and sell their foals closer to home, the show was another to benefit from Horse Sport Ireland funding.

Pony foal classes carried a prize fund of €500 while the Irish Draught and sport horse foal classes had €1,000 on offer.

A clash with Ballinasloe Show, and the ISA All Ireland finals there, affected numbers at both fixtures but with ever-rising diesel prices, breeders and exhibitors will stay closer to home and opt for the largest prize money on offer. “The days of paying €15 entry fees when there’s only a €50 first prize are gone,” remarked one exhibitor at a recent show.

Philip Scott was in charge of judging the native breeds ring and his red ribbon choices included Sean King’s Bay Shadow colt and Colin Joyce’s Cluain Aidhle Star, a Caoranbeg Champ filly, in the Connemara section. John McLoughlin’s Tors Gentleman Farmer colt and Liam Ryan’s Goldsmithcountry Oliver filly were the Irish Draught class winners.

In the sport horse foal classes, commercial sire and show jumping line choices were evident. The winner of the colt class was Michael McDermott’s Mikey Tyson, by the five-star KWPN sire Tyson, while Katie Butler’s filly foal winner is by the young Castlefield Kingston. He is owned by Ger O’Neill who was busy winning a gold medal at Lanaken that day with BP Goodfellas.

Vincent Holian rounded off his day judging the sport horse section by picking Karen Fox’s Lisarulla Master Lucky by HSF Lucky Boy, by Good Luck VDL.