Pat Lyne for O’Sullivan Lecture
The annual Bartley O’Sulluivan Lecture will be presented as usual on the last weekend of March 2012, as part of the Stallion Parade weekend. This year’s speaker will be Pat Lyne when she will discuss the Michael O’Malley legacy. The lecture will form part of the commemorations of O’Malley’s pioneering visit with two Connemara ponies to Olympia in London in 1912.
Delighted at this topic chosen by Pat Lyne in the anniversary year of Micheal O’Malley’s historic trip to London with the two Connemara Ponies. I hope that the major lesson derived from that event in Connemara Pony History is reinforced in our minds. Namely, the great boost to the breed and sucessful outcome of showing Connemara Ponies ‘outside’ the confines of its traditional home area.
Yes, Michael O’ Malley was indeed a true and great ‘Pioneer’, because he acted alone with the great courage of his concictions. He was not a follower, but a leader . Here is wishing there were more like him to follow his great example and take our fantastic breed out to the world, and not stand back and expect the world to come to us the whole time.
Well said Fergus, the foreign market no longer depends on Ireland for the breed, they have their own enterprises and breeding stock, it appears Ireland now has to look to them for stock to improve and add genetic diversity to the Irish Lines! Frederikminde Ponies, Janus, Skousboe Morning Rock, Rhinstroms, Pattys, we now knock on the door of other European Countries, looking for quality and athletism within the breed. It would appear that the well known Irish Breeders are now using leased stallions from Europe, breeding, and importing potential future Stallions from abroad.
So much for the IRISH Connemara Pony!