American based eventing riders bought up big at the Monart Sale in Ireland in the past few days with Australia’s Ryan Wood taking home the most expensive purchase from the sale.
The Monart Sale which takes place near the picturesque town of Enniscorthy in County Wexford, 75 miles south of Dublin near the 5* Monart Resort is known as the ‘only sale run for riders by riders’.
The panel of riders, Polly Jackson (GB), Niall Griffin (IRL) and Bill Levett (AUS) aided by Olympic team vet Marcus Swail, bring forward a selection of 3 year old and upwards Irish event horses. Ireland has been the most successful producer of eventing horses according to the FEI/WBFSH rankings for eventing horses and riders from around the world have proved keen to see what is available at the Monart Sale since its inception seven years ago
This year it was the USA based up and coming Australian rider that bought up big. Ryan Wood, who has had an excellent year of competition in the USA, bought the three year old mare Shannondale Mari for the top price of €35,000. Shannondale Mari is by the Darco son Shannondale Sarco, out of Shannondale Maria and Ryan already rides her five year old sibling Shannondale Percy.
Shannondale Percy was purchased by owner Sarah Hughes shortly after he won the Burghley Young Event Horse Qualifier at Hartpury in 2015 and another of Shannondale Maria’s progeny is also doing well in the Young Horse classes with Ros Canter’s Shannondale Nadia finishing second at this year’s Burghley Young Event Horse Final
Ryan will also be taking home Tullabeg Dilson (€12,000) and Shannondale Julius (€18,500)
Several other horses are USA bound from the sale including two lots sold to Katherine Coleman and one bought by Ruthie Meyer, wife of New Zealand’s Joe Meyer, who is Florida based
Bill and Jenny Levett, who already have the very talented Shannondale Titan, owned by Clare Prentice, are also taking home another Shannondale horse, Shannondale Jedi as well as Lot 42, Lates Quinn
