THE legendary Connemara Pony stallion Silver Shadow (Cloonisle Cashel x Poestic Justice) sadly passed away last week at the age of 27.

Bred by the late Michael Lenihan in Galway, the stallion had a number of owners, including Gaby Corless, Bobby Bolger, Michael Melville and eventually Liam Diamond - The Connemara Pony National Stud - Diamond’s Equine Renvyle in Connemara and Philip McManus at Rockmount Equine Clinic, Galway who bought a half share and both continued to jointly own him until his death.

The starting point of his performance career was when Bobby Bolger sent him to Frances and Tomas O’Brien’s on livery. After purchasing the stallion, Philip McManus’ son John McManus started his SJI career and rose him quickly through the ranks travelling up and down the country. A young Michael Duffy - now a medal-winning international rider - brought him to Grade A.

He later spent four years in Italy and two years in Sweden before Liam Diamond brought him back to Ireland in 2014, where he was jointly owned by Diamond and McManus. “Who owned which half was debatable, but over the 11.5 years they jointly owned him, there was never a cross word uttered between them over Silver Shadow and both were with him together upon his passing,” Priscilla Diamond, daughter of Liam, said in a tribute to the grey this week.

Hundreds of tributes have flooded in for Silver Shadow on the post, which is worth a read, on the Diamond’s Equine Renvyle – The Connemara Pony National Stud Facebook page.

Silver Shadow leaves behind a huge legacy and numerous Class 1 sons, too many to mention but including the RDS performance winner Black Shadow. Speaking of the RDS, the photo of Philip and Silver Shadow during the 2019 Connemara stallion parade taken by Irish Horse World contributor Susan Finnerty has been shared far and wide. The iconic picture features Philip in a top hat leading a spritely Silver Shadow.

His legacy will live on. Pony Tales offers condolences to the Diamond and McManus families and all those fans who followed Silver Shadow’s journey.