The organisers of the Ballinasloe Horse Fair have defended the event against allegations of animal mistreatment.
Veterinary staff, officials from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) and a substantial number of gardaí were present at the weekend to ensure the proper running of the fair, according to its PRO, Colm Croffy.
The ISPCA also defended the fair, saying that it had received no complaints of animal cruelty.
Mr Croffy said there had been few problems with public order and the vast majority of the 3,500 horses at the fair had been well treated by their owners.
However, he conceded that there was a "culture clash" in the way some owners behaved. "One-tenth" of owners had a "different way" of handling their horses, and a minority of these might have mistreated their animals.
Mr Croffy was responding to allegations by The Irish Times journalist Eileen Battersby, who was attacked and abused by some of those at the fair when she remonstrated with them over the treatment of their horses.
Asked about Ms Battersby's experiences, Mr Croffy said he was "appalled" that any fairgoer should be attacked, adding: "There is no place for this in 2005."
Fewer than 20 people were arrested over the weekend, and most of these were dealt with summarily yesterday at two special sittings of the local court. "It was quiet overall, [ with] nothing out of the ordinary," said one garda.
Some 45,000 people attended the fair on Sunday, up 35 per cent on the previous year. "It was wall-to-wall horse flesh," Mr Croffy said. He pointed out that a vet had been on duty throughout the day to assess the health of horses for would-be purchasers on payment of a fee. A second vet had been available to deal with injured horses.
Asked about the "flashing" or racing of horses harnessed to a road-car or sulkie, Mr Croffy said this took place in a chute specially designed to limit speeds. "It's not Ben Hur, but the buyers of these horses need to see them display their technical ability before purchase."
He admitted there was a problem of fireworks being set off by children around the horses but said this was a result of the proximity of Hallowe'en.
Mark Beazley, of the ISPCA, said that no complaints of cruelty to horses had been made to them on Sunday. "One person did raise a concern about a mare tethered to a fence, and it turned out that the mare was dehydrated because the owner had broken his leg the night before and was in hospital.
"The fair committee and the Garda have worked closely with us to improve animal welfare at the fair, and things are improving every year. We have worked very hard to ensure this is the case."
The fair, which continues this weekend, is worth over €8.5 million to the local economy. About 30 per cent of fairgoers come from the UK and 10 per cent from continental Europe.
Mr Croffy pointed out that while Travellers accounted for just 10 per cent of those attending, they tended to attract most media attention.
