Knoxville, Tn: Little Heaven, a half-bred by Stoneybrook Finn McCool out of a TB mare, is doing very well on the pony hunter circuit. He is registered as Windy Ridge's A.J. McCool and was bred by Kathryn Anderson, Danielsville, GA. He has been leased by the Bedwell family of Knoxville and is ridden by their daughter, Hannah who is 14 and in the 8th grade. Little Heaven and Hannah were named Reserve Champion at the RMI Tri-State III A Horse Show in Cleveland, TN, April 17-20.

In February, Little Heaven was large green pony champion at the 2008 Gulfcoast National II Horse Show in Gulfport, Ms. Thus he is qualified for the pony finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in August.

Napa, Ca: I was curious to know Finn McCool’s breeding so I wrote to Joanie Webster to ask her. I got back a novella!! An interesting novella, albeit somewhat shortened from the original. Said Joanie, “Stonybrook Finn MacCool, (AKA “Tucker” while at Stonybrook), is out of one of our foundation broodmares, Tower Hills Eoghan, (*Chiltern Copa of Tower Hill x Tower Hill’s Glendalough). Prior to our purchasing Chip (aka *Canal Laurinston) and Joey (aka *Kingstown Joe), Eoghan was bred twice to Balius Rhyddspence, and “Tucker” was her first foal of that pairing. In addition to Tucker, I also had another nice colt foaled in 1988, Stonybrook Curragh Kildare, AKA “Stormy,” (Hideaway’s Greystone Alex x Balius Golden Piper). In their first year, I still hadn’t been fully bitten-by-the-bug to look to Ireland for a colt; I decided to let them develop for a few years with the thought of using one of them in Stonybrook’s breeding program. At this juncture, a Connemara breeder of rather short duration, Bill Sorensen, (owner of 4A Ranch in La Grange,Wyoming), offered me the opportunity to let the colts “grow up” on his ranch. After Bill’s ranch foreman drove six-year-old “Rilian of Stonybrook” from Wyoming to Napa for Lee (Joanie’s daughter Lee Webster) to train for eventing, he returned to 4A Ranch with Tucker and Stormy! However, within the next two years, I decided to geld both colts and import a colt from Ireland. (Though not anticipated it turned out that we imported TWO colts, a yearling and a weanling—Chip and Joey!) Neither Tucker nor Stormy were ever advertised as “stallion prospects,” but somehow, two prospective buyers found out about their whereabouts, and both were sold “whole” within days of one another in 1990, and just several days before their appointments to be gelded! Stormy was sold to Sharon Carlin, then living not far from the Sorensen 4ARanch.

Wendy Arbuszewski approached me to purchase Tucker, saying: “Why didn’t you tell me about this colt?! He is JUST the breeding I have been looking for!” When she explained her goals for Tucker, who she called “Finn,” I decided he would have a good Connemara home where he would be appreciated, trained and promoted. She DID have him professionally trained for several years and promoted him widely. But one day, 3-4 years later, Wendy called me and said that she wanted me “to be the first to know” that she had decided to sell Finn to a couple in Georgia, (the Andersons). Not much time passed before I heard that the couple had divorced and that Finn had been gelded. I lost touch with Finn for a number of years.

I believe that it was about 1996 when I received a phone call from Ann S. Hart, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, asking me if I might be connected to the Connemara gelding, “Stonybrook Finn MacCool!” She reported that she and her daughter had “found” him for sale at Big Bear Farm in Georgia. After our discussion, Ann decided to buy Finn for her daughter, Stephanie. The Harts, mother and daughter, rode him in dressage, hunters and horse trials, with great success; they loved him! Ann wrote me that “Stephanie and Finn won many ribbons together, as well as two year-end Junior Young Rider Awards in 1997 and 1998 from the Gold Coast Dressage Association and a 1998 Bronze Medallion from the ACPS in Hunters.

Sadly, Stephanie eventually lost interest in Finn--and riding, in general--when she developed severe asthma/allergies and lost her riding coach to cancer. Ann continued to ride and show Finn occasionally, through Third Level dressage. But, she had her own Warmblood to ride and compete, so she contacted me in 2000 to let me know that Finn was being offered for sale. I did not hear anything further, UNTIL . . .

I received an e-mail from Bliss Siman, NY, in June of 2002. She had been looking for several years for the perfect Connemara pony for herself and had spotted Stonybrook Finn MacCool on a performance horse website in South Carolina! He seemed to be everything she wanted for her dressage interest, and asked me to “fill in the gaps,” once she identified that we were talking about the same pony! Based on everything I could tell her, Bliss sent her trainer to SC to see Finn, and after spending a weekend with Finn at Swift Creek Farm, the trainer thought he was “the perfect pony” for Bliss. Bert Linder and Bliss Siman purchased him in July, 2002, and brought him to their Timbrel Farm in Warwick, NY! I believe that Finn thinks he “has died and gone to heaven!”

Ozark, Alabama: Ponies from all over the world and people from all over the United States gathered in the southeast corner of Alabama on the weekend of April 26 for the ACPS' first inspection of 2008. 4 stallions and
15 mares, one for Premium, were presented. All 4 of the stallions were approved as were 14 of the mares, although none for Premium. In the morning everyone gathered at Paul and Kelly Windus' Dark Horse Station where 6 ponies were inspected and everyone got to admire their stallion imported from Australia, Glenormiston Cuchulainn, and also a month old and very cute filly by Cuchulainn out of Sweet May du Langwater who was visiting with her Mom for the inspection. After a lovely lunch prepared by the Winduses the group moved to Fort Rucker Army Base where the traveling ponies had been stabled. There the rest of the ponies were presented. Among these were Donna Miller's imported Irish stallion, *Ard Celtic Art, James and Nancy Kilcrease's Gunsmoke son, W.H. Topgun, and another Australian, Robyn Taliferro's *Glenormiston Billies Bay.

Upperville, Va: Once again, the Upperville Horse show is offering a Connemara Division. Nancy Dillon has sent the following announcement. “The Connemara division on June 7 offers classes for purebred Connemaras of all ages, in-hand and ridden. Here's a chance to show your ponies to an appreciative audience at a beautiful venue and maybe win a really fancy ribbon too! There's plenty of time to prepare (five weeks or so) and entries can be made as late as June 6, although earlier is preferable. In-hand classes for purebred 3-year-olds and under, 4 to 8-year-olds, and 9 and older culminate with an in-hand championship and then there's a hack class open to all purebreds. The in-hand classes will be much like the Region III show, walking and jogging on a straight line and standing for the Irish judge. The hack class will be walk, trot, canter both ways. Upperville is one of the most prestigious breed shows in the country, but don't let that discourage you. Squeaky clean and well-behaved ponies (practice, practice) trotting out smartly, with handlers decked out in proper show attire, will be noticed. Let's have a big turnout in the ring and our always supportive crowd at the rail!”
If you have questions, please contact Nancy Dillon (nddillon@copper.net or 540-675-1976) for information. She is pulling together some helpful hints and Q&As. The show website is www.upperville.com and the pre-show office phone number is 540-687-5740.

Nancy is also hoping to assemble a small group of "spare hands" to be available to help exhibitors at the show or ahead of time. If you would be willing to help other Region III members, please contact Nancy.

Although there was some talk of not having a Region III show this year, due to the overwhelming vote of the region membership, the show will be held in the same format as years past, over two days and including the futurity, at Glenwood Park in Middleburg, VA on July 19–20. Les Cheek will again be the Show Chairman. A committee including Catherine Mack and Marynell Eyles are exploring the costs and logistics of putting on a recognized show at a different venue at a later date.

Ontario, Canada: Heather Sherrat, President of the Canadian Connemara Pony Society, has announced they will have an Irish inspector participate in their inspections this summer. Heather says, “The Irish Extravaganza in British Columbia that has run on St Pat's day the last two years - a joint show with the Irish Draft people - is in July this year and they are bringing Philip Scott over as a judge. He is also a Connemara inspector and Tom MacLochlainn said he would be a very good guy to have as he is good at explaining stuff… Just heard today that he will do an inspection for us before the show. We are still on probation I guess.”

Korntal, Germany: Julia Graf has sent photos from a circus that they recently participated in. Julia was filling in for her instructor who had been scheduled to do the show but found at the last minute she could not. Julia said, “We were four ponies/horses, four dogs and people. There was vaulting on a cow, "normal" vaulting, a western rider and a "baroque" riding perfomance. The show has been for the 50th anniversary of an institution doing riding for the disabled and people with mental problems. Since this has been our fist time, we have all been a bit excited. Especially we have been wondering if our horses would perform their tricks in an unknown arena, with people clapping. But they have all been so wonderful! Even lying down, what we all considered to be the most difficult thing, was done immediately upon request.”

The pony in the photo is Julia’s one and only! It is Errislannan Susan (Abbeyleix Owen X Errislannan Shadow). Susan was bred in Ireland by Stephanie Brooks and imported to Germany. She just turned 17. Julia said she seems to get better and better every year. She also said that the circus was great fun and that the audience liked it.