The Spring Festival kicked off on Friday with the Colt inspections in Mullingar Equestrian Centre, with six colts attaining class one status.  The second day of colt inspections took place in the Showgrounds, Clifden the next morning with another five colts attaining class one status.  On Saturday afternoon Kate Murray MRCVS and Sheila Ramsay gave a presentation on Hoof Wall Separation Syndrome (HWSD), its implications, how to test for it and how to prevent it. On Saturday afternoon, visitors and locals gathered in the Station House Theatre for the launch of An Capaillin.. This years edition was kindly edited by Lucinda Kelly.  Guests enjoyed some mingling time over wine and finger food before taking to their seats for the Bartley O'Sullivan lecture, which was given by Mrs Claire Oakes from Co Meath.  Claire spoke about her time riding Connemara ponies for Stan Lynch.  Stan Lynch was a writer, commentator and a Connemara pony enthusiast.  He was phenomenal in his promotion and sales of the Connemara pony at home and abroad. Claire shared some of her fond stories of Stan and  kindly raffled 6 Stan Lynch books (mainly on  his writing of the hunting field and valued at €1000)  was won by Patrick Curran from Moycullen, Co Galway. The next morning the crowd gathered at 11.30 in the showgrounds for the Stallion Parade, where thirty stallions of the thirty seven entered were shown.  Four stallions were shown under saddle with the final group of stallions comprising of the newly passed stallions from the previous days of inspection. Thank you to everyone who attended and hope to see you all in the Summer for the Connemara Pony Festival which runs from Sunday 16th August to Sunday 23rd of August.