Devon, Pa: Kynynmount Moira, a perennial winner at Devon, walked away with the blue in the Connemara class at the Dressage at Devon Breed Show on Thursday, Sept 28. *Rattle-n-Snap Laddie Boy (by Moy Hazy Cove) narrowly missed being the #1 Connemara in the Connemara class by virtue of having the highest score. However, he was disqualified for having a straight bar bit, not a snaffle, that came with his stallion bridle. Ridgetop Windy City took 2nd place and Kynynmount Haley was third. Moira is by the *Rocky son, Sterling Moss, while Haley is by Willem O’Toole who traces back to Rosenaharley Laurens through his sire, Greystone Tiger O’Toole. Moira’s filly foal by Bluebeard was at her side and was declared by the judge to be the cutest foal in the show! In the Mountain and Moorland Class fifteen ponies were presented of which four were Connemaras including Laddie Boy in the correct bridle. But no Connemaras were among the six called back. Kynynmount Moira was declared the Champion Connemara in the M & M class, this time receiving higher marks than Laddie, while Ridgetop Windy City was Reserve. These classes are judged individually on the triangle with 60% of the score being for movement, 30% for conformation, and 10% for general impression. Ribbons are awarded in the M & M class for both overall winners and breed winners. This, added the Connemara class, gives each pony three chances to receive an award. Both Moira and Windy City received two of these, Moiora two firsts amd Windy two seconds. This year the Connemara class and the Mountain and Moorland class were judged by two different judges. Also this year the large contingent of ponies from Northern Virginia that usually attend was missing, due to exhaustion from the 50th Celebration, but they vow to be back next year! In the Dressage Show at Devon two Connemaras also did exceedingly well. Ballywhim Arden Mor (Tre Awain Dobh McDuff x Ballywhim Ethylyn), bred by Nancy Burr Montanaro, owned by Lendon Gray and ridden by Micaela Mabragana, received a 6th place ribbon in the FEI Young Riders. And Serenity’s Dream ( Listed in the program as Greystone An Llewellyn x Dream A Little Dream), owned and ridden by Tatianna Turcotte of Canada, received a first place ribbon for the FEI Team Test for Ponies.

Conestoga, Pa: Inspections went smoothly at Pam Liddell’s beautiful Kynynmount Farm in the midst of Amish country in Pennsylvania. Pam had eight mares inspected while four others also attended. Eleven mares were passed while it was recommended that one stallion be re-presented. All attendees were amazed to find that Pam had 60 equines on her 150 rolling acres. Surely the most Connemaras in one place in the US!

Advance, NC: On Tuesday, Sept 26, Angel Johnson presented her 2006 filly, Beacon's Irish Spring, for ISR-Oldenburg Inspection and was awarded the 'Premium Foal' rating. The gray filly, a.k.a. Bubbles, is by Balmullo's Beacon, out of Angel's Oldenburg mare, Walkabout by Walldorf. Bubbles was also Reserve High Score filly at the Inspections which were held at Stonecrop Farm in NC.

Black Forest, Germany: Western riding is apparently becoming a passion in Europe and, in a rather strange twist, Quarter horses are being exported from the US to Germany and other European countries. However, Connemara ponies are also a force to be reckoned with when it comes to western competition as 9 yo Jennifer Bader has shown. Jennifer’s mother, Elke, reports that Jennifer thought Patty’s Vanity Fair (Bengt X Pilgaards Vogue) was such an all round talented pony that she thought she could do well in a western trail competition even though she is not trained in this kind of riding. And Vanity proved her right! Team Jenny and Vany came in 1st competing against 12 other teams. Elke says, “Vanity was very calm and very easy to handle. She was the only Connemara pony participating. They didn't make a single mistake. The tasks were a very narrow slalom, back up through poles forming several curves where you are not allowed to touch a single pole, walking over a bridge and through fluttering ribbons, making the pony drive a big ball through narrow poles with his forelegs not touching the poles (very difficult and not possible without a cooperating pony), walking over a labyrinth of poles lying in different heights and distances - again not touching them- and walking over an artificial body of water, a coloured plastic container filled with water. The slalom and the fluttering ribbons have to be done at a trot as well and finally a short slow canter having to stop at a certain point on command of the judge without using the reins. There was no time limit for this competition.” Jennifer was really proud! She won a cleaning box in sky blue specially for children with the contents especially for children. Added Elke, “So Vanity and (stablemate) Annashee are very clean temporarily! LOL”

Vanity Fair is quite a famous pony in Germany. She is States Premium Mare and German FN states champion mare. She has won many show championships. In addition Vanity Fair is the dam of Blackforest Vivienne (by Frederiksminde Hazy Marvel). Vivianne is the first German Connemara mare ever purchased from Germany by Irish breeders and returned to Ireland to be shown at the Clifden show.