Newmarket in Co. Cork lies at the very centre of the Irish dairy industry. However, the village also plays host to an annual horse fair.
It’s an event that speaks of a rural tradition going back many hundreds of years in this country.
The all important calendar date is the third Thursday in February. This year’s event saw a good selection of horses and ponies selling for a range of prices. And bidding for the stock on offer was extremely brisk.
Young Connemara ponies were making in the region of €1,000 with older cobs, broken and ready for riding, expected to make double this money and more.
The asking price for an impressive four-year-old Irish Draught filly was €4,000.
Annual horse fair
Driving all of this, for the most part, are teenagers and younger adults searching for the animal that will get them riding in the first place, or allow them to further hone their competitive skills.
And if the right animal is found, price does not seem to be an impediment.
Boosting the crowds at Newmarket 2023 were the significant numbers of school children in attendance, all currently enjoying their mid-term break.
Parents were also there, providing advice, guidance and – no doubt – some much needed funding.
While horse riding is a pastime for some people, for others it is a business, as the prices paid at Newmarket this week readily confirm.
Newmarket in mid-February is not Goffs Ireland. But, no doubt, the people gathered to see the stock on offer in the Co. Cork village got the same buzz from bidding on a young pony as would the millionaires vying for a thoroughbred yearling in Co. Kildare.
All of this was happening on a public thoroughfare with numerous street vendors also in attendance. Everyone was enjoying themselves and there wasn’t a garda in sight.
Despite all the hustle and bustle, the entire event seemed to take place in a very coordinated manner.
It has been a long winter. And some might say that it’s not over yet. However, spring was definitely in the air earlier this week as Newmarket welcomed its many horse- and pony-loving enthusiasts.
Meanwhile, the countryside around Newmarket was coming alive with the lowing of freshly calved dairy cows, out grazing the paddocks for the first time in 2023. It all added up to a uniquely Irish setting.