THE Connemara Pony community is mourning the death of stalwart breeder Elizabeth (Libb) Petch who was also a respected exhibitor, judge, inspector and author. Libb was a former CPBS Council member and wrote a commemorative book, published in 1998, to mark 75 years of the society which remains a classic reference book for Connemara breeders. She won the Jan Harald Koelichen Cup on three occasions including back-to-back with Coosheen Nutmeg. Her contributions, knowledge and passion left a lasting impact on all who had the privilege to work with her.

Beloved wife of the late Jeanot, and sadly missed by her children Nicky, Tim and John, son-in-law Tim, daughter-in-law Geraldine, grandchildren Katie, Sarah, Lucy, Jamie, Harry and spouses Josh, Darragh and Juliet, great-grandchildren Matilda and Charlotte, Libb died on August 4th. Her funeral service will be held in Holy Trinity Church, Rathclaren today, Saturday, at 12.30pm.

A native of Dublin, where she learned to ride as a child and went on to become a BHS instructor, Libb moved to Cork with her husband in 1957 where they bought Sea View Farm and established Coosheen Stud in 1960 with their first stallion, Ceileog. “We decided we were starting a family, so I thought it would be quite a nice idea to breed Connemara Ponies, so that is how I started the stud,” she said during a talk about her life in 2019.

“I bought Coosheen Finn in 1968 from Jack Bolger, a marvellous character. By Carna Bobby, he started his stud duties at three. Finn was a success and produced some lovely ponies. He won (Clifden) in 1978 and he was already providing really good ponies and people were travelling to come to him. One of the good things about Connemara Ponies is that you make wonderful friendships and I still have lots of friendships here.”

At both Clifden and Dublin for two years running, there were three winning mares by Finn and, in Clifden, the Supreme champion was the two-year-old filly Coosheen Nutmeg who went on in 1980 to win it for a second time. In 1979, Coosheen Finn was chosen as the outstanding breeding stallion of his day for a postal stamp. The other horses that were chosen were Arkle, Boomerang, Ballymoss and King of Diamonds.

Village Belle and Scarteen Mistral, the mother of Coosheen Stormboy, were other ponies of note. Finn’s last foal with Mistral was Coosheen Breeze, who was sold to Ciaran Curran and was the dam of Glencarrig Knight. Another one of Libb’s foals, Coosheen Sea Mist, by Glencarrig Prince, produced Coosheen Julie who was her last Clifden champion in 2011, about 30 years after her first one. May she rest in peace.