EVERY now and again, much to the delight of Connemara fans, an old video will surface on social media of Clifden Show, of pony inspections or even stallions being paraded on fair day. Nostalgia trip aside, these clips are picture proof of the sea changes that have taken place over the years with both the type of pony and standard of showmanship.

The UK show scene takes this professionalism to another level and for an Irish-owned Connemara to win the Mountain and Moorland title was the Olympia pinnacle for the Burke family.