Loughin's Leighseach

Plant City, Fl: Beth Davidson of Black Dog Farm sent this report:

“Loughin's Leighseach (Tre Awain Cavan O’Connor X Heaven’s Ridge Treasa [by Balius Rhyddspence)], bred by Mary Yeager and owned by Black Dog Farm, showed dressage on October 17 for the first time!

‘Lucy’ is back to work two months after the weaning of her foal, Black Dog's Annie Get Your Gun (by WH Top Gun). Lucy was shown with a new rider, Sarah Coglianese, who is leasing the pony at BDF. Sarah rode Intro A and Intro B for scores of 62.5 and 62!

Brylie Davidson

Brylie Davidson also debuted at a September show in Leadline. She rode our pony, Swift Ocoee River (Big Bear’s Camus X Big Bear’s Molly Brown [by Bobby Brown]). Brylie is 2 1/2 years old and LOVES the ponies.

We may have converted yet another to a lifetime of Connemaras!”

Aubrie Holland

Taylorsville, NC: Sue Holland reports that her granddaughter, Aubrie Holland, had an exciting day at a clinic given by Lizzie Warlick for the Yadkin Valley Hounds Pony Club. She was riding Elphin Chickadee (Maplehurst Michael McDaire X Scottsway Lullaby).

Sue says, “Chick was a little nervous at first but she soon settled down and worked well for Aubrie. They were in a class of three riders in a small covered arena. Chick and Aubrie were fantastic going over the cavaletti and cross rails. They were the only ones in the class to always stay centered going down their line and the only ones without a run out. We were all so proud of them. Today we are going to watch some D level pony clubbers take their ratings exams to see what Aubrie will have in store for her next spring. I can see that Pony Club will keep us busy and we'll be doing lots of practicing at home.”

McDonald’s Corners, Ontario, Canada: Heather Sherratt, President of the Canadian Connemara Pony Society, has sent the following report from the group’s recent annual general meeting (AGM) and inspection tour.

“The highlight of the year for the Canadian society was our inspection tour with Tom MacLochlainn in September. Tom and his wife Maire arrived in Calgary, Alberta in time to watch Team Connemara compete in the Battle of the Breeds at Spruce Meadows, coming in fifth this year with some very good results. Later Doris Jacobi took Tom and Maire to visit one of the original breeders in Western Canada who had owned ponies that Tom’s father had exported to North America.

“One of the highlights of the trip was the presentation at our AGM of a new Broodmare Award from Tom and Doris Jacobi who had combined to honour the mare Ciotog (Doon Paddy X Lus Na Bpog [by Tiger Gill]), a foundation mare for Doris. Ciotog was exported to the States by Tom and later moved up to Alberta where she had tremendous influence on the breed, especially in Western Canada. We set up a committee to draw up the procedures for the award and hope we can start taking applications in 2010.

*Scottsway Lullaby

“The inspection tour moved from Strathmore, to Sundre and then to Devon Ridge Farm where over three days we inspected nine ponies. Tom and Maire then traveled by Greyhound bus over the Rockies to continue inspections in BC. Margot Watson hosted them on a very successful whale watching trip before taking the ferry to Vancouver Island to inspect three more ponies. From there it was a flight to Montreal, and inspections at Caraway Farm, Lissadel Farm near Renfrew, Elphin Mountain Farm and finally Century Hill Farm. In four days traveling we inspected a further 15 ponies. In total we inspected 27 ponies and now have three newly approved stallions and the first two premium mares approved under our Canadian program. (Note: the photo is *Scottsway Lullaby (Kirtling Tam O’Shanter X Hobbans Lark), one of the Premium Mare awardees). In Ontario, Gloria LaCroix joined the inspection team as I had to stand down for the inspection at my farm. Gloria stepped into the breach at the last minute as an expired passport prevented the original ACPS inspector from joining us. After a scramble to arrange flights and transportation, I think Gloria enjoyed her first trip to Canada and working with Tom again.

“It was an exhausting but very enjoyable and educational two weeks and we would like to extend our thanks to Tom and Maire for their endless energy and enthusiasm for what must have been a very tiring trip at times. Tom gave his illustrated talk on the history of the breed, type and conformation at least five times, with minor variations every time. Tom seemed to think we are on the right track with our inspection program and have some very nice ponies right across the country. He emphasized that as a new society we have the opportunity to set a high standard for inspections, especially for our premium mares and stallions. A premium mare, he said, must not only be very correct and typey, but must be the sort of mare you would want as a foundation mare. He appreciated the problems we have with such a huge country, so sparsely populated with ponies, but encouraged us, even at extra expense, to continue moving inspectors across the country so that we can avoid the tendency that has arisen in some countries of standards varying across regions.

“This tour was a huge undertaking for such a small society but was well worth the work we all had to put in it and the expense of traveling across such distances. Many thanks to all who helped, who provided facilities for the inspections, fed us all and found us accommodation and transportation. Without such a cooperative effort right across the country this tour could never have happened. We were also blessed with incredibly good weather for all but one or two days and I hope we showed Tom and Maire some of the sights of Canada in all the glory of our fall colours.”

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: It is hard for us to believe but the other side of the world is in the midst of foaling season!! Sue Clark of Glenormiston Stud had two foals in one morning, one at 4 a.m. and one a bit later that allowed Sue to take these photos. Sue says, “It was a lovely big foal by Castle Baron out of Glenormiston Rosalie (Domo Cavallo Praize X Glenormiston Rosaleen [by Abbeyleix Finbar]). Rosalie was totally amazed by this creature and became very possessive about him. It took a while to get her to let the foal suckle as she wanted him to be in front of her so she could lick him. She finally got the idea once we took her into a box and held her sideways against a wall and then gave her a large bran mash.” Note: Rosaleen is out of Glenormiston Roscrea who is now in the US, so the foal has lots of relatives here. Hopefully these photos will get us all in the mood for Spring….. (if Winter comes, can Spring be far behind??).