Spring Hill, Fla: Karen Joyal took Elderglen's Lilithe (Ballencrieff's Brogan X Hideaway's Zwenski) to her second horse show where she was entered in two classes and came home with two blue ribbons! Karen says, “Lilly is a rising 3 yr old. I trailered her to Sumter Equestrian Center in Bushnell, FL for the Model Pony classes. She was very well behaved and enjoyed her time to shine in the ring. I took Lilly to this same venue last year with my other mare and Lilly was not too keen to leave the barn area without her buddy. I learned my lesson and decided to take her by herself on this excursion. She was happy to see other horses at the end of the trailer ride and took everything in stride. I hope to take her out again next month as well as begin her under saddle career soon.”

Wilton, CA: Kat Ong has written to say that their 2008 filly, Featherstone Nightsong (Wildwych Eclipse X Coastal Tully Roisin), made her Sacramento Area Hunter Jumper Association debut at the Historic Nelson Ranch show in April. Kat says, “We entered her in the ‘Pony Hunter Breeding’ division as a yearling, hoping to help promote the Connemara pony in our very dense Welsh pony area. I knew she would behave herself so well... and she did! We had several people approach us and ask, "What IS she??"... and I was proud to mention she was a purebred Connemara filly. In 2008, Nightsong placed Reserve "Best-In-Show" at the Mountain and Moorland event in Elk Grove, CA, hosted by the WPCAC. I was so suprised she placed over many older, more mature ponies. She is such a talented, typey filly, and I hope that her career continues to unfold as sucessfully as her parents!” Kat also says that she is very excited to be taking her to the West Coast Connemara Show in June. She says that Nightsong enjoys the spotlight and is very easy to handle, so makes showing stress-free.

Brookfield, VT: Sarah McCrae and Northern Connemaras welcomed a bay colt named Northern Illusion on a cold Easter day at 5 am. Northern Illusion is by Aluinn Durango (Aladdin’s Denver X Patty’s Merideth) out of Arabella, a Cleveland Bay/TB cross.The owner of the mare and colt, Amie Francouer, had been waiting for weeks and of course the mare was illusive and chose the coldest morning to foal, a whopping 20 degrees! Mother and son are now cozy in their straw bed with the tropic heat produced by heat lamps.

Brown’s Valley, CA: Lisa Martin-Gerdes reports that the latest edition to their family and joint venture between Redbud Ranch and O'Sullivan Farms is a bay/grey filly foal sired by *Wildwych Eclipse (*Glenormiston Flurry Knox X Wildwych Dreamtime) and out of an Arabian mare, Fleur Delis LCA.

Lisa says, “This filly will be dual registered ACPS and Weser Ems and will most likely be for sale in the future...but for now we are enjoying her exceptionally friendly disposition. She is just hours old in the photo.”

Taylorsville, NC: Elphin Chickadee (Maplehurst Michael McDaire X Scottsway Lullaby) has had a filly by Grey Haven Collin O'Patrick (Bear Creek Croagh Patrick X Heaven’s Ridge Abby Dos).

“Chick” is owned by Sue Holland and the stallion is owned by Tony Phillips. He is an AWR approved and branded sport pony. He competed in dressage with a junior rider and has foxhunted and competed in jumping.

The filly will be named Hollymead Meadow Lark.

Bloomfield, IN: Erin Moira Lemrow of Willow Run Connemaras has welcomed another colt to join their “nesting” Killydeere (see news of April 12). This one is by Willow Boy (Chiltern Colm X Silbridge Miranda) and out of New Heart's Morning Glory (Ballywhim An Luan X Tullymor’s Tiger Nelly).

Altoona, AL: Mary and Randy Reese announce the birth of a palamino colt, Rivendell’s Evinrude (Glenormiston Cuchulain X Sparrow’s Leis [Connemara/TB]).

An excited Mary said, “this lil guy is amazing! Australian jumper on his sire’s side and Irish/American Grand Prix on his dams side!!!! We are so excited….. 1/4 Thoroughbred 3/4 Connemara.”

Southern Pines, NC: Allison Stroud and her Connemara 4-in-hand finished first in the Advanced Pony Team division at Southern Pines CDE in April. And Janelle Marshall and Captain Jack Sparrow finished first in the Intermediate Single Pony division. There is a photo of Captain Jack Sparrow in the news of April 12. He is by Seven Hills Grey Ghost (Fieldstream Nicholas X Tullymor’s Heather Lass), out of Tullymor’s Rose (by Montully Son).

Atlanta, Ga: Donna Miller, owner of the stallion Ard Celtic Art (Monaghanstown Fionn X Moydow Lady), recently found herself in New Zealand on business. So she did what all good Connemara lovers do whenever they go somewhere they haven't been before - they hook up with the Connemara people of the region. Says Donna, “ Not only is one able to see all sorts of ponies and horses, but one also gets to see how people live in the area being visited. On this occasion, Sheila Ramsay saw my post on the Yahoo list and set up the most fabulous visit anyone could dream of, and surely no tourist planner could ever set up!

My travels began in Christchurch (the South Island) , where Sheila picked me up and we traveled to Lyttleton Harbour to see Penny Mahy (Windward Stud) and her ponies. First Sheila took me to look down on Matson's Point near Teddington where Penny's Stud is located (absolutely breathtaking) and then we descended on Penny and saw her ponies. Penny has a lovely stallion named Ridgeway Stonelea (Stoney) whom she breeds both purebred Connemaras and partbred riding ponies. We also saw Sheila's mare Biwmares Madonna (Maddy) who is leased to Penny and in foal Churchway Daybreak. A lot of planning and work went into this breeding (frozen semen imported from England by Spunk Pony Semen Imports Ltd) and all are very excited about this match. Then off to Gloriann Mullen (Wembleybrook Stud) and her assortment of pure and paretbreds as well as her handsome stallion Bunratty Chieftain . Then I was passed off to Sharon and Fin Greer of Tally Ho Stud. They stand Liss Tara Ganty Gold (aka Casper) and also breed both pure and partbreds, as well as run sheep and cattle on their beautiful farm nestled in the Hills outside of Christchurch. They saddled up three of their beautiful horses and we went for a ride up the hills to see sheep and horses via horseback. My rubber gummy boots were a bit awkward, but all I needed was a little bit of a heel and I was ready to mount up! I would have loved to have taken a couple of the partbreds from any of these studs home with me! A good friend of mine that lives north of Auckland may be in the market for one soon, so now I can point her in the right direction!

This completed Day 1, and then it was off to the airport to fly up to Palmerston North where I was to meet up with Liz Gillespie. Liz works at Massey University and showed me two beautiful very typey stallions that reside there: Sun'n'Air of Summer Valley (Dover) and Lonsdale Moonwind. After the University we went to see her filly Kohatu Over the Moon (Canningvale Bonnie Sue x Lonsdale Moonwind) and then the filly's newly foaled full sibling. I finished off my visit with Liz over a very nice lunch with her family in Palmerston North. Then barely enough time to get back to the airport so I could fly back up to Auckland and fly home to Georgia. I am forever grateful to everyone who so generously took time out of their busy schedules to show me their lovely ponies and their beautiful farms. I saw over 50 ponies/horses and have fabulous pictures of all of them. The photo is Canningvale Bonnie Sue and her filly by Lonsdale Moonwind. Also shown is a view of Matson's Point where Penny Mahy's Windward Stud is located.

Adelheidsdorf/Celle, Germany: Patty’s Sommartiden (Patty’s Bastian X Pilgaard’s Vogue) was presented at the Hanoverian Society all-breeds pony inspection in Adelheidsdorf/Celle recently. Patty explains, “At their inspection, young stallions must be shown in hand and at liberty in an arena to illustrate their athletic ability. They will also be required to free jump a series of three jumps. The final jump will be an oxer.

The stallion will be expected to jump this pretty height oxer easily and confidently,and in an athletic manner, as well as display three good gaits. Stallions are expected to show a great deal of aptitude for jumping and the gaits must be very good, rhythmical and expansive for dressage.

Scores are given for type, conformation quality and correctness, trot, gallop, walk, jumping and overall impression. An average score of 7 (scale between 1-10) must be reached, better than 7.5 will make a States Premium Stallion Candidate award. If a stallion is not considered to fit into the Hanoverian breeding program, he will not be approved. Sommartiden made best scoring stallion of the day and became the only States Premium Candidate Stallion at this inspection.” Hohnhorst Jordan (Hesselbjerggard Justice X Enghojs O'Hara [by Frederiksminde Hazy Marvel]), owned by Karen L. Jorgensen, Denmark, was also approved. He has been leased back for this season by his breeders, the Reimans.

Bremen, Germany: May Reiman of Hohnhorst Stud also sent a photo of their new filly foal Hohnhorst Souri (Hohnhorst Jamiro X AC-Shmi Tania af Engvang [by Ravnsholt's Diablo]), that was born April 4, together with their new foster daughter.

May also sent the very cute photo of sisters Cosma Shiva and Corona, one and two years old, both out of Frederiksminde Charisma.