THE Mullingar Equestrian sales year concluded last Saturday with a mixed catalogue ranging from pony foals to older sport horses. Eighty lots went through the ring, there was a clearance rate of just over 50% and a day’s top price of €7,400.

That was the amount paid by local dealer Jim Derwin for the late entry Out Of The West (Lot 6A), an Irish Sport Pony considered by his Thurles consignor, Seamus Ryan, to have a future as a show pony or as a jumper. The four-year-old already has 51 Showjumping Ireland points to his credit.

The grey/dun gelding, who was bred in Co Clare by Katie Hehir, is by the Connemara stallion Lehid Canal Prince out of Farranderry Lucy Liu who, in turn, was by Desarbe Falcon out of a Kiltinane Charles mare.

Edenderry’s Dee Forde secured the versatile Connemara gelding Brooklawn Island Buachaill (Lot 10) for €5,700.

Consigned by Horse Sport Ireland Level 2 coach and working hunter specialist Toni Donnelly, the 13-year-old by Rosscon Castle King has enjoyed a successful career in the show ring while also taking part in all Pony Club activities and being described as a “machine” in the hunting field. The 14.2hh grey is out of the Ard Conneely mare Ard Oscar.

Another older pony to achieve a good price was Buck (Lot 3), an eight-year-old 128cms Connemara cross gelding Tiernan Grey gave €5,000 for Sean Cusack’s dun son of Crosskeys Rebel.

Co Meath’s Glenn Farrell Walker was both a consignor and a purchaser on Saturday and, in the latter role, paid €5,300 for show jumper J.P. Meegan’s unnamed Irish Sport Horse filly, Lot 22, who is broken and riding and jumping a small course of fences. A four-year-old by the Irish Draught stallion The Rock, the grey is out of the Ricardo Z mare Haslemere Ruby.

The second highest-priced ISH is heading to Britain as Hannah Taylor, who purchased three lots in total, gave €4,300 for Eftim Ivanoff’s unnamed black mare, Lot 27.

The four-year-old was bred in Co Monaghan by Amelia Comiskey who also bred, and stands, her sire, Sir Harry, and her dam, Diamonds High. The last-named is by Imperial Hights who Comiskey also bred and stands.

Britain’s Charlotte Mawby, who was present at the sale as she has been in the past, paid €4,100 for the top-priced three-year-old, Tullibards Stud’s home-bred Tullibards Dakota (Lot 36).

This 165cms traditionally-bred bay gelding is by Pointilliste out of the Puissance mare Puissance Jewel who, being out of the Cruising mare Cruising Jewel, is a full-sister to Arklow Puissance (CCI4*-L) and to Claragh Mountain (CCI4*-S).

Foal trade

The day’s strongest trade was in Connemara foals with 14 of the 15 lots forward being sold for a clearance rate of 95% and an average of €1,675.

Again, it was Jim Derwin to the fore when he gave a top price of €3,000 for Crannaghbeg Jack (Lot 43). From the second crop of the Cahanaghs Golden Boy stallion Rathkeery Paddy, the dun colt was bred by Dermot Halligan out of the Laerkens Cascade Dawn mare Sophie’s Diamond.

Athlone consignor Halligan also received the second highest price of €2,800 from Edenderry’s Gerard Killally for Crannaghbeg Hailey (Lot 53). This dun filly by Knightebridge Prince is out of the Coral Dun mare Newtown Grey, dam of above-mentioned Sophie’s Diamond.

Buyers were a little less plentiful for the sport horse and Irish Draught foals but, while just nine of the 26 forward were sold, they made an average price of €1,730.

Vincent Holian, manager of Forever Equestrian at the Mullingar centre, gave the top price of €2,500 for Lot 73, an attractive colt by the Dutch Warmblood stallion Imnotafraid Fortuna. The flashy grey, who was consigned by his Fethard breeder Thomas Griffin, is out of the Spirit House mare Rathdrum Duchess who was out of Rathdrum Queen, by Garrison Royal.

Holian intends showing his purchase in hand next year. The colt’s dam won in the show ring while his grandam retired to stud with 234 Show Jumping Ireland points to her credit.

While there are plenty of shows scheduled for the Fagan family’s Mullingar Equestrian Centre in the next few weeks, particularly over Christmas and the new year, the first sale of 2023 will be staged on Thursday, February 16th.