BREEDPULSE has released its findings from its first independent audit of Connemara stallions, providing the most detailed picture yet of the breed’s active sire population. The brainchild of Lucinda Kelly, BreedPulse was established by breeders for breeders as a centralised source of reliable information, and operates in support of the Connemara Pony Breeders Society. It has compiled the first independently verified directory of Connemara stallions standing for the 2026 breeding season, and the dataset analysed by the audit includes 94 fully verified stallions drawn from nine countries.

The most striking finding from the audit is that 80% of verified stallions can be traced back to the 1946 sire Carna Bobby, while Clonkeehan Auratum and Silver Shadow appear in 31% and 20% of pedigrees respectively. Eight of the verified stallions in the 2026 directory are themselves sires of other stallions listed in the same, and these findings raise important questions about bloodline concentration and gene pool diversity within the breed.

Other findings point to a rise in the use of artificial insemination (AI), particularly among UK-based breeders and stallions, and 14 verified stallions are now available via frozen AI for worldwide export. 96% of stallions in the directory are confirmed as N/N clear, and do not carry the gene which causes hoof wall separation disease, and 80% carry eight inches of bone or more, which indicates the substance and type which traditionally defines the Connemara.

The median age of verified stallions is eight years old, with over half of those listed younger than this, which suggests a healthy pipeline of young sires entering the breeding population, while grey remains the most dominant colour at 55%. Traditional dun and buckskin colours account for 22% of the stallions listed. 88% stand within the breed-standard height range of 144-148cm, and 89% hold a Class 1 licence. The 2026 stud fees among these stallions range from €150 to €1,200, with a median fee of €250, making Connemara pony breeding among the most accessible of any sport pony or horse breed in Europe today.

“Breeders deserve to know exactly what they’re paying for,” says Kelly, who also hosts the podcast Connemara Pony Tales. “A nomination fee is a serious investment and the foal it produces will shape someone’s stable for 15 or 20 years. Before BreedPulse, that decision was often made on the basis of a social media post. We check the licence, the passport, the DNA, the HWSD result. It’s the minimum the breed deserves. This platform has been built by breeders, for breeders, and we are genuinely keen to hear from anyone - breeders, owners, judges, vets, riders - with feedback or suggestions. The whole point is that BreedPulse evolves with the community it serves.”