Clifden, Ireland: The annual Connemara Pony Festival, culminating in the famous Clifden Connemara Pony Show on Thursday, was held from August 16 to Aug 22. The week was packed full of pony events with visitors coming from all over the world to witness this spectacular festival. The festival began on Monday with an educational seminar in the National Park in Letterfrack. The National Park is home to the Connemara Pony Breeders Society’s herd of Connemara Ponies and visitors were able to view the herd. The magnificent Abbeyglen Castle Hotel hosted an International reception on Tuesday evening where the overseas breeders got the opportunity to meet with the Irish breeders.

On Wednesday the annual loose jumping competition took place at the Showgrounds. Thirty two three-year-old ponies competed at this national competition to gain the title of Champion Loose Jumping Connemara Pony. Thursday is, of course, the highlight of the festival. Ponies from all over Ireland traveled to Clifden to compete at this internationally renowned show. This year there were a record number of entries. Village Linnet, a seven year old mare by Laerken’s Cascade Dawn out of Village Girl, owned by Henry O'Toole from Clifden, was awarded the Supreme Championship. Reserve went to Padraic and Nicola Heanue's Castle Cailín Ard who was bred by Henry O'Toole. She is an older mare by Rocky and out Castle Dame.

To cater for non-pony enthusiasts there were plenty of other attractions including Irish dancing, domestic arts, and a dog show. During 2010 extensive work was done on the main ring in the showgrounds, and visitors all agreed that the work was fantastic.

The Connemara Pony is recognised worldwide for its unique performance ability. Ponies had an opportunity to demonstrate this on Friday at the Connemara Performance Show. There was even a Puissance competition. Six of the seventeen starters cleared 1.55 metres (5’ 1”) in the final round. The six ponies were Cashelbay Prince, Bobby Sparrow Blue, Ashfield Village, Carnabay Mirah, Dungimmon Knight and Doon Laddie.

Woodstock , VT: Connemaras won three of the six divisions at the GMHA Training and Novice Three-Day Event on August 10th -13th. The USEA has featured them on the home page of their website.

http://www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=classic&id=2479

The photo is left to right:
Stacy Taylor with Tower Hills Darby Run, First in Training A,
Betsy Holdsworth with Elfin Dublin Ball, First inNovice B, and Allison Springer with Nancy Winter's Gold Dust Moon.

Woodstock, VT: Catskill Keiran (Bantry Bay's Dillon X Cobweb Allison) was also at the GMHA evetnt. His rider, Katie Reuther says, “It was our second recognized event at Beginner Novice. Keiran has made amazing progress since last year, when he first started eventing. He has excelled this year at Beginner Novice, and we plan to go Novice at the end of the season.

Keiran was great in all three phases. He was easy-going, responsive, and focused in dressage. We completed our best test of the year! In Stadium, he was forward and felt very tuned in to what I was thinking. He knew which way I was headed when we landed after every fence. During Cross-Country, he didn't bat an eye at any of the fences, including ditches, benches, ramps, and log fences with brush on top. We went double clear.
We ended up third out of eighteen. Due to rider error, we had a few unwanted points tacked on to our score along the way. If Keiran had gone riderless, he would have won his division!”

Scarborough, ME: Kier, a Connemara halfbred colt by Trout Ranch Malarkey (*Kingstown Joe X Tower Hill's Killaire), received a Premium at his RPSI (Rheinland Pfalz-saar International) inspection in Scarborough Maine. Kier and his sire are owned by Beth Adams of 4.0 Farm in Stratham, NH. He is out of Gisborne Reserve, an Oldenburg mare owned by Amy Plavin.