THE pony, which evokes such a passionate response from those involved, remained true to their beloved characteristics, with achievements in 2025 showcasing the breed’s ability to excel across disciplines worldwide. As is always the case, there are simply too many good news stories and moments of success to detail each one in this brief roundup. The few selected act merely as a cross section of achievements by ponies, breeders and riders from a range of activities over the past 12 months.
Performance was order of the day as the FEI European Pony Championships took place in La Mans, France. Connemaras again made their presence felt with 19 pure-bred ponies qualifying to compete across the three disciplines for a range of European nations.
In dressage, Connemara pony Nice One (Sjödalens Magnet x Shanna) helped Team Sweden to finish fifth. The 15-year-old dun gelding ridden by Ronja Kardos finished 10th individually and racked up wins across the season including a gold at the Swedish Championships and winning on both day of the Falsterbo Horse Show.
In show jumping, two pure-bred ponies helped the Belgian team secure bronze. The 12-year-old gelding Dance Floor Du Cauroy (Ice And Fire D’Albran x Undying Love Aluinn) partnered by Elise Thirion and the 11-year-old stallion Eoghan De Seguret (Coolillaun Cuslawn x Uranie De Seguret) ridden by Clémentine Lux, meant that Connemara ponies made up 50% of Team Belgium.
Eventing is the discipline Connemaras tend to excel in and this year was no exception. Team France topped the medals for another year with the Audrey Dick (Dauge) bred Connemara Babylon Night Graves (Midnight du Brana x Courbette de Gere) going clear cross country and in show jumping. Ridden again by Tifaniie Villeton, the pair helped secure a team gold and finished the highest-placed Connemara in fourth individually for a second consecutive year. Claiming the team silver msedal was Great Britian, with the Patrick Murphy-bred Battlestown Delight ridden by Florence Drewitt.
“We purchased him at the end of 2023 as a seven-year-old as Florence really clicked with him when she tried him. It took a year of really hard work in the show jumping phase and improving the dressage but this year they were double clear at most of their events and for the first time at Novice or above,” shared Florence’s mum, Helen.
The Burning Delight gelding was selected for the Europeans alongside Florence’s other ride Crossgales Into The Blu. Although less experienced, having only completed two CCIP 2*-L events before, the pure-bred gelding’s consistent performance with Florence through the season meant he was selected just ahead of his stablemate who remained direct reserve for Team GB.
“We were very proud of how he handled his first big championship and he scored a great mark in the dressage of 29.1,” Helen said. Building on their European success, the gelding finished the season on a high, claiming victory in the CCIP2*L at Osberton International in October where they finished on their dressage of 27.1.
Fifteen-year-old Florence said: “He has all of the talent so he’ll be back even stronger and more experienced next season as there is still more to come in the dressage phase and he will have had more 2* championship cross country track experience.’’
Debbie Flavin and Pine View Ice Cool won the Connemara Performance five to seven-year-old class at the 2025 Dublin Horse Show \ 1st Class Images
Dublin dreams
As the Dublin Horse Show celebrated its 150th anniversary, the Connemara classes remained as hotly contested as ever. In his first season on the Dublin campaign trail the Sharon Walsh-bred Pine View Ice Cool (Ice & Fire D’Albran x Cool Secret) proved his star quality winning the Connemara Performance Hunter five to seven-year-old class with Debbie Flavin in the saddle. In the older section, consistent competitor Diarmuid Ryan piloted Pem Boy (Clifden Silver x Ballinvoher Lady) to claim the eight to 15-year-old championship. The gelding bred by Michael Moran continued his winning streak taking the top spot in the High Performance Final in Clifden two weeks later.
Kathryn Smiley’s Eastlands Jollybrae (Eastlands Harleybrae x Eastlands Dunrose) foot perfect performances, with her sister Charlotte in the saddle, were rewarded as Ridden Champion on this anniversary year. The dappled grey gelding Tullaree Fear Bui (Templebready Fear Bui x Tullaree Silver) embodied the versatility of the breed standing Reserve Ridden Champion with Ellie Rogan before rounded out the week in the RDS by winning the Junior Equitation Championship.
Proving Connemara talent comes in all shapes, sizes and colours Mayfly Green Peter (Ballinaboy Tom x Mayfly Brigitte) and Harvey Oscar Foley saw off stiff competition to be crowned the 138cm National Champions in the Main Arena. Bred by Justin Barrett, the bay gelding continued an exceptional season being crowned Reserve 138cm Champion at the SJI National Pony Championships.
Clifden calling
As for the Connemara Pony Show – Clifden celebrated an auspicious year under new management of an independent Show committee chaired by Mary Coyne, and history was made at the centenary anniversary. For the first time in a century, the Supreme Championship and Ridden Championship were both won by the stallion Glencarrig Douvan (Glencarrig Knight x Wyncroft Dawn). Following his win in the Ridden Connemara Stallion class at the RDS 14 days prior, he was shown in-hand by breeder and owner Patrick Curran to repeat what both their fathers achieved in 2014 when Glencarrig Knight was crowned Supreme Champion.
Twenty-four hours later it was Grace Maxwell Murphy’s turn to showcase the seven-year-old under saddle, achieving the dream of a lifetime claiming his second championship sash. Douvan’s achievements are the solidification of the duality a pony can enjoy given the right management and production.
“It’s something that my mother instilled in me from early on, competing in-hand and under saddle can sit hand in hand,” Grace explained. “What Douvan has achieved is a testament to the Connemara pony and such a fantastic advertisement proving that what you want in a ridden pony is the same as what you want in-hand. I think it is really special that we have shown that it can be done and hopefully it will be done again. It takes a really good pony to do it and he has made our fairytale come true.”
Adding to their bucket list of achievements, Maxwell Murphy partnered the stallion to the NEC Arena having secured their Horse of the Year Show golden ticket. Securing a top five finish and the highest-placed Irish rider/pony combination, HOYS acted as a showcase for the best of Irish breeding.
Charlotte Smiley and Eastlands Jollybrae won the Connemara ridden class for four and five-year-old ponies at the 2025 Dublin Horse Show \ 1st Class Images
Eight of the top 10 ponies called forward to the final line up were bred by Irish breeders, with the Leading Sire Award presented to Ciaran Curran for Glencarrig Knight’s offsprings’ consistent performance at this year’s show. Crowned National Pony Society Supreme Products M&M Connemara Pony of the Year was the nine-year old King Bunowen Castle Ali (Best Shadow Melody x Bunowen Castle Ellie) with Harlow White. Bred by Feichin and Kerry King of Bunowen, Ballycooneely, it was the grey gelding’s first time to compete at HOYS on the flat. As well as being a master of ring craft, Harlow is one of the most popular equine content creators in the UK with a dedicated following of over 770,000 on her Youtube channel.
Documenting her riding journey through videos her HOYS vlog has amassed over a quarter of million views. While the achievement itself is fantastic, it is extra special that the pony’s performance has been documented and shared with such a wide audience, bringing a new interest to the breed.
Going viral
Another viral video caught the attention of many pony enthusiasts this year. The depiction of the striking dun Connemara Stallion Devon Ridge Tresor D’or in western tack was enough to hold interest. Tresor D’or and his rider Tim Cobb won the World Title in the Open Intermediate Horsemanship class at the Western Dressage World Championship Show in Oklahoma. The five-year-old by Pattys Etoile De Paris, saw off competition from 30 contestants in the fastest growing equine sport in the US to claim the world championship. The discipline aims to ‘combine the western traditions of horse and rider with classical dressage’.
Held at the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie in Oklahoma, the show draws over 50 different breeds to compete across five days. Speaking to The Irish Field from her home in Texas, ‘T’s owner Margaret Kitts described her lifelong love for the Connemara pony.
“I was gifted my first Connemara when I was 12 years old and since then they’ve always just had a soft spot in my heart,” she said.
Following the loss of her previous Connemara stallion, she connected with Jocelyn Davies the breeder of ‘T’ on Facebook. A few months later she advertised the colt foal for sale. After receiving some photos and a short video Margaret took a chance buying the youngster unseen before he made the 3,000 km journey from Alberta, Canada to Texas.
“He was 10 months old when he arrived and just halter broke, so Tim and I have done all the training ourselves,” Margaret said.
Tim, Margaret’s fiancé, rides predominately Western so it was an organic process for ‘T’ to start his ridden career under this style of tack. “He’s a cheeky little Irishman; he has to be doing something or else he is getting himself into trouble. We took him to a couple of schooling dressage shows, where they offer Western dressage. The movements and what they’re looking for is the same as classic dressage.”
Harlow White winning the ridden Connemara Pony of the Year at HOYS 2025 \ 1st Class Images
Having first competed at the World’s as a two-year-old where he finished in the Top 10 of his section and highest-placed breed, this year Tim qualified to compete the stallion again. The WD Horsemanship Open Intermediate class competitors draw lots for order to compete, with Tim and ‘T’ drawing last to perform. Unlike European dressage, the competitors in the competition line up against the rail while each individual combination performs a ‘pattern’ which is a set piece of movements similar to a dressage test.
Proving last is not least, the pair completed a beautiful pattern to secure the World Title. True to breed, the stallion is a versatile all-rounder, “he goes English and Western, he jumps, he trail rides. You can ride him bareback; we put little kids on him. He is everything that Connemara is supposed to be. And, yes, he has the biggest personality in the barn.”
The response to his appearance at the Worlds has drawn interest from across the country and 2026 will see ‘T’ start both his eventing career, with Margaret in the tack, as well as his breeding career. While Connemaras are still a rarity at Western events, she explains that their popularity is growing. “We see couple here and there. We do our best to market the breed everywhere we go and try to put it out there, what he is and what makes him so special.”
Martin Coyne, Connemara Pony Honey Bee, Cathy Snow and Eugene Finnerty pictured at the official opening of the new Connemara Pony Heritage Centre \ Martina Regan
Promotion
Outside of competition arenas, there has been huge efforts this year in the promotion of the Connemara pony through a variety of initiatives. From an experiential perspective, Cathy Snow realised a 30-year-long dream as she welcomed the first visitors to the Connemara Pony Heritage Centre, at the Connemara National Park in October. Nestled at the foot of the region’s iconic Diamond Hill, the centre is an interactive space where visitors can experience, true to type ponies up close and personal, before moving through an educational zone that documents the history of the breed, characteristics of the pony and pays homage to the Connemara Pony Show and the stallion custodians of old. While ponies have been living in the park since 1980, this new, beautifully laid out space will offer visitors the opportunity to experience the pony in a brand-new way.
Speaking since the opening, Cathy said: “The Heritage Centre has had an overwhelming response from Connemara pony breeders around the world. I have seen the very young to the more senior visitors absolutely enthralled. It is exactly what I envisioned, the Connemara pony once again bringing people together to enjoy a shared experience while learning about the pony.”
This year’s opening marks Phase One of the centre, with plans for an education area that will host clinics, workshops and lectures. The work, carried out in collaboration with the staff of Connemara National Park, is a hugely positive development for our special native pony which will help protect and share the breed into the future.
This opening is a key example of what can be achieved when the passion for the pony is prioritised and the unique aspects of this breed is shared with a wider audience.
In print
2025 saw the publication of two books celebrating the history of the pony. ‘100 Champions’ complied by Phyllis Jones, published by Hoof Prints Press, documents the annual Supreme Champion of the Connemara Pony Show over the past century. A visual guide detailing the breeding of each winner, is designed to act also as a workbook with space to record the champions of the future. The book has proven so popular it has already undergone a second print with support from the Irish Horse Board and the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine.
International photographer Susanne Lehmann has been documenting the Connemara pony for over 20 years. Her book ‘The Clifden Connemara Pony Show. The Best of 2002-2023’ launched as part of the Centenary Show celebrations, explores the visual evolution of the Connemara Pony Show through a rich visual collection of past winners and show moments. The book is jammed packed with high resolution, glossy images of class winners from the past decade and familiar faces of the pony community.
Kylemore Abbey continued their dedicated promotion of the Connemara through their partnership with the Irish National Stud. Sending resident mare Ruby with her filly foal Peaceful Maisie to spend the summer months at the home of Irish thoroughbreds, this partnership allowed approximate 100,000 equine enthusiasts who visit the Irish National Stud each summer the opportunity to learn more about our native breed alongside racing legends Faugheen, Hurricane Fly, Beef Or Salmon and Sizing John. Reflecting on the partnership, Kylemore Abbey’s CEO, Conor Coyne said: “This partnership with the Irish National Stud is hugely important to us as we both share a great love for Irish equine, which we promote to a large domestic and international audience.” The mare and foal chosen to make the trip from Connemara hold special significance for the community of Benedictine nuns. Ruby, who was gifted to Kylemore Abbey from Terranova National Park in Canada, gave birth to the only filly foal in Kylemore this year.
The Benedictine community chose to name the filly Maisie after former Abbess Sr. Máire Hickey who passed away earlier this year. Additionally, Connemara ponies featured prominently as part of the RTE docu-series ‘The Hills are Alive: A Year at Kylemore Abbey’.
Philip McManus and Silver Shadow at Dublin Horse Show 2019 \ Susan Finnerty
Losses felt
However, the year was not without its losses. The passing of the iconic showjumping stallion Silver Shadow (Cloonisle Cashel x Poetic Moonlight) was met with an outpouring of sympathy from the Connemara community after the announcement by his owners at Diamond’s Equine Connemara Pony Stud. The sire of sires, bred by the late Michael Lenihan, has left a lasting legacy through progeny that continue to carry his performance attributes into disciplines across the world.
Several highly influential members of the pony community also passed away. Gerry McCormack’s presence has been greatly missed at shows throughout the year. His passion for the traditional pony will continue at Dunguaire Stud through his children, Conor and Katie. Elizabeth (Lib) Petch’s impact on the breed endures through the influence of the ponies of Coosheen Stud and through her dedicated written work examining the Connemara pony and CPBS. PJ Watson’s seasoned success as a breeder and exhibitor will be remembered in the ongoing performance of the Rosscon ponies. Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families and friends at this time.
As 2026 appears on the horizon, the announcement of the new Judges’ Pathway, set out by the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society, aims to attract individuals looking to engage in judges’ training. Chaired by John Noel Mullen, with support from Lucinda Kelly, Jackie Hockley and Eimear Coleman, anyone seeking more information complete the expression of interest form available on the CPBS website.