FOR many, the decision to put down a horse or pony who has served them so well over the years is taken with a heavy heart but with the best interest of the animal always foremost in their thoughts.

Last summer, Julianstown, Co Meath-based Anne Stanley bade farewell to her wonderful Connemara gelding Bob Marley who, at the age of 21, had to be put to sleep due to complications arising from laminitis.

Unlike most Connemaras, Bob Marley’s registered name gave no indication as to his breeder and his breeding. The 1998 grey, who was by Ashfield Bobby Sparrow, was bred in Co Wicklow by Norma Cook out of Garryhack Pride (by Ballydonagh Bobby). Among his half-brothers were the stallions Garryhack Frederick (1986 by Lough Dan Easter) and Edenmist Pride Of Thieves (2003 by Prince Of Thieves).

Stanley purchased Bob Marley in 2001 from Mary McCann who so skilfully managed the competition and stud career of his renowned sire.

“I got a phone call one day from Mary to say she had two ponies by Ashfield Bobby Sparrow and that the late Michael Quinn was coming to see them,” said the owner, producer and coach. “I got down there quickly and bought the pair for a total of IR£2,500.

Dreadlocks

“There were both three-year-olds and Mary explained that the dark grey (Bob) had been handled and that they had started to lean over him. However, he was very tense and we should take him slowly. Ten months later, and with the help of Kay Nolan, he started to ride forward! In the same year I bought the pair, I took the other pony up to Cavan where I sold him for exactly IR£2,500.

“When Bob arrived here, he had dreadlocks in his mane so Sole Camiorage, a Chilean girl who was a pupil here, suggested he be called Bob Marley and it turned out to be a great choice – everyone remembered his name.”

While many horses or ponies make their mark under one, two or possibly three different riders, Bob Marley recorded victories under nine different partners all of whom benefitted from not only riding the grey but also from the coaching they received from Stanley.

His first rider in competition was Niamh O’Connor Barry who jumped him as a four-year-old at county shows and then again when he was seven. Avril Breen, who also competed with the grey over coloured poles, was equitation champion on Bob at the Dublin Horse Show and won the Joan Gibson championship in Peterborough (British Show Pony Society summer championships) in 2007.

In late 2008, Bob Marley gained the last of 63 Show Jumping Ireland points under Shane Power who also campaigned the pony in working hunter competitions and for two seasons (2008 and 2009) under Eventing Ireland rules. The combination won what is now the EI100 (P) class at the much-missed Rademon in the first of those years.

Two pairs of sisters rode Stanley’s pride and joy, starting with locally-based Mairead and Nina Holden, daughters of show jumping course designer Tom Holden and his wife Orla.

Mairead partnered Bob in the Connemara class at the RDS as a four-year-old while Nina competed him in Derby competitions, including Rathbawn, working hunter classes and also three times under EI rules. They finished second on their first start in the EI100 (P) class at Tyrella in April 2006.

India and Lydia Dawson of the Kilronan Equestrian Centre were also entrusted with the ride. India recorded many working hunter wins on him, their highlights being victory in the 153cms class at Balmoral and at Peterborough. Lydia also competed in working hunter competitions on Bob with whom she successfully represented the Ward Union Pony Club in show jumping. They cleared 1.40m when dividing the Connemara Puissance spoils with Blackwood Fernando at Boswell.

Laid-back attitude

Former Ward Union Staghounds joint-Master Sean Byrne credited Bob Marley’s consistency to the fact that, while he had many different riders, the Ashfield Bobby Sparrow gelding never left Anne’s care for long. Sean’s daughter, Mary Anne, was one of the pony’s early partners.

“Bob Marley was very aptly named with his laid-back attitude to life,” said Mary Anne. “He had the nicest stable manners and never wanted to be rushed into doing anything. Never lazy, he just had a relaxed approach which I can relate to.

“When Anne first approached me to ride Bob, I was immediately open to the idea because Anne always produced the best ponies. I remember the first time I ever jumped him he had such great scope, even earning high praise from my dad which is not easily done!

“Bob thrived in competition. His rate of improvement from his first working hunter class as a five-year-old was so fast that he was doing open classes by our third outing. We quickly built up the points we needed for the Dublin Horse Show and it was all systems go. Although Bob was a freshman to the RDS in 2003, I was quietly confident and we were on a bit of a winning streak by this stage. My main concerns were the water tray and Bob getting spooked by the crowd.

“I need not have worried as, after we jumped the first fence, it was plain sailing. If anything, I think Bob liked showing off to the crowd. The bit of spookiness made him overjump the fences, throwing nice shapes to please the judges. Bob and I ended up winning the open working hunter class and then the championship.

“I was lucky enough to ride him in the early years of his career. I learnt a lot from him, and Anne, mainly to be patient and let Bob think he was in control. He was very kind natured and I just wish I had another one like him now,” concluded Mary Anne who went on to further working hunter success with Bob in Ireland and in Britain.

Bob Marley’s last rider in competition was Co Meath’s Shona Lynch. “From my early days on ponies, Anne always told me that someday I would be riding Bob Marley who would have been four or five at the time.

Shona Lynch and Bob Marley winning at the the Northern Ireland Festival in 2015 \ David Stanley

“It was late in 2012 that I had my first sit on the then 12-year-old – I was stepping up from my 13.2hh mare, Clonross Giselle. Bob had an enormous canter and was much more excitable than I had expected; he was very much in charge for the first little while, teaching me lots along the way. When getting a lesson with Anne, I would have to be prepared for her ‘click click’ because Bob would sharpen up immediately.

“He was a very well-schooled pony but had a very cheeky streak. You would have to be ready for a spook at a water tray, he was wary towards anything blue, or some shavings placed at a fence. However, these would usually only prove a problem when trotting by them; in competition he would jump something blue or spooky with a lot of expression, leading to great marks around a working hunter course.

“Bob Marley and I always had a great show up in Balmoral where we competed together for the first time in 2013, the year it moved out of Belfast City. I was relatively inexperienced at big shows up until then. Balmoral was always a huge deal to me, I held it in very high regard as the courses are technical and the competition and quality of the ponies at Balmoral are outstanding.

“It was the first big show I undertook riding Bob and I was still only getting a feel for him. The warm-up left a lot to be desired; Bob was excited and every jump seemed to shake Anne Stanley and my mother Adrienne – it was all a bit nerve wracking. In the ring however, Bob’s experience shone. We jumped a nice clear and had a controlled show. We could all take a deep sigh of relief once that was completed.

“We were placed second that year and won the show’s Connemara championship the following season and on two other occasions. In 2016, the year of my Leaving cert, Bob was champion Connemara working hunter pony and won the 153cms working hunter class en route to being crowned working hunter pony champion.

“This was a most successful year for Bob and me. Following Balmoral, we won the 153cms working hunter pony class in Dublin which gave me my only red ribbon there to date. It’s true what they say, there is no feeling like getting to lead a lap of honour at the Dublin Horse Show.”

A memorable day

“While Bob had been there before, I competed at Clifden for the first time that same year. It was a stormy, wet day and the ground was soaked for the High Performance Championship final. All the ponies were finding it very difficult but Bob didn’t even blink at the wet ground and soared over every obstacle, including the joker fence, blue planks with a water tray! He was crowned champion on what was a truly memorable day for us all.

“Bob was a true and true Derby pony as he loved the natural fences and the different challenges that the tracks contain. He loved Rathbawn where we were Derby Champions at least twice. He would love getting up a bit of pace around the track and pinging every hedge. There was no feeling like taking Bob around a Derby track.

“Each August, we would go to the British Show Pony Championships and, in 2014, did so following an excellent season at home. We didn’t think the year could get any better but it did! Niamh Mullen, who used to ride and look after Bob at home in Castle Hill, came over to help me with the flat work for the Horse of the Year Show qualifier and then we jumped a lovely clear.

“At the BSPS championships, they call out the placings in reverse order from 10th to first. We were still sitting in the back row when it came down to third and I thought we weren’t going to get placed. Then they called out our number as first – I couldn’t believe it – and we ended up reserve HOYS WHP champion. It was another amazing day.

“I had a fantastic time competing Bob Marley and will be forever thankful to Anne Stanley for scouting me out at a young age to ride this exceptional Connemara,” concluded Lynch.