THE Connemara Pony Breeders Society Spring Festival Weekend kicks off with the Colt Inspections at Creagh Equestrian Centre in Ballinasloe on Friday, March 27th. The inspections will commence at 10am to facilitate numbers. The format will remain the same as previous years with jumping compulsory.

In Clifden that evening, there will be a table quiz in aid of Connemara Therapeutic Riding, (CTR) a community organisation dedicated to providing Therapeutic Riding in the Connemara area. CTR is an equine-assisted activity which can be effective in improving balance, co-ordination, emotional control, self-confidence and self-esteem. It provides an intense multi-sensory experience and can contribute to improved muscle tone and posture, support the development of fine and gross motor skills, help promote efficient sensory processing and aid with social skills.

CTR benefits people of all ages with a range of conditions including cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, learning disabilities, autism, Down Syndrome, mental health challenges, acquired brain injury and sensory impairments. The table quiz takes place in the Station House Hotel at 9pm, tables are €20 for a team of four and all proceeds will go to the CTR. A raffle will also be held on the night. Contact Priscilla Diamond, Kevin Bolger or Angela Carlton to book a table. (See CPBS Facebook page for more details).

March 28th-29th

Saturday morning (28th) sees the International Connemara daughter societies meet as a discussion group with CPBS breeding committee chairman Daragh O’Tuairisg. Daughter society representatives from as far afield as Australia and South Africa as well as Europe and Britain are expected and the inspections at Creagh on the Friday will be their first port of call on the way to Clifden.

The Colt Inspections will take place in the Showgrounds in Clifden starting at 12pm. Forms are available online or direct from the office for both colt inspection venues and the closing date is March 10th for entries.

On the Saturday evening, the annual CPBS publication of An Capaillin will be launched at 7pm in the Station House Theatre in Clifden. Immediately following this will be the ‘Bartley O’Sullivan lecture’, also an annual event. This year Kevin Bolger will dedicate the lecture to the lives and times of his father Bobby and grandfather Jack Bolger and Jack’s uncle William Roe, one of the founding members of the CPBS. All were prominent Connemara pony breeders. The lecture will cover the success of the Bolger family, a family steeped in tradition and synonymous with the Connemara Pony, their multiple wins in Clifden and the history of ‘Carna Bobby’. The evening guarantees to be a fascinating and informative look at one of Connemara’s most influential pony breeding families.

Commencing on Sunday (March 29th) at 11am, there will be an opportunity for stallions to be loose jumped at the Clifden Showgrounds, prior to the Connemara Pony Stallion Parade, which will take place at 1pm. All handlers should have appropriate showing attire and their stallions should be well presented and shown in a bridle. (Visit www.cpbs.ie or the CPBS Facebook page).