Following the sale of two young mares (Annaghdown Storm and Lickeen Colleen) last year, as well as a handfull of geldings, we hadn’t thought about any drastic downsizing this year, but when a buyer (a beginner in Connemaras) came along some weeks ago looking for young geldings to bring on, we parted with the five homebred geldings we had left. So we say goodbye to Ashbrook Raven (Hazy Match X Blue Rose 2011), Ashbrook Woodcock (Blue Smokie X Meelickisland Pearl 2011), Ashbrook Harrington (Hazy Match X Blue Rose 2010), Ashbrook Blue Boy (Blue Smokie X Annaghdown Storm 2010), and Ashbrook Glen (Glencarrig Prince X Meelickisland Pearl 2010).

With the recent arrival of a beautiful filly foal – Ashbrook Ruby (Cashelbay Brook X Coosheen Stormboy), Macdara has entered her equally beautiful full sibling Ashbrook Trush for the May sales. She is a superb yearling and will be ready for the showing season. Also pictured is Ashbrook Heather (Céileog X Tulira Roebuck). With great paces and extraordinary jumping ability, she will hopefully combine successful showing and performance careers in the future.

Click here here for up to date photos of Ruby (’12), Thrush (’11), Heather (’10), and Róisín (’09).

Ashbrook Orga with the red rosette in Cork last Summer

The 2012 ISA yearbook is now available and after the long 6 month break from showing it brings a frisson of excitment to see that the new circuit is just around the corner. The main point of interest this year is that the Clifden Show has been dislodged from its usual third Thursday in August slot to the 8th, 9th and 10th of August. The change is probably good news for the Cashel Show on Sun 5th August and Carraroe Show on Monday 6th August as they will undoubtedly become a focus for early arrivals for Clifden.

It’s also a really big year for Oughterard this year, celebrating its 50th anniversary. One not to miss on August 25th and 26th. Eyrecourt show is also back again this year in September, after its very successful beginning last year. So its something, somewhere, every weekend. If only we could do something about the price of diesel!!

The fun begins on the first weekend in June at Westport while the same weekend sees the 3rd Connemara World Show at Boswell. On the home page you will find the link to the 2012 show calender, taken from the ISA list which will be of interest to Connemara exhibitors everywhere.

For your copy of the ISA yearbook (€6) see www.irishshows.org or email michaelhughesisa@eircom.net and compliments to the ISA on a superb production.

See you in June! And don’t forget Cashel and Carroroe if your an August visitor.

2012 marks a special anniversary for the Connemara Pony. It has been one hundred years since Michael J. O’Malley brought the Connemara Pony to the notice of the general public.

Historical Introduction: The Michael J. O’Malley legacy.

“Michael J. O’Malley was born in Rosmuc, Connemara, Co. Galway in 1884. He took great pride in his native Connemara Pony and was among those present at a meeting of the Connemara Pony committee, held in Clifden on 15th November 1911, when a description and definition of the Connemara Pony was drawn up. An attempt to form a Society failed, but Michael O’Malley was passionately determined to promote his beloved, Connemara Pony.

In June 1912, Michael O’Malley, Joe Welsh and two Connemara Ponies (the stallion, Irish Dragoon, and mare, Eileen Alanna) travelled the long journey from Rosmuc, the heart of Connemara, to the National Agricultural Hall (now called Olympia) in Kensington, London to take part in the 1912 World Exhibition of Breeds. His untiring efforts to raise awareness of the breed were well rewarded as his ponies were much admired. The hardships of the long journey had been worthwhile.

On his return from Olympia, Michael J. O’Malley set about trying to revive the breed. He wrote the first of many letters to the Irish Farming World titled “A Plea for the Connemara Pony” in which he deplored the deterioration of the Connemara Pony due to the introduction of unsuitable sires, and urged that steps be taken to revive the breed. He hoped to raise awareness of the Connemara Pony. Between November 1912 and July 1913, a total of twenty letters were published in the Irish Farming World, concerning the Connemara Pony. Thankfully, these letters have been preserved and published by Pat Lyne.

Eleven years later, The Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society was formed on 12th December 1923, with Rev. Father C.J. White as President and Michael J. O’Malley as Honorary Secretary. Throughout his life Michael J. O’Malley strived to preserve, promote and improve the Connemara Pony. Michael J. O’Malley is a figure well known to historians of the Connemara breed as the man most responsible for the setting up of the CPBS and the eventual salvation of the pony as a distinct breed.”

(Adapted from ‘Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society 1923 – 1998′ by Elizabeth Petch,
Ashbrookstud.ie and the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society web site)

By Resolution of the Executive Board
of the
International Committee of the Connemara Pony Societies,
at a meeting on 24th March, 2012,
the first recipient of the Michael J. O’Malley Award is:

Sue Clarke,
Glenormiston Connemara Pony Stud, Queensland, Australia.

http://www.glenormistonconnemaras.com/

Sue with Gneevebrack Storm

All of us here at Ashbrook Stud, and we’re certain many many others beside, would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to Sue on her achievement – Well Done Sue (and Barton)!

At last Monday night’s Council meeting the decision to hold the AGM in Athlone was reversed. The AGM will now take place in Galway, and it has also been postponed from its April date to sometime in May. A retrograde step. It was also decided that the members would not vote for the Clifden Judges this year and the new arrangement is that Andy O’Donoghue and Michael Igoe will pick the Clifden Judges. Our last post was an April Fool’s (and we hope you enjoyed it) – this one, most definately, is not.

Photo: A photograph from the recent Photographic Exhibition – Gentle Dancer, Killola Stud collection, photo Edouard Ecary

Some of you may have spotted this piece reprinted in a national paper – it appears an editor went a-grazing and sampled our wares for their pages. While we are undoubtedly pleased with such an homage (something only to be encouraged!), the tale remains a thing of air. An absurdity, complete balderdash, baloney, fun, hogwash, hooey, a jest, prattle and pretense. Pure rot, rubbish, silliness and soft soap all for the cause of the Feast of Fools. Tuck in.

As a CPBS inspection team head for Denmark, to carry out that country’s inspections for this year, it will hardly cause any more controversy than the latest proposals which are likely to be carried at the Council’s next meeting – the introduction of outside blood for the first time since the small Thoroughbreds Speck and Tellipy were used in 1975. This time it is proposed to use a New Forest stallion on a trial basis for two years, during which 20 mares will be covered by him in each of those years.

The proposal is bound to raise the hackles of the purists who will not be impressed by the Office staff member in Clifden who quipped that ‘it would freshen things up a little’. It should all make for a very interesting AGM in a few weeks time.

The Spring Weekend starts next Thursday evening March 22nd with a table quiz in the Station House. On Friday after the final colt inspections there will be a photographic exhibition in the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel. The exhibition concentrates on ponies from the Ros Muc region to coincide with the Bartley O’Sullivan lecture on the Legacy of Michael O’Malley from Ros Mus, one of the founders of the CPBS in 1923. The lecture will be presented by Pat Lyne in the Station House auditorium on Saturday night while the big Stallion Parade, the highlight of the weekend, gets under way on Sunday at noon

The course is to be taught by one of the World’s top equine reproduction experts, and is without doubt, the most comprehensive stud course available. Each day a different section will be covered, the mare, the pregnant mare and foal, and the stallion. The course will include practical sessions, Q&A’s, and a huge amount of practical and money saving advice. Each delegate will receive detailed course notes.

Teaching and practical work will be supported by Jamie Anderson, BA Physiol (Oxon), Lotta Sortoft, and a presenting veterinarian.
The course will commence on 24th February 2012, subject to sufficient bookings.
For more information, contact Kate Murray: 0868169134.