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Cliden Show 2010 

Irelands national Connemara Pony Show, Clifden Show, is over: three days of events, bright champions and most impressing sports.
Wednesday made the start with the loose jumping competition for young ponies, Thursday was the big day with numberous in-hand classes and the ridden classes, Friday, last day, was filled with the working hunter, several show displays and the puissance, making it up to 155 cm! Sadly, with the wall already prepared for 165 cm, we had to learn that there are just 5 rounds in puissance … so we will have to come back next year for more!















Photo: 
Supreme Champion and Reserve of the Show, once more the ladies had a splendid day, Village Linnet and Castle Cailin Ard

Photo left: 
six ponies got clear on 155 cm in the puissance, five of them were stallions

Photo right: 
Ridden Champion Mister What and Reserve Young Walt

Clifden show photos now avaiable in the preview (incl. loose jumping) 

The 148 cm National Championship had Sillogue Darkie (photo left) by Ard Talisman – Grange Sand Sparrow, ridden by Michael Duffy, as the first competitor. A refusal on the third fence brought him to place 10 as the final result. Sadly we did not see Darkie on the Europeans.

The winner of the class was Bertram Allen, who had just become European Champion in Pony Jumping in Bishop Burton (GB) last week, on his second pony Cassandra van het Roelhof who had a clear round and another clear in the jump-off, while his champion pony of the Europeans, Acapella Z, knocked a pole in the first round and ended up in place 7.

Ridden Classes,  Thursday

The ridden classes were, as usual, well filled with smartly produced ponies. Two classes in the morning and two in the evening, finishing on the Ridden Championship – the plan for the day.
Class 73 for 4- to 5-y-o mares and geldings had seven ponies forward. Dunally Grey by Linsfort Barney out of Dunally Daffodil, owned by Julie Corbett, was the worthy winner of the first class. 
Class 74, for mares and geldings over 6 years of ag, had Gloster Boy by Laerkens Cascade Dawn out of Ridge Sally topping the huge class and making sure that 335,00 Euro for the winner made their way to his owner Helena Dawson. A lovely class with a strong top.

Photo left: Dunally Grey was the worthy winner of class 73
Photo right: Another convincing pony was Gloster Boy, winner of class 74

The evening was filled with more classes of great interest and the huge crowd kept staying to support their ponies.
The third class, class 75, was for Connemara Pony mares and geldings older than 6 years, ridden by a rider over 17 years of age. Derrymore Paddy Finn by Cloonisle Cashel out of Goodbye My Love, owned by Philippa Mansergh-Wallache, stood out and made it to the top of another well-filled class.
Killacloran by Moy Hazy Cove out of Castle Star, owned by Merryn Huntley-Jones, made a remarkable double with another win in the ridden stallion class, class 76, he had won the stallion in-hand class the previous day – and he should end his story by becoming Reserve Ridden Champion 2010!
Ridden Champion 2010 was awarded to the gelding Derrymore Paddy Finn. Congrats! 

 In-hand and Hunter classes, Wednesday

The Connemara Pony In-Hand classes have been down to two classes again this year and subsequently it was a big class for mares. From 14 entries about 10 mares came forward and it was strong competition to be sorted by the judges Olivia Haslett (IRL) and Dr. Otger Wedekind (GER). And the winner was … Coosheen Lisa by Coosheen Stormboy out of Coosheen Linnet, owned by Cian Geoghegan, second place stood Creggrush Realta by Castlestrange Fionn out of Cailin Dana from PJ Burke’s stable.
The stallion class had Killacloran by Moy Hazy Cove out of Castle Star on the top, belonging to Merryn Huntley-Jones. Joanne Grogan’s Mountain Cascade by Laerkens Cascade Dawn out of Mountain Lady took a well recognized second prize. The final Championship was a walk-over for Coosheen Lisa with the stallion Killacloran standing Reserve.

The Connemara Performance Hunters, first time presented in two classes of different grades, had a go at 10.000 Euro prize money altogether. A ridden display on the flat was followed by the very “going” x-country course on stylish fences and a final examination of the conformation. A huge crowd attended the Connemara Pony classes and gave much support to the competitors on their ways.

Young Walt, a young stallion by Castlestrange Fionn out of  Dangan Suzy, was properly produced under saddle by Padraigh Flannagan and won the class of the five- to seven-year-olds. He might be remembered by some pulling Tomo’s Gig on Clifden Stallion Days and on the Clifden Driving Displays.
Padraigh Flannagan was also the rider for the second Performance Winner, Cashel Bay Prince by I Love You Melody out of Coosheen Pheasant, bred and owned by Robert Fallon of Cashel Bay Stud. In second place stood Iratu Varagnac by Abbeyleix Fionn out of Siobhan, who competed in the Pony European Championships in England just the week before on the irish eventing team.

Pony European Championships in Bishop Burton (GB) - Friday

Nearly twenty years of team gold in dressage came to an end when the german team had to be content with silver in 2010. The gold team from the Netherlands has been equipped with german riding ponies who made the scores: Maria van den Dugen riding stallion Rembrandt DDH with 74,222 % ahead of Antoinette Te Riele with Golden Girl scoring 74,167 %, third best individual result. Equestricons Lord Champion and Dana van Lierop were fifth place individually. 
Team Germany had the highest score individually with Jessica Krieg riding Danilo to 75,500 %, Katharina Weychert and Golden Derano C made it to 73,167 % in fourth place individually, Deinhard B and Lena Charlott Walters came to seventh place in the end.
Of 43 starters seven reached 70 % plus.

Eventing dressage: the first half is done and Noble Springbok with Grace Walker (GBR) scored 46,9 penalties ahead Stefanie Benfeldt (GER) with Dara scoring 47,6 and team-member Flora Reemtsma (GER) with Pamira LK scoring 50,0 in third position. Best Connemara Pony was the bay stallion Maverick du Reuil from Belgium, presented by Clara Davoine, with 63,1 penalties.

Show jumping was dominated by two irish riders, Bertram Allen and Acapella Z won the first competition ahead of Jessica Vinter Jensen riding Nikolina (DEN) and Emma O’Dwyer riding Kalim de Montlieu in third place.
Best Connemara Pony was Catharina Swartz from Sweden with the french born stallion Idefix du Villon, a son of famous Dexter Leam Pondi.

Photo: Bertram Allen riding Acapella Z for Ireland's first victory in show jumping

 Pony European Championships in Bishop Burton (GB) – Wednesday

The European Championships for Ponies, taking place in the generous grounds of Bishop Burton Agricultural College in England, took off with the first half of the Team Dressage.
Twelve Nations have sent a team and after the first half, Team Netherlands is in a tight lead with 68,639 % ahead of Germany with 68,250 % and Denemark scoring 67,472 %.
Equestricons Lord Champion unter Dana van Lierop (NED), a small Württemberg Warmblood, tops the lot with 72,833 % - she is a member of last years Gold Team and took Bronze Medal in the Kür. Deinhard B, presented by Lena Charlott Walterscheid (GER) came to 70,333 % after a very nervous round. Dornick-Son with Sofie Hougaard (DEN) scored 67,833 % and Campari W, ridden by Caroline B. Smidt (DEN), made 67,111 %. Best Pure-Bred became the New Forest stallion Mastwood Blackberry with 66,833 %, ridden by Chiara Prus Vitale (ITA), in fifth place. 
All results are still to be confirmed.

Photo:  a brilliant start for Equestricons Lord Champion and Dana van Lierop (NED)

SL at 2010-07-28

CPBS Stallion Parade 

One of the highlights of the Connemara Pony Year in Clifden is always the Stallion Parade, held on the last Sunday in March, blessed with sunshine that seemed to end up what was a very harsh winter to most Connemara Pony breeders and owners.
In all 62 stallions, registered in Class I of the Studbook, showed up and an amazing 14 of them were duns, three being bay, showing a strong colour variety within the breed. Twenty stallions had been inspected within the previous week and it was a great advertising occasion for them. 
Only stallion from abroad forward was Golddigger Laddie by Kasta Scaramouche from Finland. Six stallions sons by Frederiksminde Hazy Match were shown and Currachmore Cashel was paraded with five of his sons. Greatest impact on the parade had Earl of Castlefrench with two sons on the parade, one of them, Robe Earl, showed up with five sons, and another son Earl of Newbridge sent another two sons, so his offspring shown calculated nine sons and grandsons!

Photo:  Fairyhill Paddy, former class winner at Clifden Show, and his owner Michael Mullen receive their rosette by Dermot Power, President of the CPBS

 Photos online

SL updated at 2010-04-04

CPBS colt inspections 2010

The traditional places for colt inspections, Mullingar, Rockmount and Clifden, were added up by another day at Ecclestones and one more venue at Rockmount the week after the main inspections. 
Numberous colts came forward and attempted to get into the desired Class I – with just a very few exceptions they were very well turned out and prepared to tackle the job properly. Especially the loose jumping went very well and was a credit to the breed and its best qualities. The results given are my understanding – sorry if there is any mistake, please let me know!

Photo: In Clifden, a large number of colts were passed into Class I, one of them was John’s Pride by Rathcoona Cove, exhibited by Sean Conneely

 Photos online

SL at 2010-04-01

Oughterard Show 2009 

As usual, Oughterard Show was devided into two shows in one event: Saturday hosted the Performance Day, Sunday was In-hand Show day.
And the winner was … Mister What finished Saturday show covered with three Champion sashes, including the Supreme Championship. A consistant winner under saddle, he was expertly produced again by Elizabeth Maher, and not surprisingly he became Powers Quarry International Ridden Performance Champion 2009 on Sunday.

Sadly Sunday turned into a consistently wet day and may have stopped exhibitors to show. The quality of the ponies shown in hand was still very convincing, and especially the filly classes were well filled. A unique double was achieved in the yearling filly class, were two dun half sisters by Frederiksminde Hazy Match topped the lot. Six of a possible twelve of Hazy Match’s offspring qualified for the Junior Championship, demonstrating his influence on the breed of the region, and it was taken by the yearling filly Canal Princess, bred and exhibited by Padraic Hynes, who later came Reserve Champion of the show.  Former Oughterard Youngstock Champion Hazelrock Buachaill by Currachmore Cashel proudly won the stallion class and Lakeside Lassie, shown by Ronan Francis Mullen, won the Supreme Championship of the show. She is bred by Streamstown Larry and is a half sister to Clifden Reserve Champion, April Rose.

Photo ridden: Elizabeth Maher and Mister What had a great day

Photo in hand: Lakeside Lassie, Supreme Champion, and Canal Princess, Reserve and Junior Champion

Photos online 

SL at 2010-04-01

Currachmore Cashel Supreme Champion in hand 2009 

Clifden Connemara Pony Show 2009 was another three day venue with several highlights: 

Wednesday held the finals of the Connemara Pony Loose Jumping Competition, proudly won by Grange Bobby Sparrow, who gave an outstanding perfromance.

On Thursday. no-one was surprised to find the Supreme Championship being awarded to the consistent in-hand winner Currachmore Cashel, who gave a splendid show, Reserve Supreme was awarded to the outstanding mare April Rose, who had won the progeny class in previous years already! 

European individual Gold medallist Ballyowen Maybell Molly and her team member Sillogue Darkie, both members of the Silver Medal Team Ireland, gave a special display and proved that well-looking ponies are also going to highest performance level.

Friday was another superb day with the working hunter classes - an interesting course had been built around the show ground. A musical dressage display and a driving round added to the impression that the Connemara Pony is an excellent performance pony. A parade of coaches and champions through Clifden town was a picture not to be missed. Final highlight was a puissance for Connemara ponies, two ponies cleared a triplebarre of 135 cm height and 130 cm width as well as a wall of 145 cm! Three days spoiled by flashing sunlight not to be missed by any Connemara pony enthousiasts. 

Photo: Gearoid Curran with April Rose and Joe Burke with Currachmore Cashel

 
















Clifden photos online  

SL at 2009-08-22