2002 News


October 2002

The WCCA General Meeting and Potluck lunch will take place November 2, 2002 at 12:00 noon at the home of Doris Jacobi in Nisku (Box 53A LCD 9, RR 1 South Edmonton, Alberta T6H 4N6 Phone: (780) 955-2097).

Please email Statlers@telusplanet.net or phone Serena Statler at 780.662.4149 if you wish to attend.

If you would like a subject or issue discussed at this meeting, please email Serena with details, so she can have the agenda prepared.




September

The American Connemara Pony Society AGM was held in Rochester N.Y. and Lynfields Cormac MacCarthy was awarded the prestigious Tooreen Laddie Award for a Foundation Stallion.

Rick and Dale Doner's mare, Eastlands Glendearg won the Connemara of the Year Award for her very successful dressage season last year!!

Huge Congratulations to both Doris Jacobi and Cormac, and Rick and Dale Doner and Eastie.

News from the ACPS meeting: American Connemara Pony Society changed the name of their Stud Book, to the Stud Book and Registry last year, and this year they are putting all the Inspected and Approved ponies in the new Stud Book and the Registry will hold all ponies - that means that inspected ponies will be in both the Registry and the Stud Book. ACPS is working towards becoming an Approved Society with the International Committee of Connemara Pony Societies, rather than an Affiliated Society. For information on the ICCPS please see:

International Committee of Connemara Pony Societies

Inspections will now be geographically based centralized inspection sites. Members wanting to pursue Inspection for their ponies will now be able to host an Inspection with a minimum number of ponies. For more information, contact your ACPS Region Chair, Susan MacDougall at: ACPS Region 11 Chair

Members of the ECCPA and WCCPA met in Ottawa to discuss a Canadian Society, after the ACPS AGM- (we are just waiting to learn the outcome of that meeting).



From Jocelyn Davies: Just wanted to let you know Team Connemara is back from Spruce Meadows... On the team was:

  • Tiffanie Adams with Eden's Winston
  • Ricki Lee Gillespie with WC Mighty Mac
  • Emily Cena with Tray Di Lioor Mick
  • Ruth Wagner with Avenn's Fairy Wind.

    All of these are Lynfield Cormac MacCarthy children (The 2002 Tooreen Laddie Award winner)! Anyway good news is that we won $2,050 .... almost all our entry money back! Our overall placing was 8th. Highpoint of the show was Precision Driving where we placed 2nd. We had a great time and I have to say the crowd every year is getting bigger...thousands of people were watching all the events!

    Jocelyn Davies
    Team Captain
    TEAM CONNEMARA




    From Jocelyn Davies (Edmonton, Alberta): My daughter and I took Devon Ridge Rhiannon to the Alberta Horse Improvement Program evaluations this weekend. I'm very happy to tell you all that Rhiannon got a "Classic" Award, which is quite an honor. This is given to yearlings and two year old for a scores of 75+ and is in support and recognition of Superior Alberta Bred Horses/ponies. We got a beautiful Plaque and had our picture taken...which will be posted on the Alberta Agriculture website.




    Orchard Hills Prima Donna


    From Debbie Bailey: "Well the BCHJ held year end finals for pony jumpers. Our 3/4 connie entered and tied for championship. To break the tie they took the fastest last round which was this cute welsh cob x and he won by .37 seconds! SOOO close and SOOO exciting! The top 3 ponies just within a second of each other. Talked up the breed to people and mentioned some the western breeders.

    We went into the Derby (field of 28). She came 3rd with the fastest time but a rail came down (Darn!) Anyway she is ALL heart and such a safe jumper for my daughter. The studs come off today until next spring. Show season behind us as fall begins.

    My 11 yr old son can safely excerise (W/T/C) her in a ring as long as he doesn't point her to a jump! So she will be passed on down to the third child in the family-- eventually!

    Cheers
    Debbie in Sunny Vancouver




    Tucks Precious Gem

    Tuck's Precious Gem is by Bally's Friar Tuck out of a thoroughbred mare and ridden/owned by Samantha Boake. Jewel is currently showing on the Alberta hunter/jumper circuit and in her first year of showing, is bringing home consistent ribbons and Championships. Sam & Jewel are excited to move up to the 'A' circuit in 2003 and are trained by Tracy Dopko of Daventry Farms.






    July

    Orchard Hills Prima Donna has been having a successful year.
    Debbie Bailey reports:

    Just to let you know our little ambassador in Vancouver for the connemara breed still continues to do well. In April she won the Sue Mills Memorial Trophy for Pony Jumpers in the Vancouver Pony Club show. Two weeks ago at Maple Ridge she won 4 firsts in her first four classes of the day. She ended up with champion Beginner jumper and Reserve Pony jumper. We just finished the Southlands Summer classic where she won level 1 jumper Championship(26 horses) and 2nd in the Low Derby out of 28 horses.

    She is a crowd pleaser and I'm happy to tell everyone about the breed, and hand out pamphlets regarding breeders in Canada and the Connemara Pony. I had one dealer give me her business card. (No, she's not for sale!!)

    In Vancouver we have a bit of a problem as there are not enough ponies jumping 3' to make a pony jumper division. They put the division in the programs but won't run them if less than 5. We were hoping to go for the BCHJ Pony Jumper finals but they were cancelled last year due to lack of numbers. Hence, our trainer would like my daughter to set her goal for the CET Mini medals at 3'3". I really wish we could get Pony Jumpers going out on the west coast. Any suggestions? It would be a great division to promote the breed.

    Debbie in Vancouver

    Congratulation Georgia and "Sophie"



    Brian Donegan and Bridget Wingate were one-two in a 3 year old and over purebred mare class at the Westerner Show in Alberta. This was a 2-day effort with the same classes each day and a different judge each day. Congrats to both participants for getting their ponies out for the public to admire.



    June

    Jocelyn Davies and Bridget Wingate went to the Parkland Pony Show held in Alix, AB. Bridget took Thistledown Ruby MacDaire and Jocelyn took Devon Ridge Rhiannon. Connemara classes were held there for the first time. Devon Ridge Rhiannon won the Connemara Under 2 years class, and Thistledown Ruby MacDaire won the Connemara over 2 years. Devon Ridge Rhiannon was Grand Champion Connemara and Thistledown Ruby MacDaire was Reserve Champion Connemara.

    Devon Ridge Rhiannon at the Parkland Pony ShowDevon Ridge Rhiannon at the Parkland Pony Show


    The Westerner All Breed Pony Show will be held July 19 - 21/02 in Alberta. There will be two separate judges/shows held for In Hand classes and Connemara purebred and halfbred classes will be held. Devon Ridge Connemaras will be taking 4 ponies and Drogheda Farms will be taking 6 ponies, Bridget Wingate (Eden Connemaras) is taking Thistledown Ruby MacDaire. There will be for sure lots of Connemara halfbreds in attendance.




    Bien Mallins Rory OSullivan

    Congratulations to M & M Farm from Devon Ridge Farms! The stallion Bien Mallin's Rory O'Sullivan (Landgate's Holy Smoke x *Bar S Heather (Rory Ruadh)) has been sold this spring to M & M Farm. He's pictured here jumping at Thunderbird Equestrian Center in Vancouver, British Columbia. He's the sire of most of the babies born this spring at Devon Ridge Farms in AB Canada. Interesting enough, he has produced a Bay filly, a Black filly and a Palomino filly so he definitely has the bay, black and chestnut gene and Devon Ridge Farms got all three this year...





    May

    ROCKIN' K DEE CONNEMARA RANCH

    Ken & Diane Harding

    In March 2002 we attended a Stallion Alley with our stallion, MGRM Mick O'Lean O'Flynn. The attendance was good and we spent the day answering the Conna…Conna…Conna..what? Great promotional day for Connemaras!

    On April 24, 2002 our part bred mare, Eden's Miss Muffet, delivered a black colt. He is a perfect match to his 3 yr old brother, KD Royal Ace.

    On May 3rd, 2002 our purebred mare, Dains Dooley, delivered a gorgeous bay filly. We were hoping that Dooley would have a filly this year, and our wish was granted!

    On April 20th, 2002 our 20-year-old Quarter Horse mare, Mea Bally, delivered a stunning black filly. We were so hoping for a filly as we have never kept one of her foals, and this foal is ours to keep.

    On May 6th, 2002 our 5 yr old ¾ bred gelding, KD Little Riki by Bien Mallins Little Ben out of Eden's Miss Muffet, was sold to a family in Pennsylvania, USA. Riki will continue his driving career as well as being ridden by a young boy who is working on balancing and muscle therapy. He will also be ridden in Pony Club by a young girl as well as she has plans to take him to camp.

    We are presently starting part bred, KD Royal Ace and purebred, KD Captain Flynn, both 3 year old geldings, for driving. We are still doing groundwork with them and hope to have them hooked up to the cart soon. They will both be started under saddle after they have been driven.




    Jocelyn Davies had 3 Connemara foals born this 1st weekend in May!

    Avenn's Golden Legacy had a beautiful bay filly again by Bien Mallin's Rory O'Sullivan.

    Avenn's Eirynn Bay had a black colt by Bantry Bay Dillon

    And Fab's Cormac (reg'd partbred by Lynfield's Cormac MacCarthy) had a big bay warmblood filly!

    Congratulations Jocelyn on a successful foaling season.




    APRIL

    Congratulations to Brian Donegan of Drogheda Farms, his first half-bred 2002 foal (a lovely colt) was born on March 20th in -30C temperatures.

    Brian had a purebred filly born April 4, 2002, out of Drogheda's Lavender (Bay Connemara) and by Elphin Lorcan (bay Connemara). This filly is a chestnut (a rarity for the breed) and she should go liver chestnut like her granddam (Bally's Fancy China) and her grandsire (Maplehurst Michael McDaire, a grey who was born chestnut).

    UPDATE: Brian's Elphin Lorcan x Drogheda's Lavender filly was sold at 3 days old to Terry Frances of Alberta. Brian has 4 more purebred foals to come...




    Bien Mallins Rory OSullivan


    Rory O'Sullivan the 4 yr old Connemara Pony Stallion at the April 12th Pony Extravaganza, his first outing.