IMPROVED prices throughout the country, higher clearance rates and bumper attendances were among the many positives to emerge from the sport horse sales in 2019. The auction houses of Goresbridge, Cavan and Mullingar reported an appreciable upturn in the trade, and despite the nationwide deficit in entries, scarcity drove the market and it was a year of genuine growth.

Encouragingly, this was achieved in spite of the hefty devaluation of sterling against the euro, as well as the ongoing uncertainty regarding Brexit. Overseas buyers appeared to have little concern for either of those negatives, with the majority citing that whatever the outcome their buying habits were unlikely to change.