Thomson, GA: Close to 60 horses and ponies gathered at Pine Top Farm last weekend for the Region 4 show and the Jimmy Wofford Eventing Clinic. It was a fabulous weekend….the Dartmoors were out in force with a dozen or so entries and, of course, Connemaras of all ages and sizes were there. Heather Sherratt from Canada was the judge. Connemara Champion was W.H. Top Gun (*Gunsmoke X Ballywhim Candace [by Dallen McMor]), with Oakfield’s Hazel Sparrow (Hearnesbrook Dunoon X Oakfield’s May Sparrow), winner of a lovely class of mares, in Reserve. Balmullo’s Beacon aka “Bubba” (Aladdin X Tullymor’s April Fool), a favorite stallion in the region for many years but now a gelding, was the deserving winner of the Geldings class. Brambleridge Capability Brown (*Bobby Brown x Wildwych Cricket) made his under saddle debut ridden by Adrienne Rogers, and earned a first and a second place. Many will remember Adrienne from the days when she rode Big Bear’s Katie O’Hara in Grand Prix. Caraway Charlotte (Maplehurst Michael McDaire X *Wensum Plum) was the Overall High Point Connemara. Big Bear’s Beloved John, owned and ridden by Terry Blair, earned the best dressage score.

WH Top Gun, Connemara Champion

Oakfields Hazel Sparrow, Connemara Reserve Champion

Caraway Charlotte,Overall Connemara Champion in
the leadline class with Hazel Pullin and Grace Bridges

NPS America Champion was Thistledown Juniper, a Dartmoor. The farthest traveler was Julie Keahey who came all the way from Colorado and won the Tadpole Combined Test on Balmullo’s Liffey Lad (Concord River Roaringwater Bay X Balmullo’s Miss Emma [by Aladdin]). The Eventing Clinic with Jimmy Wofford followed the show on Sunday and Monday with many Connemaras showing the bigger horses how to jump! Beacon’s Cathleen, ridden by Carla Jimmerson, and Sparrow’s Owen, ridden by Megan Harris made great strides under Jimmy’s tuteledge in the Novice Division. “Bubba”, also in the Novice Division, never set a foot wrong. On Sunday afternoon just before leaving, Vanessa Morgan, owner of Bubba, was still smiling. It was one of the best weekends ever in Region 4!! Complete show results will be posted on the Region 4 website with a complete report in the American Connemara.

Balmullo's Isabelle, winner of the 2 and 3
year old pure bred Connemaras

Tricia Chelberg driving RMF Emerald Star

Sparrow's Owen, ridden by Megan Buchanan Harris

Woodstock, VT: Katie Reuther competed Catskill Keiran (Bantry Bay's Dillon X Cobweb Allison) at a two-phase event at the Green Mountain Horse Association. Katie says, “It was Keiran's first event, and he was fabulous! Though he missed his friends from home, he listened well, had a wonderfully consistent pace both in dressage and stadium jumping, and jumped all of the fences beautifully!” Keiran ended up winning his junior Pre-Elementary division.

Lexington, Va: Eight purebred Connemaras and five halfbred Connemaras were in the ribbons at the Virginia Horse Trials and CCI* during the Memorial Day weekend. There were more quarter-bred Connemaras, unregistered Connemaras, and “wannabe” Connemaras at the event, and the owners/riders all credited the Connemara character as a large part of the talent of their horses. Pictured is Amelia Eyles on her Talbotstown (Aladdin’s Denver X *Ganty Laura), who was second in the Novice Rider JR/YR division. Marynell Eyles, there to watch the festivities says, “The division winner would have been Wilhemina (Aladdin’s Denver X Milky Way [*Grange Finn Sparrow]), with her owner/rider Georgie Wilkins, but a new USEA rule determined that since Georgie and “Willie” jumped the last cross-country fence and slowed to a trot and then walked across the finish line, that she had ridden “dangerously fast” and was assessed a 20 point penalty, moving her to sixth place. Complete results on all the Connemaras will appear in the American Connemara.

Brown’s Valley, CA: Lisa Martin-Gerdes would like to welcome Aurora, a 2009 filly sired by Wildwych Eclipse. She is out of the warmblood mare, EM Palladia, and is a full sister to Redbud Moonshadow and Redbud Moonrock.

Penngrove, CA: Lee Webster reports that Saving Grace finally delivered a lovely colt foal by *Canal Laurinston (aka Chip). Lee says that after 361 days the colt, Mostly Irish, was set free!

Mom and baby are happy and resting. The baby has already enjoyed a short "gallop" around the foaling stall and is back down for a nap. Lee says, “Grace is by *Castle Beau Geste (Ballydonagh Casanova X Tulira Maggie), Joan Latty's imported Irish stallion, out of a Connemara/TB mare named Dance in the Sky.

Between Chip and Grace's sire (a Connemara), we figure the colt is "mostly Irish," at least more Irish than anything else! “

St. Anthony, IA: Lisa Etzel sent this photo of Ann Darby’s new foal. Anne’s stallion, Wildwych Samson (Glenormiston Flurry Knox X Glenormiston Roscrea), was the sire with Seredipity's Cinnamon (Oak Hills Country Song X Oak Hills Maggie) the dam. His breeder, Anne Darby, says, “He is a sweetie along with having such good looks. We have not named him yet because he is already spoken for and the new owners are thinking of names. I don't even know what our farm name should be. We'll work on that! Cinnamon is 17 years old and has been with us since she was a two year old. She has had two other foals who are both still with us, now ages 9 and 10. They are wonderful geldings used for lessons and trail rides. Samson is seven years old and seems to have matured just this spring. We bought him in December of 2007. He is looking beautiful and is so easy to handle. He had not been ridden before coming here but I have been riding him some and he is coming along very well. We are very pleased with him.”

Hamburg, NY: Windover Tarragon arrived 10 days early and in the field at night but seems to have weathered the early arrival just fine. She is by Irish Park's Caraway Finn, out of a QH mare. Owner is Virginia Calkins MD, mother of Sally Oxnard.

Grass Valley, CA: Free Rayn Hill congratulates the Gamache family of Concord, CA on their purchase of Free Rayn Majesty. "Maggie" is a 2008 filly by *Village Prince (Coral Prince X Village Grey) out of Hideaway's Irish Mist (*Rocky X Hideaway's Celebration).

Ten year old Brianna Gamache is an eventing enthusiast who will continue to ride the Connemara MGRM Whimsical (by MGRM Brigadoon) while her new pony Maggie grows up.

Maggie and Brianna train with Gina Marie Shaman of Wishing Well Stables in Clayton, CA which is home to Royal Connemaras who stand the stallion *Village Prince. Maggie will join her sire and a large group of her siblings -- both purebred and halfbred -- who are obtaining success and having fun in the eventing arena.

Chicago, IL: We received the very sad news that on May 17th Martin Prendergast passed away from cancer. He was 43. Martin came from Ireland only a few years ago and was the owner of Windy Isles Farm in Chicago. His stepdaughter, Jessica Cohen, said “I can't possibly express my appreciation for all of those who knew him and supported him and our family through this time… family members and friends, the extended Irish Community as a whole.

“Walking out of the church after the mass we came out to see twelve Connemaras lined up to escort the hearse around the block with *The Quietman leading them all. It was a fitting tribute to Martin and the impact he had in just such a few short years… the Irish lads and their families, their young daughters astride their ponies and *The Quietman with several of his progeny behind him.

“We went home to Ireland to bury him, laid him to rest beside Grandpa. In Ireland they organized a group of riders as escort. I rode with them, on this spooky chestnut mare and all I could think was 'please don't toss me off in front of everyone.’ Martin would be laughing all the way up there. It was a beautiful day for Ireland with blue skies and white fluffy clouds-- having poured rain in the morning, the sun came out then.”