AS they had to qualify, it wasn’t surprising to see most of the top Connemara owners, producers and riders in the country had at least one pony through for the North Down Marquees-sponsored breed ridden classes at last week’s Balmoral Show.

These were judged by Marie Claire Nimmo and Barbara McGrath in the P & O Arena on Thursday morning when, in the opening four and five-year-old class, Co Kildare’s Aoife and Sadhbh O’Connor were probably in two minds about the result.