DOWNPATRICK Racecourse manager Richard Lyttle took time out of his busy schedule to bring his mare Drummin Autumn to the Connemara Pony Festival where she won the Four-year-old Performance Mare Championship last Wednesday week.

Judged by commanding officer of the Army Equitation School, Lt Col Tom Freyne, the Tempo Active Atlas-sired mare was awarded the top marks to take home the first prize of €1,000 in the Horse Sport Ireland-sponsored class, which carried a huge overall prize fund of €3,000. Some €100 of that went to the breeder of the pony, Josephine and Padraic Dolan.