Doing their late committee member Ruth Rogers proud, the Midlands Connemara Pony Breeders put on a superb show with bumper entries on a sun-filled day at Mullingar Equestrian Centre. Bringing Sunday’s in-hand classes to a close was the supreme championship won by Noel Noonan’s stallion Manor Duke, with Katie Curran’s big winner this season, Glencarrig Princess Katie in reserve.

The big All Ireland broodmare final also went to the Moycullen family when Patrick Curran’s Wyncroft Dawn took this ahead of fellow Galway raider in Martin Keaney’s Murvey Rita. Willows Ingredients sponsored the foal championship too and Murvey Rita’s filly added another tricolour, standing reserve to Sean Cooney’s colt, Loughmore Johnny. The youngstock titles also went west with Rachel Nee and Kieran McGrath.

The Midlands performance classes were packed with many entries getting in a final pre-Dublin outing. Danny’s Pride, who qualified for two HOYS classes at Cheshire County in June with Amber Marnane, won the working hunter title ahead of Edwina O’Connor’s Aghranny Minstrel. Aoife O’Connor owned the ridden champion Ballylee Castle Prince.

Thomasina O’Reilly’s beloved “unicorn pony” Rosscon Camille was reserve here The same combination also took a second reserve title in the equitation championship, won by Co Down’s Hollie Donnan.

Another Midlands stalwart was remembered in the Sarah Miller ‘flagship performance class’, which combines dressage, jumping and conformation phases. Here the champion was Grainne Cronin’s Newgrange Danny Boy, produced by the Julianstown family since he was a four-year-old, under the tutelage of Anne Stanley, who incidentally owned the reserve champion, Donode Mabel Molly.

What they said

“Willows Ingredients are heavily involved with the equine industry and by having something so local, so unique to Ireland and our own interest in the Connemara, that we feel this is still part of our business and we’re delighted to sponsor it” – David Scrivens explains why Willows Ingredients have been the main sponsor for the past five years.

“He is an extremely loved family pony! We bought him [Newgrange Danny Boy] when Aoife was 12 and they started eventing with Eventing Ireland this year with some great results, including a win in the EI100 Junior in Glaslough” – Grainne Cronin talks about their

versatile Connemara.

“Poetry in motion. He [Manor Duke] is a beautiful mover and the chap that shows him [Joe Burke] does an excellent job. A very high standard overall – judge George O’Malley on the supreme champion.

“Simon Beirne [performance co-judge] and I thought about 40% of the ponies were true to the traditional Connemara type. There were a few young ponies I thought were spectacular, with great potential and I think some of them will show jump for Ireland in the future” – Rachel Bennett on type versus performance.

“The trip to the Midlands Connemara Pony Breeders Show was always going to be a bittersweet one, knowing that we wouldn’t be meeting our good friend Ruth Rogers who we always looked forward to catching up with and chatting everything Connemara pony-related!

“We could not have been prouder when Manor Duke was named supreme champion. It was natural to look around for Ruth in the ring during the presentation and to get that sinking feeling when you remembered she wasn’t there, but I think it’s safe to say she was definitely with everyone in spirit” – Louise Noonan remembers Ruth Rogers.

Champions

Foal – Sean Cooney’s Loughmore Johnny (Brocklodge Buster)

Reserve – Martin Keaney’s Murvey Mara (Caherlistrane Bay)

Junior – Rachel Nee’s Glencoaghan Rachel’s Girl (I Love You Melody)

Reserve – Kieran McGrath’s Inbhear Louis (Glencarrig Knight)

All Ireland boodmare – Patrick Curran’s Wyncroft Dawn (Laerkens Cascade Dawn)

Reserve– Martin Keaney’s Murvey Rita (Currachmore Cashel)

Supreme in-hand – Noel Noonan’s Manor Duke (Currachmore Cashel)

Reserve – Katie Curran’s Glencarrig Princess Katie (Glencarrig Knight)

Ridden – Aoife O’Connor’s Ballylee Castle Prince (Slackport Prince)

Reserve – Thomasina O’Reilly’s Rosscon Camille (Boden Park Finnard)

Working hunter – Amber Marnane’s Danny’s Pride (Fernville Danny)

Reserve –Edwina O’Connor’s Aghranny Minstrel (Castleside JJ)

Equitation – Hollie Donnan with Killoughter Nuggett (Ashfield Romeo)

Reserve – Thomasina O’Reilly with Rosscon Camille

Performance – Grainne Cronin’s Newgrange Danny Boy (Wings of Justice)

Reserve – Anne Stanley’s Donode Mabel Molly (Ballinaboy Tom)