The Connemara Pony Show had something for everyone, writes Eileen Battersby in Clifden

Intelligent, athletic, versatile, kind and willing - the Connemara pony is one of nature's most attractive characters. Such is the appeal of its personality that not even the abrupt departure of the sun could deflect breeders, buyers, riders and horse lovers in general from a busy though damp Clifden for the annual pony show, now 80 years old.

Yesterday's show, the 79th to be held (there was one wartime cancellation) had an entry of 480 ponies for the ridden and show classes.

Clifden manages to be relaxed, sufficiently relaxed to balance the competitiveness of the proceedings. As any breeder will tell you, this is the one to win. It's where the breeders are in most cases, also the owners, outnumbering the blow-ins. A first at Clifden guarantees your pony serious attention and enduring respect.

This may not have been uppermost in the thoughts of two young girls who became very distressed on noticing that their dog, who only minutes before had been looking unnaturally clean and bearing up well after intensive grooming, had become muddy and well, dog-like.

"Oh," wailed the taller of the two, "this is so unfair. She would have won. Now look at her." Dogs of all classes, breeds and temperaments shared the stage and many children wore the worried expressions of owners unaccustomed to other dogs upstaging their own pets.

The man accompanied by three splendid Irish Setters seemed to enjoy the admiration his glamorous trio was generating, but the best moment came with the huge smile that covered the face of a little girl in a pink riding jacket whose terrier/border collie cross was pronounced "gorgeous" by several members of the public. That dog, however, declined to compete, preferring to network among adoring humans.

A large crowd gathered around the ring as the stallion class began and the 30 competitors entered. "They're a bit too mannerly," observed an Englishman to a small woman who peered at her catalogue before admitting, "I can't read this, I wonder where I left my glasses this time?"

Within minutes, the judges had selected 15 of the 30 for closer scrutiny. Last year's winner, Glencarrig Prince, bred and owned by the Curran brothers of Moycullen, treated the opposition like a troop of pretenders and indicated he had no intention of relinquishing his crown. He didn't and withstood the challenge of the aptly named Spiddal Playboy, with Kenagh King taking third place. The Prince later won the Conbined Champion, and the Supreme Champion.

The mares, whether with foal or merely in foal, often have the preoccupied expressions of busy mothers. Class 9 had a good entry of mares aged four and five years of age and Henry O'Toole's Castle Urchin repeated her victory of last year. Breeders and experts agree that grey is the preferred colour, so it was interesting to see among the dominant greys two dun mares placing 6th and 7th respectively.

Also apparent is the emergence of a sleeker, more Arabian look about the ponies, particularly the mares, with smaller, less pony-like heads. Lucky Hazel, owned and bred by Sinead Lusby of Oranmore was placed fifth and a nicer mover would be difficult to find. Except that most of these ponies are nice movers.

Best mover of the day had to be young Amy O'Brien, at 15 a superb horsewoman, who having won the under-16 ridden class, took the Champion Riding Pony on Fionn MacCumhaill. The six-year-old grey gelding is owned by Eugenia Murray, who, as she says herself, is the granddaughter of a Dublin cabbie "who had an eye for horses." Amy had first ridden Fionn the day before the pair won the under-16 ridden class at the Dublin Horse Show and Champion Connemara title.This partnership is the first to achieve the Dublin/Clifden double since 1977.

A student at King's Hospital, Amy, who lives in Meath and is the daughter of Julia Brindly O'Brien, has been riding since she was four and began competing side saddle at eight.

There was a matter-of-fact emotion about the collective success of Amy, Eugenia and the pony Fionn, who as Eugenia pointed out was sold as a foal at the Clifden Mart for £50 five years ago. It is a good story, Amy says. "I tried everything, ballet, the lot, but it's always been horses. I'd like to be a vet or an architect."

As for Fionn, "he's special. He's sweet and kind and very willing. He loves his job." In other words, he's a typical Connemara, the ponies who are really small horses with the hearts of kings.