Produced in Corofin by Pascal Crawford for owner/breeder Robert Fallon, the nine-year-old I Love You Melody stallion finished his round of flat work and jumping on a score of 260 points, which left him some way ahead of Antoinette Geoghegan’s Westmir Queen, the only mare in the class.

Ridden here by Chloe Roche, this 14-year-old Westside Mirah bay matched the winner when it came to fluency and halt, with judge Susan Stoney awarding both scores of 10 and nine, Cashelbay Prince gaining his advantage in the flat work phase as both also recieved full marks for their jumping.

The 13-year-old Ferdia gelding Blackwood Fernando also secured his ticket for Dublin when finishing third under owner Claire Devlin’s daughter Alicia Devlin Byrne.

Cashelbay Prince, who is out of the Callowfeenish Mairtin mare Coosheen Pheasant, gets a lot of filly foals and proving popular again this year at stud.

CAVAN AIM
On the competition front he will be aimed at the Irish Pony Society Show at Cavan at the end of next month, the final of this competition and the ridden stallion class at Dublin, and he will be returning to Clifden having bypassed that show in the last couple of years.

In the class for younger ponies, Flanagan had to settle for second place behind India Dawson (17) on her mother Helena’s Gloster Boy, who recieved full marks for his fluency over the Derby course, where he jumped clear, and his halt. He also recieved top marks for his flat work from Stoney who gave him a rare 10 for one movement.

Bred in Co. Offaly by Thomas Ryan and purchased throught Ann Stanley, the six-year-old is by Laerkens Cascade Dawn out of an Ardravinna Andy mare. The grey gelding is usually partnered by India’s younger sister Lydia who lost out on the ride for this class in Dublin as she is too young.

However, the 14-year-old is on the shortlist for the European hunter pony championships in Cavan at the end of next month with Gloster boy while India also hopes to make the team with Stanley’s Bob Marley.

India and Lydia will be in the middle of their exams next year, so Helena has decided to push the boat out this season. “Most of the qualifiers are a good bit away from us in north Co Dublin but you’d go anywhere to jump tracks like these and I think this is a very good competition.”

In this class for five to seven-year-olds, Flanagan (17) was on board bertie O’Halloran’s homebred Young Walt, a grey stallion by Castlestrange Fionn out of the Cloonisle Cashel mare Dangan Suzy.

Also produced by Crawford, this seven-year-old does a lot of show jumping and will take in plenty of working hunter classes before Dublin and Clifden.

The third pony to qualify for Dublin from this round in Rincoola was Fiona Callaghan’s homebred Ashfield Trobadour, a seven-year-old roan gelding who was ridden by Amy Whittle.

Both classes last Thursday were sponsered by the Northern Ireland Connemara Association who must have been delighted with the big entry and also with the quality as the 2009 Dublin supreme champion Glenmore Kellys Owen travelled to Balmoral to make her presence felt by lifting the Henderson and Graham trophy.

The 14-year-old grey, who was bred in Co. Galway by Martin Kelly and is by Abbeyleix Owen out of Gentian Gold, by Ardravinna Andy, was exhibited by Francis and Deirdre O’Reilly form Dundalk whose luck was certainly in last week.

It was only when they got their number and passes that the Co Louth couple realised that ‘Kelly’ had been entered instead of another mare and to make matters even better her lovely filly by Windy’s Boy took the foal championship.

“We were determined to come to Balmoral as we heard so much about it” said Deirdre. “We are delighted to have won, especially as the class was also a qualifier for the Midlands all-Ireland broodmare championship. We will now head for Boswell and also Ballinalee.”

Derek and Ann Henderson’s home-bred Ballyalt Calla Lily (by I Love you Melody) took the blue rosette ahead of Nicola Brown’s Corah Delight (by Castleside J.J.). The special award for the highest placed three-year-old went to Daniel Hickinson’s Branchfield Maeve, a grey by Glenayre Silver Fox.

Robbie Fallon from Cashelbay House, Connemara, was joined by Claire Oakes from Navan to judge the ridden class where they were faced with a mammoth task as 32 ponies came before them. Wisely,the judges took the decision to split the competitors in half and judge the class in two parts, later bringing back the top six in both divisions to decide on their final placings.

The 13-year-old Blackwood Fernando, beautifully ridden by Alicia Devlin-Byrne from Co Wicklow, launched his summer campaign in style when judged the overall winner, the rider proudly receiving the R.J. Moneith Cup presented by Marina and James Wray.

‘Fernando’, a grey son of Ferdia who was bred by Patrick McNamara out of Mervyn Pookhaun mare Dancing Queen, has been consistently in the ribbons all over Ireland for the past few years winning several championships.

The 11-year-old Jacks Promise mare Ceide Rose, ridden by Clare Brown, stood second in the class while Jayne Maxwell and the six-year-old grey mare Abbeyfern (by Abbeyfort) placed third.

The special award for the best rider 16 years and under went to Zoe Woods from Ballygowan, Co Down astride Derek and Ann Henderson’s Mo Buachalin Ban, who also lifted the Robson Cup for the best young pony in the class.

Balmoral Show is probably one of the most high-profile agricultural shows on the island of Ireland, and a fantastic shop window for breeders of Connemara Ponies. It’s high level of professionalism, and the dedication and hard work brought to the task by such enthusiasts as Ann and Derek Henderson, helped to ensure a big spectator turnout at the ring sides this year. The faith of the organisers in advancing the presence of the breed has been justified, and seen to be so, and we can look forward with hope that Connemara classes will be included in ever increasing breath year on year. The May 22nd issue of The Irish Field noted the ‘huge interest’ to the Connemara classes – both of which were sponsored by the Northern Ireland Connemara Pony Breeders Association – and the ‘massive response’ to the Ridden classes in particular. The two classes consisted of a class for Registered Connemara Mares, 3 years and upward, with or without foal; and also a class (for the first time) for Registered Ridden Connemaras, Mares or Geldings, 4 years old and over.

In the In-Hand ring, Francis and Deirdre O’Reilly from Co.Louth took first place in the class for mares four years and over, with or without foal, and also lifted the Henderson and Graham Trophy with their 2009 Dublin Supreme Champion mare Glenmore Kelly’s Owen. Claire Oakes (Navan) and I were delighted to be asked to judge the Ridden classes, where we were faced with twenty seven ponies in the ring! There was a great deal of good, typey ponies that fitted the breed characteristics very well, and all were extremely well produced – especially considering the show’s early place in the calendar. The 13 year old Blackwood Fernando – beautifully ridden by Alicia Devlin Byrne from Co. Wicklow – was judged the overall ridden champion receiving the R.J. Monteith Cup. I was certainly impressed and delighted with my time at Balmoral, and certainly consider it to be well worth the trip up from the south. A show I can only see going from strength to strength in the future.

Louisburgh can, with justification, lay claim to being certainly one of the most scenically beautiful shows in Ireland (or, indeed, anywhere). Again joined by Claire Oakes, I was thrilled to be asked to wear the Judge’s bowler against the backdrop of Clare Island. Run extremely well by Tommy Bennett’s committee, whose organisation impressed me very much, and excellently marshalled by our Ring Steward Joe, Louisburgh saw some big classes this year – particularly in the 2yo filly and 3-6yo and 7+yo mare classes. The 2yo filly class was quite strong, but the show in general displayed good quality, well produced ponies. The breeders present deserve all due credit for turning out their ponies to such a commendable standard. Champion Connemara was Beechmount Brona with Lui Na Greine as Reserve.

Cashelbay Misty

At Galway Couty Show (19th, 20th June), Cashelbay Cruise (currently available for lease) won the stallion class, following on from his victories at Roundford where he placed first in his class and was also placed Reserve Champion of the show.

Also at Galway, Cashelbay Misty, currently jumping with Phoebe Collin, placed a very impressive third place out of a field of over forty ponies and has as a result qualified for the RDS. We would like to congratulate Phoebe on her success – and wish her the best of luck in Dublin!

Cashelbay Prince has continued his winning tradition with another top performance in Longford, where, in the Over 8′s Performance Hunter Qualifier, he qualified for the 153 class in Dublin and carried an almost perfect points score.

This comes on the heels of another top performance at the Sligo finals held a fortnight before, where he turned in another spectacular showing – winning three classes and going on to take the M&M Championship and the Reserve Working Hunter Championship.

We’re looking forward to seeing how he does over the coming months!