THE Galwegians winning streak began early in the day at Moate Show when the Donnellan family’s Miss Suileen Bouncer swept through the George Chapman-judged Irish Draught and broodmare classes, ending up with three championship wins.

“Suileen being our prefix after the Suileen river that runs through our village,” said secondary school teacher Emma Donnellan who showed the Moylough Bouncer filly for her father Marcus. “Dad has always had horses and so I grew up with them and my love for them flourished when he bought me my first pony at five years old. Dad breeds four Irish Draught mares and two Connemaras every year and either keeps a filly foal or sells them on,” explained Emma, who teaches in St Brigids College, Loughrea.

“I’m kept busy in the evenings and weekends working with the horses and quietening the foals, it really is my passion. Dad was very successful in the show ring with Irish Draught mares and foals some years back, including with this filly’s dam Ballyhist Cool Diamond, who is by Coolcronan Wood. We’re delighted that our filly has won a few prizes for us this year with me on the reins. Hopefully it continues!”

In foal

The upstanding filly is now in foal to Anbally Storm. “Dad always likes to cross them with a Connemara for their first foal. He used to stand Anbally Storm some years back but he sold him on to a neighbour and we covered her with him,” she added about their traditionally-bred prospect in 2024.

Standing reserve to Miss Suileen Bouncer in the Irish Draught mare championship was John Bracken’s good winner Lady Hattie (Agherlow) before the Donnellan’s grey won the overall Draught title.

Her third tricolour was from the broodmare championship where another good servant and dam of All-Ireland champions - Mary Dooner’s Vanity Fare (Dunkerrin Grey Mist) - stood reserve.

It was a run of reserves for the Dooners as they also took the reserve foal champion title with their Shadow Gate colt and in a Westmeath 1-2, the championship went to Charlie Pidgeon’s filly by the Dutch-bred Van Gogh.

Good year

Alison Rountree’s Killycloghan Legacy (Cornets Son) had another good year at Moate, finishing the day as Clare Oakes champion filly choice while the overall young horse championship was won by Amanda Hehir’s Coolfin Hudson (Vivant van de Heffinck).

Lisa O’Sullivan won the Kerry Bog Pony championship with her Scotia Fox (Naughton Lad) and at the other end of the height scale, Kate and Amory McMahon’s Woodfieldfarm Baloo (Spirit House) and Kieran Rossiter’s Johnstown Boy were Claire Gilna and Melanie Horsman’s ridden hunter champion and reserve choices.

There was one championship to be decided in the adjoining ring where Patricia Hoey’s Connemara champion was the McWeeney family’s birthday buy Kinamara Mountain Dream.

“Yvonne, my sister, rang me and said I want to buy Dad [James] a dun foal for his 70th birthday so on Done Deal we went. She found this tiny dun furry thing, sent the advert to me and it was Michael Burke in Kinamara Stud, Roscommon. We rang, did the deal and Michael had to leave him down to us the night before Dad’s 70th and hide him in a yard up the road so he wouldn’t see him,” said Longstone Stud-based Laura, who showed ‘Golden Boy’ as the four-legged birthday present is known as, in Sunday’s downpour.

Top class

“Next day, we made up a story to get Dad up to the yard and produced the smallest foal you’ve ever seen: Golden Boy. So he got a lot of love and attention for two and a half years, until Dad said he was bringing him for inspection in March, which he did and got Class 1.”

“Absolutely delighted for Dad and I’ve shown the pony five times since. He’s had four wins, one reserve junior, one reserve supreme and two supreme championships and was third in the colt class at Clifden. He owes us nothing,” added Laura who works at Leisure Horse Ireland.

The eyecatching dun champion is bred on performance lines, by the Templebready Fear Bui stallion Fear Beag Bui and out of Charleville Lucky Lady, by Ashfield Festy.

Patrick Kearns had a memorable Clifden this year and was back out on Sunday, this time with his two-year-old filly Brocklodge Ruby (Glencarrig Knight), the reserve champion Connemara.

Tractors revved up and exhibitors, who sang the praises of the Moate team, were towed out of a rapidly-drying show field by the day’s end. The Moate committee will have brushed off the mud by now and be prepared to do it all over again for next year’s 181st anniversary.