HILLSIDE Sylvia (Fort Fineen-Winning Trick), foaled in 1976, was a black Connemara 13.2hh mare, bred by James Lee in Moycullen, who sold her to John’s father Martin Fitzpatrick from Hillside, Mullingar.

Martin’s name is fondly remembered for his expertise with work horses and ploughing and it is said he could write his name with a plough. Sadly Martin passed away in 1983.

Some 41 years later, John, who lives at Irishtown near Mullingar, explained how the extraordinary success story of Hillside Sylvia has unfolded over three decades, and how it played a huge part in the structure of the present Connemara bloodlines right across Europe.

John recalled: “My father broke Hillside Sylvia and later covered her with The Admiral in 1979 - a stallion standing with his neighbour Tim Carey as a teaser. Her first foal was Irishtown Diana.” The following year Sylvia produced another filly foal by The Admiral which John decided to sell as a yearling at the Ballinasloe Fair. He continues: “There were no sales in these days and the annual pilgrimage was all the better if you had something to sell.” Diana, her full-sister, remained at Irishtown and had 12 foals. Diana was broken and was often seen ‘between the shafts’. She produced one stallion, Murphy’s Oscar.

Unknown to John, a young couple, Pat and Mary Rabbitt, had recently married and were in the process of building a house at Monaghanstown, in Castletowngeoghegan. The young bride Mary had a yearning for a Connemara pony, so the pair headed to Ballinasloe and quickly spotted a black yearling filly. They shook hands on a deal with John Fitzpatrick who offered to transport their purchase to her new home later that day.

It was here that a great friendship emerged between the John and the Rabbitts as their pony turned out to be the iconic April Star (The Admiral-Hillside Sylvia) who provided them with 11 foals, and probably influenced the breed right across the world through her stallion sons, Monaghanstown Fred by Westside Fred, Monaghanstown Prince by Glencarrig Prince Wings of Victory and Monaghanstown Fionn, both by Abbeyleix Fionn.

Monaghanstown Prince sired Gneevebrack Storm from a covering with Gneevebrack Belle, owned by Eddie Fleming from Streamstown, Co. Westmeath, who won the foal championship in Clifden and later sold him to Sue Clarke in Australia where he has won many championships, including in-hand and under saddle.

Sadly, Sue Clarke did not live long enough to see the fruits of her successful project that continued to expand the Irishtown bloodline in many parts across Australia and further afield.

Not alone did April Star produce outstanding sire lines but she also provided Mary Rabbitt with two prolific female lines of Monaghanstown Star and Monaghanstown Princess, both by Ballydonagh Cassanova.

This year they carried the line into another generation by producing Monaghanstown Cindy (Village Boy-Monaghanstown Star), a prize-winner at many shows. She produced Monaghanstown Rory by Currachmore Cashel who won several championships in 2016 when ridden by Kate Rath Doyle and topped it off by taking the Overall Connemara and M&M Champion in the IPS Awards 2016.

Monaghanstown Connie by Murphy Rebel was exported to Germany.

Monaghanstown Sheeba was sold to Denmark, which expanded the line across Europe. Meanwhile Irishtown Diana’s daughters, Irishtown Beauty by Abbeyleix Fionn, Irishtown Pride by Westside Fred, Irishtown Sylvia by High Peak and Beechfield Crescent by Pilgrim, have carried on the female line and Beechfield Crescent established John’s cousin, Fr. Christy McCormack’s well known Suckfield prefix in Ballinasloe.

On her only visit to the show ring, Irishtown Sylvia won the Supreme Championship at Tullamore show when exhibited by John.

Monaghanstown Fred sired two stallions, Canal Fred and Glenayre Silver Fox. Fred also sired the 2009 European Champion Ballyowen Mabel Molly, owned by Anthony McCormack in Mullingar.

IRISHTOWN BEAUTY

John sold Irishtown Beauty (Abbeyleix Fionn-Irishtown Diana) to the Dunne’s from Garryhinch. Later she moved to her final destination with Noel Sweeney in Ballyconneely who enjoyed many championship successes throughout her showing career.

Irishtown Beauty was one of the most beautiful examples of the breed and produced 10 foals including three stallion sons at stud - Bunowen Bobby, Clonberne Boy, who won the Stallion class at Clifden in 2007, and Bunowen Paddy in Denmark.

Dark Edition was the only stallion son of Hillside Sylvia.

As the wheel keeps on turning, Hillside Sylvia’s progeny and her daughter April Star, along with their siblings down the line, now appear in many pedigrees in several countries across the world.

John Fitzpatrick and his family have handed down many foundation bloodlines with the progeny of Hillside Sylvia. She alone has set a trend beyond the call of duty to the breed and the country.

John is proud to have five generations in his paddock, including Irishtown Diana’s last daughter, Irishtown Sylvia by High Peak. She produced his mare Irishtown Pippin by Linsfort Barney, judged overall Reserve Champion at Clifden in 2012. In 2015 she won the title Midlands All Ireland Broodmare Championship.

When John and his good friend Pat Early travelled to Clifden with Pippin, they found themselves in a bit of a quandary.

He said: “We had made no plans to stay because the best we hoped for was a rosette, let alone a Reserve Championship. When the Society asked us to stay for the parade the following day, we found there wasn’t a bed to be got, and worse still not a stable for the mare, it was thanks to Niamh Philbin and her husband Geoffrey that we gave mare B&B and the owner slept in the horsebox.

John says: “It was all worth it and it was the best day of my life with ponies.”

The next generation are three foals foaled to Irishtown Pippin by Gurteen Dara; she is due to foal shortly from a covering with Moonlight Silver Shadow.

How do you see the future John?

John replied: “It is hard to know, we are going too far away from the original true to type. Ponies have lost bone and gone too big; people seem to forget that a broodmare who wins everything at the show may not produce winners, a good broodmare may not necessarily be a show mare but she can breed great stock, and that is what I try to do.

John showed Hillside Sylvia in Athlone Show and he says: “She took her only red rosette when judged by the late Eugenia Murray but there was more fun in those days and there was little time to travel to other shows.”

The excursion usually started in Horseleap on a Sunday morning when I met up with Pat and Mary and headed for a show.

He reflects: “They were great days - we never minded if we were beaten and we were delighted if we won, the ‘craic’ was mighty.”

Future Ambitions?

On a final word: “I did well so far without any, as long as I have the health to enjoy life that is all that matters.”