A prize-winning foal bred by a Renvyle mother for her nine-year-old daughter fetched the top foal price of the October Connemara Pony Sales in Clifden – while a freshly approved stallion was knocked down for €15,000.
Lankill Hercules, a colt foal bred by Renvyle native Cathy Hughes, sold for €5,000, the highest price paid for a foal at the five-day sale, the Connacht Tribune reported. It was a fitting end to a big year for the youngster, who had already won his class and taken reserve champion foal at the Connemara Pony Show in Clifden in August.
€15,000 stallion tops the Clifden sale
The top lot of the sale was Ballymakea Shadow Gamble, a three-year-old stallion newly approved as a Class 1 stallion and sold by Tim Mac Namara. He was bought by leading show rider Sadhbh O’Connor for €15,000.
He came with serious credentials: the stallion scored 93% for conformation and 91% for athleticism at inspection, according to the Connacht Tribune.
952 ponies find new homes
The October sale ran from Thursday 22 to Monday 26 October. In all, 952 ponies found buyers over the five days, and 262 of them were sold online, showing how much of the trade now happens online.
The Irish Field had billed the October fixture as the biggest sale of foals at the venue, with a catalogue packed with young prospects, proven performers and breeding stock.
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Why Clifden is the capital of the Connemara pony
The Connemara is Ireland’s only native pony breed, known for its temperament, intelligence and versatility. The breed’s stud book was set up by the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society in 1923 to protect the native bloodlines, and the society has run an annual show ever since.
This year’s show was the 101st. It ran in Clifden from 18 to 21 August, with Clare Oakes appointed show chair and Horse Sport Ireland putting €15,000 into this year’s show, including an extra €5,000 in prize money.
Connemara ponies at the Áras
The breed had a high-profile summer, too. Kylemore Abbey’s Connemara mare Ruby and her foal Pippa spent the summer grazing on the front lawn of Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of President Catherine Connolly in the Phoenix Park, RTÉ News reported. Kylemore Abbey chief executive Conor Coyne called the visit “a lovely celebration of the heritage and culture of the west of Ireland”.
What next for Clifden’s sales ring
The Connemara Pony Sales hold several fixtures a year in Clifden, with a December sale usually closing out the calendar. For breeders around Renvyle, Ballyconneely and Carna, a good price in Clifden can make a year. And for one Renvyle family, a foal raised for a nine-year-old girl has already done them proud.
Sources: Connacht Tribune, The Irish Field, RTÉ News
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