Groups from as far as South Korea fly in for Connemara ponies

Bartley and Tomás Ó Máille have been to Connemara ponies what Versace has been to fashion, and no west of Ireland festival has been quite complete without them.

For well over six decades, the two Carraroe brothers have competed at the annual Connemara Pony Festival, which is now in its 93rd year.

So, when Bartley (76) arrived without his brother to the opening day of this year's festival in Clifden yesterday, there were warm greetings, strong handshakes and many sympathies expressed, as Tomás had died during the year.

“Mention ‘na Máilligh’ in any Irish emigrant setting, and the answer you will get is ‘na Máilligh, na capaill’, because that’s how well known you are,” a close friend and neighbour told Bartley, as he expressed his condolences. Slipping in and out of Connemara Irish, the pair discussed the fortunes of Bartley’s stallion this year, Robe Blue Thunder, and what makes for a good pony.

“Good bones . . . well boned, like women,” Mr Ó Máille quipped, as he headed off to buy an ice-cream cone.

Opening day

It wasn’t quite ice-cream weather, but the brooding clouds held out for much of the opening day, as hundreds of people arrived for the event hosted by the

Connemara Pony Breeders Society

.

“This really is the mother of all the shows,” show judge Seán King said, noting the enduring health of the sector and its growing international market.

"We already have significant buyers in Germany, Sweden, Denmark and France, and the pony is now being bred to a larger size at the behest of the British."

Whereas Connemara ponies were once a standard 12 hands, jumping ponies were now reaching 14 hands 2in or 148cm, Mr King said.

Irish Horse Gateway representative Paul McDermott, who has competed at Clifden, said that a South Korean delegation currently in Ireland was expected at the weekend. “It’s likely they want to buy good animals here to develop their own breed,” he said.

Irish Horse Gateway, which is an initiative of Horse Sport Ireland, had received a number of European inquiries at the show, he said.

Enthusiastic spectators

Over in the showground’s western quarter, a substantial crowd gathered for a contest of another kind.

Among the enthusiastic spectators at the “best dressed” ring were Ruth (5) and Sarah (3) Labanyi from Dublin, fresh from a spot of face painting and sporting a golden retriever and a princess eye mask respectively.

With a pink feather in her hat, beige shorts and black umbrella, Pauline Gorman from Co Sligo won the “most appropriately dressed” section, while there was a loud cheer for local winner Josephine Wallace from Clifden, who was named best dressed lady of the day.

“It was my daughter Jane who picked it,” Ms Wallace said of her “high-low” floral dress, explaining that its first outing was as a mother-of-bride outfit at Jane’s wedding.

Judge Mandy Maher, of Catwalk Modelling Agency, had little agonising to do over her choice of best dressed man.

James Banahan from Gallowstown, Co Roscommon, was sole entrant in his tan check jacket, beige trousers, two-tone silk tie, show hat and Grenson shoes.

He was embraced by his wife, Mary, and promptly cantered after the group of winning women for a photo shoot in the parade ring.

“You know, I used to enter ponies here,” Mr Banahan said with a laugh.

“But this is much more fun . . . ”

The Connemara Pony Festival continues until tomorrow, August 20th.