Goode, Va:  Emily Daily has sent this update on her pony Ridgetop Cady O'Daly, one of the ACPS’ Premium mares.  She says, “ We recently had a wonderful time at the Waredaca Training Level Three-Day Event in Laytonsville, Maryland, a full long-format event at Training level. If I hadn't gotten lost on roads and tracks, we would've been well up in the standings, most likely third! Ah well, you live, you learn.  Last weekend we won our final event of the season, Rubicon Horse Trials in Lucketts, Virginia. We finished out our Training season on our all-time best dressage score of 33.0! Couldn't have asked for a better season.  Next year we're hoping to move up to Preliminary!  Attached are a few photos. The first is Cady and I on steeplechase at Waredaca (photo by Mike McNally) and the second is Cady & I from Rubicon (photo by Josh Walker).”

Loveland, Co: Julie Keahey wrote about her continuing adventures with her four year old colt, Celi Mosi oa Tunya (Irish Park’s Caraway Finn X *Coral Misty).  Says Julie,

Springfield, MA:   Regions I and II sponsored a booth at the Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA on November 13-16, reportedly the largest horse expo in the United States.  Five ponies were on Team Connemara who performed in the breed demonstrations.  Greystone Adirondack A’herne (Harry) was splendid, hitched to an elegant cart, with his owner, Cindy Fletcher, as whip.  Windy Hollow Lilia, Good Earth Erin’s Waterfall, Aluinn Durango, and Aluinn Dexter formed the mounted team and performed as a jumping drill team.  Wildwych Cricket and Hidden Meadow Darby O’Day rounded out the Connemaras present as petting ponies in the breed booth.   The event was a spectacular success with crowds of people in the booth each day and lots of questions about what a Connemara is. 

Otago, New Zealand: Connemaras were first imported (from Australia) to New Zealand in 1970 and a breeders society formed in 1984.  However, very stringent requirements for importation of animals and even the importation and use of live and frozen semen have restricted the genepool there so severely that many breeders breed crossbred ponies, rather than purebred Connemaras.  Only nine stallions are registered and some of the purebred Connemara mares are running out of options for breeding to unrelated stallions. Of the nine stallions, Lonsdale Moonwind is 27 yo and infertile, Bunratty Kerry Gold is 20 yo and infertile, Ridgeway Stonelea is 19 yo and now very subfertile, Keltic O'Se is 10 yo, lives on a back country station and not accessible to the general public, Capparis Casanova is 10 yo, Glenormiston Rowan is 5 yo, but he is way up in Northland and not accessible, Bunratty Chieftan is related to virtually the whole NZ mare band, as is Sun'n'Air of Summer Valley.  LissTara Ganty Gold is not available to outside mares.

Because of this dire problem a new company has been formed solely to import semen. They will assure that all regulations are met so the importation process can go smoothly.  Originally the company was set up just for Connemara ponies but having been approached by breeders from other 'minority breeds' they are expanding.  Two Connemara stallions supplying semen are Churchway Daybreak and Gentle Cascade, both of whom stand at stud in England. Foaled in 1992, Churchway Daybreak is by Spinway Comet out of Cluggan Drama (by Mylerstown Huckleberry Finn). He is dark bay and stands a compact 13.1 hands. Gentle Cascade aka Oliver is by Laerkens Cascade Dawn out of Gentle Carra (by Loobeen Larry). Gentle Carra is a daughter of Milford Wren and therefore a half sister to the well regarded Slisneior. At just over 14hh Oliver is of a height to increase the size of Connemara ponies in New Zealand. Oliver carries himself well so therefore looks bigger than he actually is. He has great bone and movement with a very sensible and reliable temperament.  One of the first mares that will be inseminated with the frozen semen from Daybreak is Biwmares Madonna (Glenormiston Finnian  X Homevale Velvet). She is pictured with her colt foal Windward Salt Aire by Lonsdale Moonwind at five days old.

Christchurch, New Zealand:  Sheila Ramsay, one of the principals in the semen importation company mentioned above, travelled up to Christchurch (from her home which is in the southern part of the south island) for the NZ Royal Show last week. Shiela says, “The pictures are of Knockrah Moonshadow (Lonsdale Moonwind  X Bunratty Bridgette).   Moonshadow is 4.5 years old and is in Christchurch as she is being started there for us by one of NZ's leading event riders.   Emily Butcher (at 11 years old) bought the first Connemara partbred I bred. Emily is a great fan of the Connemaras and their crosses.

It was very entertaining walking through the float park with Emily and Moonshadow; people were calling out and asking, ‘What on earth do you have there, Emily?’   Emily replied, ‘This is my new 4*** horse’ <grin>. As Moonshadow is only 13.1 we all agreed that if she was trained to go under the 4*** jumps and Emily vaulted over them, then yes, she could become a 4*** horse!   For someone who has the guts to ride round Badminton it was quite sweet to see nerves over an in hand class.”