AS a child, I worked our small family farm with my father and developed an interest in the Connemara pony. I bought my first Connemara pony, Spencer’s Dream, for £80 in 1968 and never looked back. I spent from 1971 until 1992 in the United States and then, myself, wife Barbara and our four children moved back from San Francisco to Galway in 1992.

Ballybawn Cashel, by Boden Park Finnard, was the pony that started my stud in 1993.

We are now based in Athenry, Galway and all our ponies are bred there. They also spend time in the original Cashel Bay farm in Cashel, Connemara where I grew up. We have about 40 ponies on our land now, mostly Connemaras and a few Irish Sport Horse mares.

My most prized Connemara is Cashel Bay Prince (I Love You Melody). I showed him in-hand, from the time he was a yearling until he was a three-year-old. Then he went under saddle and went on to win numerous times in all disciplines.

1. Proudest moment(s) as a breeder?

Cashel Bay Rocket (Cashel Bay Cruise) winning at the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS), as well as Clifden and Dublin in the same year.

The year was 2018. We sat and watched at a full house HOYS with lots of friends. I believed he had a great chance because he was foot-perfect in his ridden section and also in his in-hand section. However, knowing the amazing competition, we would have been delighted if he placed in the top six of a very large class. The feeling and suspense when they were calling the names out in reverse order was one I will never forget. Then to finally hear his name called out in first was a moment of pure joy. I was like a kid on Christmas morning!

The celebrations lasted quite a while after that one and we were again overjoyed in 2019, when he also received ‘Best in Breed’ in Olympia, which was such a proud moment as well. Anytime a Connemara pony wins abroad, it is always a great honour and advertisement for the breed.

2. It takes a team. Who’s on the Cashel Bay team?

There’s my manager/rider, Michael Harty; David Kelly, who works on my farm and Rynes Walker, who deals with a lot of our social media and photography.

And then there’s so many other great people who contribute to the success of our stud, that it would be hard to name them all.

Cashel Bay Rocket (ridden by Michael Harty) winning at HOYS for breeder and owner Robbie Fallon at the start of a magical HOYS-Dublin-Clifden treble \ 1st Class Images

3. Best advice you got?

Especially after the year that we have had with Covid-19, the advice I have been given over the years rings true even more.

The shows and ribbons will come and go but the love of my ponies, and the feeling I get when I am working with them day in and day out, is what matters the most.

I try not to take things too seriously and just keep the head up and stay positive.

4. Favourite broodmare, past or present?

Ballybawn Cashel.

She was my first mare and is the dam of Cashel Bay JJ (Castleside JJ), who has won the 153cms working hunter pony of the year title at HOYS seven times.

Ballybawn Cashel also won numerous in-hand classes and championships herself throughout the years. She bred numerous other foals with all different stallions who have made us very proud. This mare always stamps her progeny.

5. Tell us about this year’s foals.

We had about 10 mares in foal in 2019 but we sold six mares with their foals in 2020. We kept four foals: two fillies and two colts.

6. Showring or performance – can Connemara ponies be bred for both markets?

It is very important that for in-hand and performance to keep the Connemara type in the pony. Ponies can definitely be bred for both markets.

My main focus is keeping the Connemara type, so I believe you can concentrate on either discipline as long as you keep the Connemara type. You should not have to lose that to perform well.

7. Favourite stallion/mare line?

The Abbeyleix Owen line. He left some great mares and stallions – both in-hand and performance winners. I always felt in earlier years that any pony I saw winning in the shows had a piece of Abbeyleix Owen’s lineage.

8. What do you think are the greatest challenges facing Connemara pony breeders?

Poor prices and return on investment overall. It is hard for this passion to be anything but a hobby. There are exceptions of course but it is very hard to make any sort of living on it.

9. Do you have any up-and-coming progeny that you are excited about for 2021?

We have a three-year-old Class 1 colt named Cashel Bay Prionsa Og, sired by our beloved Cashel Bay Prince. We are hoping he will follow in his father’s footsteps as Cashel Bay Prince won in all disciplines. This colt is very true to type with great conformation and athletic ability, and Bean na Locha Fada, by Ashfield Jovial Joker, is the Ashfield line.

10. How do you see 2021 shaping up after the hard year that we’ve endured?

I am so looking forward to 2021.

I’m hoping the 2021 showing season is going to be a great time. After having no shows in 2020, it will be very much needed after such a hard year.

Although if anything good came out of 2020, it is that we have some nice youngstock ready for in-hand and performance. However, it is not always about winning, the camaderie and craic with the people is in the forefront of my mind for the new year.