I’M originally from a town in Brazil called Ji Paraná, but for many years I’m here in Criminagh, Lettermore, where Angela [Seoighe] and I have our family of three boys; twins Callum and Cayden and our youngest, Colton.

As I grew up in Brazil, I would always want to go to my grandfather’s farm to see the horses and to learn more about the different breeds.

I moved to Ireland in 2006 and, in 2010, I bought my first Connemara foal in Clifden Sales. I remember it like it was yesterday, I paid €325 for a lovely bay filly foal by the name of Katie Elder.

Then I bought another filly in 2011, Cois Fharraige Lady, and that was the dam of my first Criminagh Connemara pony in 2013 - Criminagh Ji Parana, a colt foal. From then on, it’s been showing and working on a base for Criminagh Connemara Ponies.

I’ve become a senior judge and inspector with the CPBS [Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society] and I enjoy doing that. It’s not an easy task and not to everyone’s liking, but I do my best and an honest job. That’s all anyone can ask for.

In 2025, I ticked something off my list that’s been on my mind for a while and I was proud to do so. I showed two of my ponies in Clifden Show; a yearling filly and my blue-eyed cream mare Criminagh Alvarado in her 13.2 class.

I believe that she is the only blue-eyed cream to have been shown at Clifden Show in the last 100 years. I bought her as a foal for €375 in 2017, she’s a very special pony for me and a very lucky one too.

I’m looking forward to everything that 2026 has to offer. My lads are planning to show in the young handlers’ classes, so busy and exciting times ahead.

1. A Brazilian living in Connemara, breeding Connemara ponies - tell us about the backstory?

I came to Ireland in 2006, after being in Portugal for a few years and that’s where my story starts. I originally came here for a few weeks to see how I would like Ireland. I came straight from the airport in Dublin to Inverin in County Galway and, on my second day here, I was working in the bog. I enjoyed it.

Then I was lucky enough to meet a Connemara family in Inverin whom I started working for. Padraic Folan from Teach Mór in Inverin, his wife and three children are like family to me.

I was lucky because they had Connemara ponies. I used to attend shows with them at the weekend and that’s how I grew more and more interested in the breed.

2. The differences between breeding ponies/horses here and in Brazil?

When I grew up in Brazil, we used to breed horses mainly as working horses. There could have been that one horse that would have been used more often out in the fields, working with the cattle.

The distance would be very far away for travelling mares to studs and, back then, with limited transport, people would more often use a neighbouring stallion for their mares.

There was no AI available then, so what we would do is bring the mare to the stallion 10 days after foaling. One natural cover, that was it, and most of the time, you were lucky with just that one cover.

Here in Ireland, you have the little midges. In Brazil, we sure do have mosquitoes! If you didn’t have your house closed up at nighttime, you would know it in the morning with the mosquito bites.

3. How many broodmares do you own?

Currently, I have two broodmares and two young fillies that I’ll keep as future broodmares.

I have Rusheen Brigid, she’s by Kingstown Boy and her dam is Callowfeenish Silver Rogue, she’s by Callowfeenish Buachaill. I have Criminagh Alvorada, she’s by Castleside JJ Junior and the dam is Carnane Moonlight Shadow and she’s by Silver Shadow. She’s my blue-eyed cream pony.

My three-year-old filly is Bellageeher Beauty, she’s by Western Boy and her dam is Knockma Wilma and she’s by Kippure Columbus. Then the two-year-old filly is Knightsbridge Dolly, by Ballinlough Dandy and her dam Crannaghmore Mayzie is by Knightsbridge Prince.

Both my broodmares are in foal for 2026 and please God we’ll have healthy foals.

4. Proudest breeder moment?

I know every pony that you breed makes the owners proud, but you never know about that one special one for the future. My proudest moment so far was breeding my first pony, Criminagh Ji Parana by Cois Fharraige, a beautiful grey/dun foal who is now in Germany.

5. The most sensible decision you made breeding/owning ponies?

Katie Elder was a pony I said we would never sell. But, as time went on, we started our home and our twin boys were on the way, so I decided to sell her. The offer was too good to refuse at the time.

Katie has gone to a good home, not too far from me. I’ve said to the owners, ‘she is only on a long-term lease for now’, but I know they’ll never sell her.

Clemerson Braga pictured with Des McDonnell judging at Crossmolina show in 2025 \ Susan Finnerty

6. Best advice you ever got?

The one bit of advice that stays strong with me is to trust your gut and trust yourself. Put in the hard work and it will pay off.

7. Criminagh is yours, your thoughts on prefixes?

I personally think it is very important to be able to know who bred a pony.

If, for example, you have a pony that has gone abroad, owners may contact you to let you know how that pony is getting on and I don’t think a prefix should be changed.

8. The longterm plan?

The future I dream of is that my own three boys will keep the Criminagh Connemara Ponies going strong. We might have a famous one, we might not, but just that they enjoy it and bring the Criminagh Connemara Ponies’ name further into the future.

9. It takes a team, who’s on yours?

My family. My three boys are very good and love being outside, helping to feed ponies and clean the trailers and stables. Sometimes they have no fear.

10. How would you react to getting the gate in the showring?

I’ll get straight to the point on this one. I’m not a sore loser when it comes to things like this, I truly believe it just wasn’t my day that day and another day will come. It’s all part and parcel of it.

Look, there always needs to be a first place winner and someone also needs to be in last place and in some cases, you could get the gate too. So I take everything in and look forwards, there’s no point in taking it to the heart.