Spring Festival 2010
The annual stallion parade will take place in the Showgrounds, Clifden on Sunday 28th March 2010.
A variety of activities have been arranged to coincide with this year’s Stallion Parade. We are certainly looking forward to what should be some memorable evenings. Aside from the Parade itself, of course, two events in particular stand out:
On Thursday evening (the 25th) there will be a photographic exhibition showcasing the work of Sweden’s Nina Gustafsson. Nina has been visiting these shores since 1979, and her photographs feature some fantastic ponies and characters from that era (see right). The Abbeyglen Hotel is the venue and ‘doors open’ at 8.30pm.
Another of this year’s highlights will be Pat Lyne, well known author on Connemara ponies, giving a lecture entitled ‘The Arabian Influence in the Connemara Pony’ on Saturday evening in the Station House Theatre. This is the second of a series of lectures entitled the Bartley O’Sullivan Lectures. Lib Petch gave the inaugural lecture – ‘The Thoroughbred Influence on the Connemara Pony’ – to a very appreciative audience last year, so this year’s lecture can be expected to draw top attendance. Remember, if you missed that first lecture, it has since been put to print, with photographs, and some copies are still available.
The lecture will be followed that evening by a fund-raising auction, to which all are welcome to attend. Come at 9.15pm to see the auctioning of a print of Best Mate, a Munster jersey signed by team, a two-night stay in Station House, a specially commissioned painting by the talented artist Lady Maria Levinge, and more! Attendees of last year’s auction of a painting by renowned artist Siobhán Bulfin will well remember the hotly contested bidding that took place with the painting (of a mare and foal) finally off to a new home at the outstanding figure of €1650!
On Friday night the ever popular table quiz will take place in the Station House Hotel.
A registered Connemara pony sale will be held in Clifden Mart on Saturday 27th March. This sale is drawing some anticipation, and we hope to see plenty of quality on offer for the discerning buyer.
The superstars themselves finally take to the field in person on Sunday. The Stallion Parade will run all day on Sunday, and here’s hoping the weather holds up – even though these guys look good no matter what the conditions! We all here are certainly looking forward to the spectacle!
Remember the Inspection Dates:
Colts:
- 23/3/10: Ecclesville 11am
- 24/3/10: Mullingar 10am
- 25/3/10: Rockmount 9.30am
- 26/3/10: Clifden 9.30am
Fillies:
- 29/3/10: Rockmount
- 6/4/10: Ennis 10am
- 7/4/10: Mallow 11am
- 13/4/10: Mullingar 10am
- 14/4/10: Ecclesville 11am
- 15/4/10: Sligo 10am
- 19/4/10: Claremorris 9.30am
- 20/4/10: Ballinasloe 10am
- 27/4/10: Spiddal/Costello/Rosmuc/ Cill Chiarain/Carna/Cashel 9.30am
- 28/4/10: Maam Cross/Oughterard/Moycullen 9.30am
- 29/4/10: Roundstone/Ballyconneely/Clifden/Renvyle 9.30am
I’m not going to be able to see the exhibition of photographs, although I’d really be interested in doing so. How long does it last? Will the photo’s be shown online here afterwards?
Hi Alice, sorry to be the bearer of bad news – but the exhibition is for one night only. As for whether or not the images would be available afterward online I honestly don’t know. They are copyrighted images, so we can’t do anything without checking with Nina first.
There is, however, some good news! The exhibition will be re-opened around the Midlands Group’s educational conference on the 24th of April. I’m hazy on the specifics, but I’ll check it out for you and reply here when I get the exact details.
Should be a good sale.