A hymn to the Connemara
“Every Connie I’ve had has taken to hunting like a duck to water”
Take the wild west coastof Ireland, add the sturdy ponies of Viking invaders then introduce elegant Andalusian horses, survivors of the luckless Spanish Armada that was dashed against this rocky shoreline, and you’ll have the Connemara pony. It’s a highly romantic backstory for a breed that inspires lifelong devotion. Eye-catching, strong, athletic and intelligent, the Connemara balances looks with temperament, stamina and sporting ability in a compact but hugely versatile package. Today, recognition of those attributes has led to hot demand, with prices soaring among an increasingly international clientele, whose ponies compete at a high level in disciplines as varied as dressage, showjumping and carriage driving. Many are the hunting enthusiasts who have admired – and perhaps been given a lead by – a confident Connemaraand-child combination. But the breed’s future hasn’t always looked so assured.
A century ago, the Connemara was very much workhorse rather than wonder horse, chiefly prized for an ability to cart seaweed, peat and families across the rocky, boggy terrain of its
