The Connemara

By Marynell Eyles

Photo by Gabrielle Boiselle

When looking for a sensible athleticc equine partner to share a passion for sport, consider the versatile American Connemara. An Irish breed, the Connemara first came to the United States in the early 1950s, and from that time, their numbers have very slowly increased to a purebred population of about 4,000. The Connemara is the largest of the native pony breeds. That said, the standard for the breed includes ponies from 13 hands to 14.3-plus. In truth, many Connemaras are over the “official” pony height of 14.2 hands, but their breed characteristics still qualify them for registration and certainly, for all-around use.

The willing nature and ground covering stride of the Connemara make them an ideal prospect for equine sports. And, if you think that their small size won’t get you noticed out there in the land of the Warmbloods—think again! Some of the stars in the dressage arena have been Erin Casco Bay, who won at Intermediaire I, and Big Bear’s Katie O’Hara, who is a 14.2-hand purebred schoolmaster who won at Third and Fourth levels in dressage with a 13-yearold rider.

For eventing, there is perhaps no better suited horse or pony than a Connemara. They are naturally agile, careful and typically eager jumpers, proving that what they lose in height they can easily make up for with style and athletic ability. More and more trainers, riders and eventing enthusiasts are realizing that big horses are not necessarily superior to their smaller competitors, and many are actually looking for more compact, able mounts to manage tricky distances and varied terrain.

The stud books kept during the 50 years since the American Connemara Pony Society (ACPS) was founded records a slight annual increase for the early years of the breed’s history in America, to a recent “discovery” of the ponies’ abilities and inherent good nature. Annually, the Society registers approximately 120 purebred foals, and about that same number of half-bred foals. While the numbers fluctuate, more new Connemara farms and breeders have registered foals, and have recorded their official farm prefixes with the Society in recent years. Some of the Connemara features stated in the Breed Standard include: mannerly and manageable temperaments; compact and deep bodies with well-sprung rib cages and broad chests; and straight and true front and rear action, with free movement in the shoulders. Connemaras should move underneath themselves and should be sure-footed, athletic, clever and able to cover a lot of ground. They should have a kind eye and a neck of good length and definition that smoothly meets the shoulder. They should have good slope in the shoulders and strong, muscular backs. Their hindquarters should be well-rounded and deep, with good length from the point of the hip through the haunch. They should have clean, hard bone, and larger, well-defined joints. Their feet are renowned for being hard and strong.

Breeders and owners of Connemaras swear by the oft-repeated motto for the breed. They can “do it all.” Eventing is easy for Connemaras as it brings back their native memory of jumping all those rocks and brooks in Ireland. There are presently countless Connemaras in the world of eventing, carrying their riders around Novice to Training level courses. Many of these have the potential to go on, and some do. In fact, there are so many purebred and half-bred Connemaras competing at the Preliminary level and above, it’s hard to keep track of them all.

Dressage is a matter of self-carriage and obedience, and the Connemara is a willing partner. Hunter and jumper shows offer the perfect showcase for their jumping talents and their amazing ability to make the difficult look easy.

Many people interested in the Connemara are not upper level riders themselves, nor do they necessarily aspire to be. Some are looking for a “move up” horse for a young teenager or a trustworthy mount for an adult amateur. This is where the Connemara truly shines. As one mother watched her daughter going off to do their first cross-country course at the training level said, “I bought that pony as my insurance policy!”

The American Connemara Society has benefited from being a member association of the USEF in many ways, but the most visible reward is the annual HOTY awardsand point tracking. Behind the scenes, the insurance for the Society’s regional shows has made it possible to use venues from the East to the West coast, and relieved the organizers of worry and additional expenses. The Breeders’ Committee of the USEF is a huge benefit to all breed organizations. The knowledge of bloodlines will benefit everyone in the equine industry.

Showcases for the Connemara breed are the regional shows in six sections of the country. In-hand, dressage, hunter, jumper, pleasure and driving classes are included in each of the shows. From Woodstock, VT, to Middleburg, VA, to Chattanooga, TN, to St. Louis, MO, to Indianapolis, IN, to Northern California, the Connemara breed shows give breeders and owners the opportunities to demonstrate just what the ponies can do. Classes are offered for purebred and half-bred Connemaras, and the shows attract both the veteran competitors as well as the one-show-a-year attendees.

At present, many Connemaras can be found in the pony jumper ranks, and the sport of combined driving seems to be a developing interest with a growing group of owners, and there are pairs and four-in-hands of Connemaras being driven in worldclass competition. Alison Stroud of Pennsylvania traveled to England and competed for the World Driving Championships with her four imported Connemaras. Sam Davis of Virginia and her Connemara stallion *Hayselden Perseus, was named the champion driving pony at the Upperville Horse Show in June 2005 for the second consecutive time.

They are naturally agile, careful and typically eager jumpers, proving that what they lose in height they can easily make up for with style and athletic ability.

Connemara ponies were originally used in Ireland to work the land, transport seaweed for fertilizer, peat for fuel, produce to market and the family to church. The rich heritage of the Connemara Pony makes them an ideal candidate for work in harness.

The excellent feet and legs of a Connemara enable these ponies to manage the speed, quick turns, rolling terrain and changed in road surfaces often association with cross-country driving. Connemaras possess the stamina, a ground covering stride and a balanced way of going which makes them ideal performers in the discipline of combined driving. Because of their straight, true action, free-moving shoulders, strong backs and powerful hindquarters, Connemaras used in driven dressage are elegant and graceful. A Connemara can prove to be a trusted and faithful driving companion. Their temperament, intelligence and sensible nature make them perfect candidates for driving. Whether their owners enjoy a relaxing drive through the scenic countryside or the thrill of a competitive drive, the pony can do the job.

But, as the motto says, whatever the discipline, the Connemara can do it. The Society has an award system for ponies in a variety of sports, from foxhunting to western ranch horse, and most everything in between. The USEF/ACPS Clifden Trophy, or year-end awards are presented to the Connemara with the largest number of points in the recognized hunter shows, and the McKenna Trophy is presented to the Connemara with outstanding performances in eventing.

The Society presents Hall of Fame trophies annually to winners who are chosen by committees within the Society. There are awards for outstanding stallions who promote the breed by their performance, for foundation stallions that have proved their worth to the breed by their progeny and broodmare awards for outstanding production of successful foals. In addition, the Society presents awards for competitive achievement of a purebred mare or gelding.

The greatest compliment for the breed, though, are the hundreds of Connemaras who carry their riders, junior and senior alike, wherever their fancy leads, for the Connemara is so people-oriented and eager to please that its versatility is almost legendary. Summing it up, and borrowing from the Packard Motor Company slogan of long ago —“If you want to know about the Connemara, ask the person who owns one!”

Marynell Eyles is the Secretary/Registrar for the American Connemara Pony Society. She has bred Connemaras for more than 20 years, and stands three stallions at the family’s Top of the Ridge Farm.

Information take from Equestrian; September 2006