The Connemara Pony

Connemaras are hard and willing workers. Over the centuries, Irish farmers depended on the sturdy ponies to toil from dawn till dusk, tilling the land, pulling a cart, dragging seaweed from the shores to fertilize the fields, carrying turf (peat moss) from the bogs to be burned as fuel on the hearth, and toting the family children to church on Sunday. As if this weren't enough, they were often used for fox-hunting and racing on the farmer's days of leisure. The ease with which Connemaras do all these things, even today, is a testament to their natural toughness.

The tallest of the nine kinds of British native ponies (ranging from 13 to 14.2 hands, with some individuals reaching horse size), the Connemara breed has produced some outstanding showjumpers and three-day eventers, who have competed on equal footing with horses far larger. A 15 hand Connemara called The Nugget became a puissance (high-jumping) champion, clearing a 2.18 meter (over 7 feet) barrier at the Olympia Horse Show in London, England, in 1935 - and he was 22 years old at the time! Stroller, the famous 14.1 hand showjumper who won a silver medal at the 1968 Olympic Games, was half Connemara. And more recently the little Connemara stallion Erin Go Bragh, piloted by Carol Koslowski, was one of the toughest competitors at the advanced level of three-day eventing in the United States during the 1990s.

Connemaras are most commonly dun or gray in color, but they can also be black, bay, chestnut, palomino or any other solid color. They are blessed with an excellent sloping shoulder, which gives them a long stride and a nimble jump, plus short, tough cannon bones, which help them avoid injury.

Connemaras are also celebrated for their sensible dispositions. Their popularity with both children and adults has extended worldwide. There are now Connemara Pony Societies established in at least 17 countries on 4 continents.

Fast Fact: The largest display of Connemara ponies in the world takes place every August at the Clifden Connemara Show in Ireland, a show that has been held every year since 1924. Over 400 ponies, from majestic breeding stallions to frisky foals, are brought from all over the Emerald Isle to take part.