Breeder and producers of show ponies in Ireland have a new outlet to showcase stock.
Goresbridge Horse Sales’ new showing sale on 1 May is aimed at ponies for the showring and registered show pony youngstock, hunter pony youngstock, ridden show ponies, ridden hunter ponies, working hunter ponies and all sections of the Welsh studbook are to be included.
Organiser Gerry Fennell of Greenfield Stud, Co Westmeath, breeds Welsh part-breds. He told H&H: “There’s no formal shop window for show ponies in Ireland, so I worked with another stud to solve that. There is lots of enthusiasm here for show ponies and we’d heard complaints there was nowhere to buy or sell them.”
Mr Fennell hopes to hold two shows a year — one for youngstock and one later in the season for breeding stock.
The 1 May sale will run as a special section after the main monthly sale at Goresbridge.
Martin Donohoe of Goresbridge expects a good response, and said: “As it grows, we hope it will stand alone.”
Welsh pony breeder Ann Grimes of Lambay Stud, Dublin added: “We’re very pleased to have a marketplace for the ponies. We have no outlets here, aside from private buyers.”
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (15 April, 2010)
