Welcome to the American Connemara Pony Society Web Site

Do you have news about your Connemara that you would like to share with other ACPS members? News from all over the world is welcome. Email Donna Duckworth with the details and any photos to connemaras@windstream.net. Show results, results of inspections, new foals or unusual adventures especially welcome! The sire and dam of any ponies should be included. Please note that any professional photos must be accompanied by a photographer's release before they can be used.

Middleburg, Va: Two year old Summer Fraughnaugh won the ribbon for the youngest rider in the leadline class at the Region 3 ACPS show held the weekend of July 22. She was riding Balmullo’s Miss Emma. Summer also exhibited her riding skills at the Region 4 show in Florida in June. The Virginia show took place at beautiful Glenwood Park and was skillfully managed by a small army of Region 3 volunteers.

Middleburg, Va: Blue Ridge Hazel (Moxley Duncan X Hayselden Persephone) was declared the Best Connemara of the Day at the Region 3 show held the weekend of July 22 at Glenwood Park. This is what in most other shows is called the Champion Connemara, but Region 3-ers believe that ALL the ponies are champions, hence the Best Connemara of the Day. Stallions do not compete for ribbons but are exhibited in a stallion showcase. Hazel was the winner of the 3-7 yo mare class. Other winners were Ridgetop Moya (by Aladdin’s Denver), winner of the 8 yo and over mare class, and Thurman Bramley, winner of the gelding class. *Fernvale Matchmaker (Hazy Dawn X Ross Castle Moya) won the blue in the colt yearling futurity, while Guthrie Bonnie’s China Blue (Bluebeard X Balmullo’s Miss Lucy) won the filly yearling futurity and was also the Best Yearling. Complete results from the show will be in the American Connemara.

Brown’s Valley, Ca: Lisa and Max Gerdes have announced that their four year old stallion, Wildwych Eclipse, finished in 2nd place in a field of fourteen horses at his fist ever recognized horse trial. Eclipse had one fence fault with a rail coming down on fence b of the last combination. He had no time faults and even with his penalty was only 1 ½ points off the first place finisher! Lisa says, “Eclipse drew a great crowd of admirers…To top it all off Eclipse qualified for our Regional Championships with just one run!”

Dorthealyst, Denmark: Alison Stroud of Pennsylvania and her Four-in-Hand of Connemaras were fourth in the World Pony Driving Championships held July 18-22 in Denmark. Nineteen teams of four competed in this ultimate test of combined driving skill. There was one other Connemara Four-in-Hand, from Sweden. Alison was a bit hit at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the ACPS held last year in Leesberg, Va. More information about the Driving Championships can be found at http://www.wdch-pony-07.dk/

Brooks, GA: Nancy Buchanan and Megan Buchanan Harris wrote to say that Brambleridge Cinder Ella (*Kilfenora Windy Isles x Wildwych Cricket [by *Glenormiston Flurry Knox]) has a new home. She will be living in Southbridge, MA with Kristine Sklenak. Kristine has had an interest in the breed for a couple of years now and Cinder is her first Connemara pony!