The extra special days are when you win with one you’ve bred yourself.

Like so many Irish families, it all began by being brought up with horses and ponies, as my parents both had a love of them.

Mum always had a horse for leisure riding and hunting and dad turned his hand to all things horsey from a young age too.

He show jumped at local gymkhanas from the age of nine and then progressed to horses at 13.

One of his favourites was a 15.2hh Final Problem cob called No Problem, a really consistent prizewinner.

Dad also had a keen interest in pony racing, winning on numerous occasions. At 16 he won the first race he ever entered at the Kilkenny West point-to-point.

Childhood

My brother Frank and I hunted with the South Westmeath Hunt and Glasson Farmers Hunt and competed at hunter trials with our Connemara ponies.

Tricky Woo was my first hunting pony, a 13.2hh Connemara, bred by John Daly from Galway and she was tricky by name and nature, as I found out to my peril on a few occasions.

We also show jumped up to Grade A level and one of the mares Sweet Meadow (Impeder) later became our foundation broodmare.

We still retain one of her daughters Sweet Kingdom (Star Kingdom) and she has bred numerous show winners, including the champion foal at the RID National Show in Moate.

The German Kettle

It was during these years that we met the late Frank Kilkenny of Glebe Stud, Ballymahon.

Frank stood Impeder and we show jumped another thoroughbred stallion called Royal Peder and a gelding called Prince Peder for him.

He was a real character and I remember on one occasion he caused a scene at Ballivor Show with his ‘German kettle’.

At every show he would boil up this kettle which had an inner flask, the outer cylinder was filled with paper and then set alight.

A plume of smoke filled the air as it boiled away between two jeeps but innocent bystanders came running over with buckets of water thinking his jeep had caught fire!

We laughed about this for many a year.

Show jumping took a back seat when we pursued other interests after school, before we later joined the showing world, mainly in the broodmare classes.

Prolific winner

Dad purchased Ravishing Ruby (Zero Watt) as a foal at Cavan Sales and she was a prolific broodmare winner, as were her foals.

Sadly we lost her a few years back after a difficult foaling, but luckily have retained one of her daughters.

Another Brooklodge Ruby (Riverland Roi) is flying the flag for her with Pat O’Mahony in Cork.

Dad also helped our neighbour Pat Carty showing his RID mare Grey Guy.

It was during this time that George O’Malley and dad started showing horses together.

They were inseparable and got up to all sorts of mischief, the stories I could tell about these two could fill this entire paper.

George could be heard in the collecting ring saying to dad: “Shape yourself up, they’re calling our class”, and to be fair, many a great shape they threw.

It is an inspiration to us all to see these two pass on their wealth of knowledge and horsemanship and still taking many accolades in the show ring, including best-dressed prizes.

They have travelled the length and breadth of the country judging horses and ponies and there is no doubt they have a very keen eye for a good one.

After we lost Ravishing Ruby, it was Vanity Fare’s (Dunkerrin Grey Mist) turn to shine.

She was purchased as a two-year-old from Hazel Moorehead in Ballymahon and certainly made her mark in the show ring as a championship-winning broodmare.

Her foals have taken two All-Irelands and three reserve championships.

Party potential

I had the pleasure of purchasing my first Welsh pony from the late Jane and Sarah Quinlan of Muskerry Stud in Cork and had fantastic success with her and her WPCS bronze medal son Tabita Showtime.

Laura, my daughter, showed Tabita Blue Duchess and her foals for many years, ably assisted by my partner Elwyn, Aoife Conlon, Thomas Fox Jr and Mike Farrell, to name but a few.

We also won the All Ireland pony broodmare final at Bonniconlon with the home-bred Tabita Mystery Lady.

Showing ponies gave Laura a great standing as she won the young handlers class at the Irish Draught National Show in Mullingar three years in a row and then won the Young Show-person of the year at the Irish Draught awards in 2014.

In 2000 I was involved in the regeneration of Athlone agricultural show and organised the horse and pony sections for 14 years but unfortunately had to hand over the reins in 2014, due to ill health.

This section is currently in the capable hands of Gillian Kinahan and Joanne McGuire

Last October, I had my 50th birthday party in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone, when many good friends from around Ireland met up with my family for a fantastic night.

It was such a night to remember that I am seriously considering having an annual end-of-season showing party where friends can get together, exchange stories, dance and party until the small hours.

I would really like to thank all those who helped me celebrate and look forward to seeing everyone during the 2018 show season.

There is no doubt we have made many lifelong friends along the way and hope we continue to make many more.

We have been lucky enough to share both this precious family time doing something we love and the journey with some very special people.

Mary Dooner was in conversation with Susan Finnerty.

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