CLIFDEN ’16. A BRIEF VISIT

Gurteen Jennifer, Cathal Mullen

A quick look–in at Clifden Show on Thursday afternoon last confirmed that this shop-window for the Connemara Pony is growing and expanding beyond belief. Families poured in and took more than a casual interest in proceedings as they crowded around the two Rings, one showing the ponies In- Hand and Ring 2 full of Ridden Pony Classes. Unlike the opening day on Wednesday, the weather on Thusday stayed dry and balmy.

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Moycullen Show 2016

Show Champion Mountain Heather, Joanne Grogan

Reserve Champion, Cornarone Sea Mist, Ray Halpin

Junior Champion,Michael Sweeney’s Bunowen Grey Lass

View Moycullen ’16 Gallery     In a Showing Season where rain and all-out drenchings were the norm the fourth Moycullen Pony Show was favoured with an absolutely dry day. Run by a local Moycullen committee who are lucky enough to use the spacious open fields and cross-country course, a mile from the village, known as The Parks.   

Int.Connemara Performance Show ’16

 Marjorie Hardiman & Creganna Dandini receive the Supreme Trophy from Judge Paula McCarthy

(My thanks to Ciara and Aoife Connolly for photo and information). Connemara ponies and their riders from all corners of Ireland came to Duffy’s Equestrian Centre in Claregalway on 7th August.to compete in the 14th Annual Championships Finals Show.  Due to the organisers commitment and hard work the Show was an all-round success, in spite of a tempest that took over the east-Galway venue in the afternoon. The Supreme Performance Champion repeated the feat of the previous Sunday’s Midland Breeders Show when Marjorie Hardiman and her home-bred gelding Creganna Dandini (Cashel Bay Prince) took home the Champion’s Tophy once more. Creganna Dandini had earlier won a Jumping Competition with daughter Jane Hardiman and the  Ridden Championship, Rider over 16 years, with Marjorie Hardiman.

Midlands Breeders Show 2016

Midlands In Hand Champion ’16

Working Hunter, Midlands ’16
Ridden Classes, Midlands ’16.
Midlands’16 Gallery

In-Hand Classes
Horseboxes, Trailers and Lorries filled with Connemara Ponies travelled to the centre of Ireland for the Midlands Show in Mullingar on the last Sunday in July. This Show is very much a community effort and with forty Connemara Classes listed to take place in the spacious acres of the Mullingar Equestrian Centre, which included various Championships and Clifden Qualifiers and also the Loose Jumping Qualifiers held in the Indoor Arena, all hands were needed on deck for a long day.    Niamh’s Weblog got off to a good start when the Gate Steward kindly offered to move his own jeep elsewhere to allow us in! The layout of the 4 Rings was well-ordered with banks of chairs at vantage viewing points making it very spectator-friendly.