WE’RE based in Latton, Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, and it’s just me and my soon-to-be wife Dervla Forde involved in Fiddaun Connemara Ponies.

We keep a few Connemara ponies here in Monaghan and some at home in Sligo, as I am originally from Aclare, where my father still breeds a few Connemara ponies.

We currently have nine Connemara ponies and two Sport Horses. Dervla and I are lucky enough to have a granddaughter from our first mare, which my father bought back in 2000, here in Monaghan. That was Clooneen Dervla, who was by Pumkins Pondi.

Dervla and I then bought our first Connemara pony, Millers Pride, from a good friend of mine, Patrick Durkin, in Brucky, Co Galway, in spring 2021 and she is the dam of the Clifden 2026 foal champion Fiddaun Réaltín.

Only last year we bought Millers Pride’s mother, Millers Tara, who was carrying a foal and she then had a filly foal called Clooneen Imogan in 2025, so we now have the full package.

1. Congratulations - your second time ever to enter Clifden Show and now a foal championship win. Tell us about Fiddaun Réaltín?

So Réaltín is a dun filly foal and is a daughter of Rogaire na Locha (Rynn Richard), who stands with Padraic Hallinan at Killadeer Stud in Ballyheane, Co Mayo. She is out of a Rocklawn Elvis dam, Millers Pride. She was born on April 6th.

We did a few shows with her this summer and she was champion foal in Arva and Bonniconlon, before going to the Clifden Connemara Pony Show, where she won her filly foal class and stood champion foal of the show. This is only our second time to show in Clifden.

The story behind Réaltín was her dam had a Pumkins Pondi filly foal in 2025. We were going to go back to him and he had just moved to Padraig Howley’s Sligo West Stud.

I had been in contact with Padraig to cover the mare on a Tuesday and I rang him on Monday to see what time would suit for me to come down with her. He told me on the phone that Pumkins Pondi had passed away on the Sunday.

So I was in a bit of a panic to get the mare covered, I was on Facebook and a picture of Rogaire na Locha popped up. I liked him and the rest is history. As Padraig jokingly said to me recently, “Imagine the foal you’d have got if you went to a half-decent stallion!”

And what better than to see Millers Pride scanned back in foal to Rogaire na Locha for 2027.

Champion Foal at Clifden 2026 was Fiddaun Realtin (Rogaire Na Locha x Millars Pride) owned by Cathal and Dervla Gavaghan Forde \ Rynes Walker

2. How did you become interested in owning/breeding Connemara ponies?

I grew up with Connemaras, alongside my father, who had the Cloonen prefix. We bought our first mare in 2000 called Annaghdown Finnert and she was by Cong Admiral out of a Cooloo Comet dam. And that is where it all started.

3. Easy one after Clifden - that proudest breeder moment?

There is nothing that makes you a prouder Connemara breeder than going to Clifden and winning a red rosette, because they are very hard to come by. And to stand champion foal at the 101st Connemara Pony Show - we couldnt be any prouder of our beautiful filly.

4. What is your template of a good Connemara?

I like a pony with a good walk and length of stride that covers the ground, a good head, shoulder and movement and a pony that looks athletic. I like a pony with a mix of performance bloodlines too.

5. Greatest challenge facing Connemara breeders?

Overheight ‘ponies’. Connemara ponies are meant to be 12.2 to 14.2 by the breed standard. Now you are seeing nearly 16 hands high Connemaras.

I know why breeders are doing this, as there is a strong market for the bigger pony, but I think we, as breeders, need to look at this, and start to promote the smaller pony and get markets for them.

6. If you could have bred a famous Connemara pony or horse?

Cannon Ball. He was the first registered Connemara in the Connemara Pony studbook. If I was choosing a more recent pony, it would have to be Pumkins Pondi, an international show jumping Connemara stallion.

7. It takes a team - who’s on yours?

Well, all this wouldn’t have happened if it wasnt for the boss herself, Dervla, keeping us all in line and making sure the ponies are turned out to the best for the shows! Then you have my dad, Enda, feeding the ponies when I move them back home for the winter to Sligo.

Then there’s the couple who got me into showing ponies and horses in the first place. I wouldn’t have learned what I know today only for them and that is Martin and Mary Murphy at Castlegate Stud, Swinford, Co Mayo, who show Irish Draughts and Irish Sport Horses.

8. Prefixes - your thoughts?

Prefixes are very important, so your horse or pony can be seen and recognised all over the world. Having a Facebook page with your prefix is important, as if someone anywhere in the world is interested in buying your pony, they can message you for more information.

9. Breeding Connemara ponies - would you do it all over again?

Connemara ponies are in my DNA now, so there’ll be no stopping us from breeding them!

We love them, as they’re very quiet and easy to work with.

10. Country shows - your thoughts?

I’d love to see more people attending shows, whether its showing their own horses or ponies or just coming for a look at the show.

Show numbers are falling, in both showing entries and footfall. I know the cost of running shows is rising and, if we could get attendance up, it would help these show out financially.