A poem written in honour of a particularly brave and tough pony that survived a brain haemorrhage. Brave Girl suffered the haemorrhage as a yearling and diced with death for a week, but gradually made a remarkable recovery and bred four foals at Ashbrook before going to Tom Byrne at Loughrea in Spring ’08, where she has since duly obliged with another filly foal!

They said ‘Ah! She’s as good as dead’,
The blood was spilling ’round your head,
Your drunken stagger, head held low,
Nothing now could stem the flow.
Too far gone, you could not cope,
All who saw you gave up hope.

But then a voice came from afar,
‘Twas Silver Pearl, ’twas Noble Star.
A voice that reached you deep inside,
Reminding you of kin and pride.
A voice that challenged ‘Girl, be brave,
Too soon for you to reach your grave.’

And that was why your heart so large,
Forgot your sorrows and took charge.
Your courage, grit, and love of life,
Overcame your pain and strife,
And summer long, while you came good,
Pearl and Star beside you stood.

They spoke to you at dead of night,
And urged you on at morning light.
They said ‘Be strong, you must not fail,
For you are the pony of the Gael.’
And that is why you stand this day,
A strong and lovely, healthy Grey.

Note: Silver Pearl and Noble Star were two famous stallions of the early years, both of whom failed to establish male lines – though they are to be found in the back breeding of many of today’s ponies.

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