Westmorland, KS: Pattie Stalder wrote to say, “Bob and I are so happy to announce our first purebred foal!  We purchased Cedar's Charm (*Hearnsbrook Dunoon  X  Nicole of Wendover) last fall and she was bred to Patty’s E'toille de Paris.  Charm lives up to her name as she is a charming example of the Connemara breed. She foaled and we now have a spectacular filly who will eventually become a broodmare for our stallion, JEF Sir Lancelot (Tre Awain Dobh McDuff  X  Mack’s Greystone Erin’s Pride [by Greystone McErrill]).  This filly, Jasmine, is the most delightfully friendly and entertaining foal we've ever had.  We will be breeding Charm to Lance and will have their first offspring available next year.  We're working steadily to promote these wonderful ponies here in Kansas.”

Mims, FL:   Jennifer Scarpino of Ocean Mist Farm announces the arrival of a half-bred filly out of Hideaway’s Dream Girl (Greystone McErrill X Hideaway’s Celebration [by Hideaway’s Erin Smithereen]).  Jennifer says, “‘Ripleigh’ is  by the Hanoverian stallion Rubino Bellissimo (Rubinstein I) out of our wonderful Connemara mare,  Dream Girl. We couldn’t be more pleased. This is the second filly we have had from this cross, which has proven to be a good one.  Ripleigh is bold , confident, super friendly, tall and correct!  She was born on April 1.  This picture was taken at 3 weeks.  More pictures can be seen on Ripleigh’s web page at http://www.omfconnemaras.com/Ripleigh.html”

Raymond, CA:  Pat Ashworth announces the arrival of a colt. Pat says, “A big strong colt was born early this morning out of Landgate Rainy Blues (Landgate Bluebeard X *Lean on the Wind[by Windy Day]) by Canal Laurinston (Callowfeenish Mairtin X Village Laura [by Thunderbolt]). We have named him Cobblestone Indigo Blue. He is solid black at this point but will grey. We are thrilled to have him healthy and sound because his dam has had serious health issues that surfaced during her pregnancy, her fourth, and we weren't sure if it would affect her foal. I am very happy to have this very intense foal watch over, and brilliant results all around.”

Bloomfield, IN: Erin Moira Lemrow of Willow Run Connemaras has welcomed yet another colt!  That is three so far.  Says Erin, “He is  a stunning and very substantial dark dun colt out of Tre Awain Miss Muffet (Tre Awain Donoghoo X Maggy of Abbeyleix), born yesterday morning after a thunderstorm.  He has a beautiful head like his sire, Willow Boy (Chiltern Colm X *Sillbridge Miranda) and Maggie’s size. He is a full brother to our yearling colt, Willow's Lord of the Dance.”

Atlanta, GA:  Donna Miller says that *Ard Celtic Art’s first foals have arrived!! Art is an imported pony by Monaghanstown Fionn and out of Moydow Lady who is by Murphy Rebel.  The two foals are halfbreds out of Thoroughbred mares.  Delite (Lia)
is owned by Brooke Drury, Milford, Delaware and  Rockstar is owned by Bookend Farms, Austin, TX.

Bookend's Celtic Rockstar (left) & Art's Liaden Delite (right)

Bremen, Germany:  May Reiman wrote to say, “Our dun mare Enghojs O'Hara (by Frederiksminde Hazy Marvel), who was just awarded with the Elite title for her offspring, especially her recently licensed stallion son, Hohnhorst Jordan, finally gave birth to another outstanding bay colt. She carried 359 days, but this fellow was really worth all the patience.

“Welcome Hohnhorst Jaydon - after Hohnhorst Jason, dressage performance prospect, and Jordan the third ‘twin’. Jaydon is by Hohnhorst Jamiro, who has the same sire as Jordan and Jason. He adds a nice dash of dressage blood of Tootle U through our old mare Nordlunds Madigan to a consistent and well proven match.”

Grass Valley, CA: Katherine Rayner Freeman has sent the following report.  “Free Rayn Hill congratulates Heidi Wangler of Loyalton, CA, on her purchase of Free Rayn Tsunami aka "Percy". Percy is a 2008 filly by *Village Prince (Coral Prince X Village Grey) out of Wildwych Valkyrie (*Glenormiston Flurry Knox X Hideaway's Irish Mist). Heidi fell in love with Percy immediately and was anxious to have her join the other Connemara she owns, Wildwych Ophelia (*Glenormiston Flurry Knox  X  Hideaway's Irish Mist). It is exciting to see a daughter and granddaughter (the first!) of our mare "Mist" residing together. We wish Heidi all the best with both of her ponies. Heidi's ponies, along with the Free Rayn Hill Connemaras - Hideaway's Irish Mist (*Rocky  X  Hideaway's Celebration), Free Rayn Conundrum (*Glenormiston Flurry Knox x Hideaway's Irish Mist) and our * Village Prince ponies Midsummer Knight (out of MGRM Caliope) and Free Rayn Majesty (out of Hideaway's Irish Mist) are looking forward to the West Coast Connemara show in June.”

Carbondale, IL:  Tigerbythetail (Aladdin's Denver X TB), bred in Virginia by Lorraine Edwards of Fauquier County, went west as a just-started four-year-old to her new owner, Kathryn McElheny in Illinois.  Kathryn competed this mare in USPC National Tetrathlon rallies for several years but now finds her time taken up with graduate studies so is looking to place Tiger with a suitable owner.  Young "Mac" Moore, who owns Ridgetop Zachary, does Pony Club rallies with the Mid-Tennessee Pony Club, and is winning at the beginner novice level in eventing, tried Tiger and it looks like the duo might be a good one.  Mac often rides with Sally Eyles-Goldfarb who, it turns out, started Tiger as a youngster.

Peotone, IL:  The Midwest Connemara Show will be held August, 29th 2009 at Windy Isles Farms in Peotone, IL. (www.windyislesfarm.com) They will be holding a wide range of classes hoping to accommodate all disciplines. They hope to include
classes for stallions, mares, geldings, and foals. They already have 30 plus entries!

Tryon, NC:  The following was in the Carolina Carriage Club News.  It was written by Deborah Dickerson.

"I know that some of the senior people in our carriage club will remember a lovely competitive driving pony from waaay back in the day when carriage competition (CDE's) was just starting in the Tryon area. In fact I believe that Price Story's first four wheel carriage had been custom made specifically for this pony, a registered Connemara named Alex, owned and driven by Marvis Headley. Alex was also a well known eventing champion in California. A gentleman in all he did,  he took wonderful care of Marvis both before and after being gelded at 19 years of age. Alex was unexpectedly laid to rest at 34, and our field, our view and our hearts will be the poorer for it as we were lucky enough to have had the privilege of caring for him for the past few years. There sure have been better days, but surely, fewer better ponies. This was a great one." 

A little sleuthing found out that this was Hideaway’s Greystone Alex (Hideaway’s Erin Smithereen X Lynfield’s Proud Hope), a many-talented pony and sire of Hideaway’s Greystone McErrill, who was featured here not too long ago.   He did, indeed, spend some time in California, and Joanie Webster sent the following about him.“ I DEFINITELY know who this pony is!!  It is Hideaway’s Greystone Alex, owned by Marianne and Wade Alexander when they operated their Greystone Farm near Ithaca , NY .  “Alex” eventually came to California , I believe to Sue Jones, Orange County , CA . 

“One day, I had a call from Marianne, asking me if I would be willing to give Alex a temporary home, and it was having the privilege of caring for this wonderful stallion that made me appreciate the super temperaments exhibited by most Connemara stallions.  Alex came to “Stonybrook” in 1986.  It was living with Alex that made me realize that I would like to own and stand a Connemara stallion.  He ignited my study of Irish Connemara mare lines.  You know the “rest of the story!”  In 1991, Lee, Julie and I went to Ireland , coming home with the young colts, *Canal Laurinston and *Kingstown Joe, based on the strength of their mare lines!  Prior to that, Alex sired two colts for us, one, Stonybrook Carrick O’Shannonout of Balius Kerry Blue, and the other, Stonybrook Curragh Kildare, out of Balius Golden Piper.
 
“What fun we had with the colt we gelded and kept, Carrick O’Shannon, (AKA “Tiger”), who became a talented performance gelding.   As a young colt, Stonybrook Curragh Kildare, (AKA “Stormy”), went to Sharon Michael Carlin, Timberline Farm, Sheridan , Wyoming .  Sharon later moved to Eubank , KY , where she still operates her Kaleidoscope Farm, home to Sport Horses and Sport Ponies.  Stormy no longer stands at stud, (he is 21 now!), but he was “the Connemara Pony foundation stallion for Kaleidoscope Farm Sport > Horses and Sport Ponies, with outcrosses to warmbloods from the farm’s sport horse breeding program.”  You can see photos of Stormy on the Kaleidoscope website, www.stallionstation.com/kaleidoscopefarm/familyalbum.html.

“Ultimately, Marianne decided to offer Alex for sale.  Marvis L. Headley, looking for an all-around Connemara pony, connected with Marianne and a sale was arranged.  Marvis traveled from North Carolina with her trailer to pick up Alex here at “Stonybrook.”  She took him to his final home, where she enjoyed him for years, riding and driving him.  Marvis and I kept in touch for some time.  I remember a letter from Marvis at one point telling me about Alex’s affinity for escape, which took him on neighborhood visits!  Perhaps that is why she decided to geld him, (even though I’m sure all of the neighbors loved his frequent jaunts!).  I know that Alex was appreciated, dearly loved and attentively taken care of for his lifetime.”   

And Ginny Winkler says, “I am glad you told me about Alex.  He is why I got into Connemaras; I actually drive his son, Sir Charles, and he looks like Alex.  He is now 23 years old. Alex lived a long life.  I have another of his sons retired here at 28 years, Greystone Cean Ansin Ree.  He was with Dan Mohl and did dressage until he came here in October.”

Alachua, FL:   And finally some answers to questions you might have during this breeding and foaling  season……
How do you... induce labor in a mare? Take a nap… get a mare to come in heat? Take her to a show… get a mare in foal the first cover? Let the wrong stallion get out 
of his stall…  make sure that a mare has that beautiful, perfectly marked foal you 
always wanted? Sell her before she foals… 
make a small fortune in the horse business? Start with a large one.