Irish Independent: TIHA Foal Selections

The Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA) is hosting foal selection evenings for its October TIHA sale, which will be held in Goresbridge.

The selection evenings are open to all breeders who wish to enter, so long as their foal is traditionally bred, i.e is Irish Draught, Connemara, Thoroughbred or any combination of those three breeds with no warmblood breeding.

The top foals presented at the four regional evenings will go forward for the TIHA foal sale.

The first selection took place last night in Mullingar, while the second selection will take place this evening, September 3, at Barnadown Equestrian Centre, Co Wexford, at 6pm.

Tomorrow, the action moves to Millstreet, Co Cork, at 6pm and the final selection evening takes place at Claregalway Equestrian Centre, Co Galway, at 6pm.

Judges for all selection evenings are Hugh Leonard, TIHA chairman, Pat Fleming, Ronnie Bailey and Rosemary Connors.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Meanwhile, the TIHA Limerick Matron Championship at Limerick Show recently was won by Marie Byrne from Ballinure, Thurles, Co Tipperary, with her mare Everything Essential. The mare was by Flagmount King out of Ballinure Lady.

Second place in the Jim Bolger-sponsored class went to Nick Murphy, Caim, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, for Inistioge Best Betty, by Ghareeb out of Sally's Prid.

Derry Rothwell from Tinahely, Co Wicklow took third spot with his mare Greenhall Diamond Lady by Colin Diamond out of Greenhall Cailin Deas.

In the TIHA Limerick Lady Championship, the winner was Tom Mooney with Clonmel Grey Lady by Golden Lariat out of Clonmel Big Beauty. Second place went to Sean Colhoun from Strabane, Co Tyrone, with Watermill Holly by Watermill Swatch out of Lady Stardust and third went to Ivor and Joyce Kearney from Tinahely for Miss Windgap by Windgap Blue out of Miss Cliff.

Ann Lambert's thoroughbred stallion Robin De La Maison, by Robin Des Champs out of Knockabeauty, took first place in the three-year-old traditionally bred potential sport horse class. The Killinick woman had the young stallion approved at the HSI stallions inspections earlier this year.

TIHA stalwart Chris Ryan from Scarteen took the top honours in the four-year-old traditionally bred potential sport horse class with SBT Red Marley, by Tasset out of Polly Park.

Caitriona Murphy, Irish Independent, Published 3rd September 2013