Pasa Robles, CA: The weekend of June 26 was a big one for Region X Connemara Pony owners. It was their West Coast Connemara Show and this year included a USEF and USDF recognized dressage show and a USEF recognized In-Hand Breed show. Marynell Eyles was the judge for the In-Hand and Performance classes. Lone Oak Aidan (Bantry Bay Dillon X Bien Mallin’s High Hope) was the Supreme In-Hand Champion with Wildwych Eclipse (Glenormiston Flurry Knox X Wildwych Dreamtime) in Reserve. Further results were not available at this time but will be posted when they are received.

Saugerties NY: Eighteen purebred and halfbred Connemara ponies participated in the inaugural Connemara Division at the recognized USEF Northeastern Welsh “Ponies on the Hudson” Show on July 2. The division was judged by Marynell Eyles. The Champion Connemara in Hand went to Ripleigh Go Bragh (Hideaway’s Erin Go Bragh X Tre Awain Toura Loura), owned by Renee Vaughan. Reserve went to Tower Hill’s Breeze (Kilfenora Windy Isles X Tower Hill’s Kathleen) owned by Sally Oxnard. The winning halfbred mare was Ivydell Prudence (Balius Turlough X Arab) owned by Paulette Moak, and the winning halfbred gelding was Bantry Bay Michael, ( Bantry Bay Archie X TB) owned by Candy Verhulst.

First and second place winners were as follows: Mares 4-7, 1) Tower Hill’s Breeze, 2)Blue Ridge Bluebell (Landgate Bluebeard X Blue Ridge Arabelle) owned by Linda Haines. Mares 8 and up, 1)Bantry Bay’s Daisy (Bantry Bay’s Ace X Bantry Bay’s Shana) owned by Candy Verhulst, 2) Windy Hollow’s Modern Millie (Bantry Bay’s Kilcullen X Windy Hollow’s Lilia)owned by Amy Plavin. Stallions and geldings 3 to 7, 1) Aluinn Denmark (Aladdin’s Denver X Patty’s Meredith), owned by Sarah McRae, 2) Tricreek Greystone Connor (by Greystone McErrill ) owned by Mary Lou Thall. Stallions and geldings 8 and up, 1)Ripleigh Go Bragh , 2) Aluinn Dexter (Moxley Duncan x Aladdin’s Dixie), owned by Sarah McRae. Halfbred mares, 1) Ivydell Prudence, 2) Ripleigh’s Flanagan’s Repose (Ripleigh Go Bragh x TB) owned by Renee Vaughan.. Halfbred geldings, 1)Bantry Bay’s Michael (Bantry Bay’s Archie X TB), 2) Seven Springs River’s Web ( Aladdin’s Denver x Starlight [TB]) owned by Wendy Warner.

The 8 under saddle classes were also well supported with as many as 10 in a class with Blueridge Bluebell winning several of these classes. Complete results will be in the next American Connemara.

Warrenton, Va: Marilyn Cheek has supplied the following report of the Warrenton Pony Show which also had USEF recognized classes: “Thurman Bramley gave owner Barbara Byrd a nice birthday present on June 28th: the new Shanagarry Farm Perpetual Trophy for purebred performance champion at the Warrenton Pony Show. Sad to say, there were far fewer purebreds present to vie for the handsome silver cup than Laimbeer family members attending to present the trophy they generously gave in memory of Connemara enthusiast Rosemary Laimbeer. Only two purebreds, Bramley (Landgate Bluebeard X Thurman Raven), ridden by Jordan DeButts, and Ridgetop Windy City (Kilfenora Windy Isles X Greystone Echo's Megan), owned and ridden by Karen McIntyre, came out in the perfect weather to wave the flag for the breed.

Numbers were slightly better for halfbreds, with four offspring of Greystone Ian McVai (out of TB or Anglo-Arab mares) competing. For the second year running, S.R. Diamonds for Diva, jointly owned by Rosemary Thomas and Marilyn Cheek, and ridden by Caroline Shipe, won the Halfbred Performance Championship narrowly beating Talari's Junior McVai, owned and ridden by Riley Moore, who was reserve. Also competing were Petrina Thomas' S.R. Easter Lily and Sycamore Ridge Farm's youngster, S.R. Irish Lace. Fortunately, what the entrants at Warrenton lacked in numbers, they made up for in quality and showmanship: Ponies were spotless and prepared; riders looked sharp; and, although there were a few minor hi-jinks in the warm-up ring and on the course, all performed stylishly and earned their ribbons. Judge Chris Knox, in from Idaho, was tough, and rightly held to the standard that a fall or run-out meant elimination from the class, not a lower place and fewer points. But she also offered constructive criticism that the young riders appreciated. Her learner judge was Debra Howell of Middleburg. We thank them both for coming to Warrenton; and we also thank exhibitors and the small band of Connemaristas who came to watch and cheer. Above all, we thank the show management and sponsors for providing such an inviting and comfortable show environment and the lovely ribbons, silver frames, trophies and smart coolers.”

Alachua, FL: Balmullo's Swamp Fox aka Buddy (Seven Hills Grey Ghost X Ballywhim Candace) and his proud ‘mama’, Barbie Beckford, competed in the Canterbury Equestrian Showplace Hunter Jumper series show on Saturday, June 13. They won two seconds in the beginner jumper division and won the Marshall and Sterling Pony Jumper Class. The two are currently showing beginner novice level eventing and will compete in the July 11 three phase schooling show at Rockinghorse Ranch in Altoona, Florida. (Photo credit Michael Bradtke).

Castleton, VT: Katie Reuther and her pony, Catskill Keiran (Bantry Bay's Dillon X Cobweb Allison) won their first three-phase event in Castleton, Vermont at Horse Amour Farm. They rode in the Grasshopper division, completing a walk/trot dressage test, a Cross-Country course of 23 fences, and a Stadium course of 10 very scary fences. Katie and Keiran won on their dressage score of 37.15. Katie says, “Keiran was fabulous during all three phases. He was attentive, calm, and wanting to please. He was perfect jumping Cross-Country and Stadium, not giving even the scariest of fences a glance.”

Battle Ground, IN: Vikie Maris of Dawn of Promise Farm has sent this report: “A couple months after being started over fences, Loughin's Aragorn aka "Conor" jumped right into eventing with a terrific performance at the Schooling Horse Trials at Come Again Farm in Sheridan, Ind., on June 21, 2009. Conor was bred by Loughin Farm in Mantua, Ohio and was purchased as a yearling. Conor is sired by Landgate Bluebeard and is out of Serendipity's My Goodness McGinnis (a daughter of Maris' beloved 27-yr-old mare, Serendipity's Jenny).

“Conor is being ridden this summer by Becca Perry-Hill, Battle Ground, Indiana, who is a graduate student at Purdue University. She has taken horses to preliminary level. Becca has enjoyed Conor's love for jumping and natural talent. He was started at beginner novice for his first test in attempt to keep him from getting bored with the jumping efforts. He put in a
lovely dressage test, a very precise stadium round and a steady effort in the cross country course for seventh place in his division.

Vickie adds, "I haven't been in a rush with Conor's training,his fun-loving, unflappable personality has made him a great trail companion so that's how we started out. He spent a couple months with natural horsemanship trainer, Nadia Heffner, when he was three. I then enrolled him in the western equestrian program at the University of Findlay where he
spent four months as a four-year-old with a student trainer, Kara Ruch, who did a superb job with him. I spent the next year riding him, working on his dressage and taking him to small, schooling shows and lessons. Last year, we met Becca and she started riding him for us which freed me up to work with our other youngsters. Her eventing background and love of jumping and riding Connemaras has made the two of them a great match.” (Photos by Vickie J. Maris)

Colville, WA: Kelsie Staeheli, Jolley Fir Line Farms, reports that JFL High Stride Laddee (Wildwych Strider X Sweet Princess) has moved on to a new home and is loving his new job as a working pony. Laddee's new Owner is happy with the progress he is making in such a short time.

Munich, Germany: Alexandra Kramer of Sternberg’s Connemaras sent the following report: “I am sending you photos of our broodmares, Sternbergs Lady Lee (El Larry X Lilian [by Lorenzo]) and Birkenhof Sybille (Gun X Glaskopf Brown Scarlet [by elite stallion Golden Dan]), at the Landesponyshow in Muenchen at 20th June. At the Landesponyshow breeders can only show invited mares, who have proved their quality at inspection and got over average grades.Our homebred El Larry daughter, Lady Lee, won as the class for 3 year old Connemara mares and got the States Premium Candidate mare title. She will be a States Premium mare when she has her first foal and has passed a performance test for mares.

The second mare we brought to Muenchen, Birkenhof Sybille, won the class for 4 years and older Connemara mares and got the first States Premium of the day as she is already successfully performance tested and has her second foal at foot. Both mares qualified for the endring of the best mares of all Sports Pony breeds. In the endring, Sternbergs Lady Lee was chosen as Champion mare and we got a medal for our breed success.

Interesting for us was also that the only one more States Premium Candidate mare title (from the Connemara Ponies) went to a daughter of our stallion Skousboe Morning Rock, her name is Wirthsmuehle Lissome and she is a daughter of the dam of our broodmare Wirthsmuehle Lilac. We were extremely proud of our wonderful mares and thankful for all the honour of the day.”