One of the benefits of Kerrymor Farm’s ongoing research into the history of the American Connemara Pony Society is we’re starting to be able to build a timeline. The source of each milestone below is in parentheses. We will keep adding to the timeline as we continue to summarize old ACPS newsletters.

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Late 1956: The American Connemara Pony Society (ACPS) is founded by six women. (Stud Book I)

February 1957: The ACPS holds its first meeting to create the basic structure of the society at the Groton Inn in Groton, Massachusetts. (Stud Book I)

1957: The ACPS requires an inspection to register Connemaras in America, a requirement that would be dropped quickly. (Stud Book I)

February 1958: The ACPS holds its first annual meeting. (Stud Book I)

February 1958: The ACPS expands its height limit for registered ponies to 13 to 14.2 hands from 13 to 14 hands. (Stud Book I)

June 1958: The Eastern Pony Congress Show in Rising Sun, Maryland, is the first US horse show to hold breeding (conformation) and performance classes for Connemaras. (Stud Book I)

1959: ACPS Stud Book I, covering three years, is published. The first stallion registered is *Faravane Boy and the first mare is Wicklow Mountain Rose Bay.

1960: ACPS membership increases to 40. (Stud Book II)

1960: The ACPS has formed a board of 13 by this point. (Stud Book II)

1961: A Connemara Pony One Day Event, held in August at Hideaway Stables in New York, is the first time in history that such an event is held for Connemaras. (Stud Book II)

1962: The ACPS drops its requirement for an inspection. (Stud Book II)

1965: Stud Book III introduces a new height rule under the “Points of the Connemara” section, with no explanation beyond the rule. The society has created a Section I for Connemaras 13 to 14.2 hands and a Section II for those over 14.2 hands. Three fullbred Connemaras have Section II designations. Connemaras shorter than 12.2 are still prevented from fullbred registration. (Stud Book III)

1965: The society has increased to 111 members. (Stud Book III)

1967: Stud Book 4’s “Points of the Connemara” section, published in 1968, bans registration of blue-eyed cream Connemara ponies as of Jan. 1, 1967. The ban was removed in 2016, 49 years later.

1968: As in Stud Book III, the “Points of the Connemara” section in Stud Book IV reiterates that Connemaras 13.0 to 14.2 hands are considered Section I pony entries and those over 14.2 are Section II small horse entries. Stud Book 4 never applies the label to horses. (Stud Book IV)

1968: The ACPS seems to drop its height restrictions for registration. Six fullbreds in Stud Book IV are under 13 hands, all 12.3 hands. Seven are over 14.2 hands, two of them 15 hands and one 15.1 hands.

1971: The ACPS begins publishing The American Connemara Pony Society News newsletter. (ACPS News).

1975: Two members propose the ACPS establish a Connemara of the Year award. (ACPS News)

1975: ACPS official Ann Gascoyne submits to James H. Blackwell, executive secretary of the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA), a letter requesting the Connemara be a recognized breed. (ACPS News)

1976: The ACPS holds its annual meeting, an international conference, in conjunction with the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, though the equestrian events were actually held in Bromont, Quebec, an hour from Montreal, and the ACPS meeting was held near there, too. (ACPS News)

1977: The ACPS receives recognition from the AHSA (now USEF) for fullbred and halfbred Connemaras in hunter classes, meaning the AHSA is tracking points and honoring year-end winners. (ACPS News)

1978: The ACPS rules that all permanent registrations must include identification cards with cowlicks and other markings noted on the cards. All stallion registrations must be accompanied by a blood-type certificate. The ACPS subsequently suspends the blood type requirement in the short term while it finds a lab to do the tests. (ACPS News)

1978: Spring Ledge Bridgette is selected as the first recipient of the ACPS’ first Connemara of the Year award. It is called the Camlin Trophy, donated by longtime Irish breeder Garnet Irwin for an outstanding performance Connemara in America. Bridgette, owned by Dorothy Lyons in 1976, was ridden by Dr. Marian “Doc” Molthan in The Great American Horse Race across the United States in 1976 and finished ninth out of 93 starters. (ACPS News)

1978: The ACPS annual meeting is held in Lexington, Kentucky, in conjunction with the FEI Eventing World Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. (ACPS News)

1978: The St. Louis National Charity Horse Show, revived after a 25-year hiatus, welcomes Connemaras from across the country to its A-rated Connemara performance division of five classes, plus nine Connemara conformation classes. The show was held indoors Oct. 2-7, 1978, in Queeny Park’s newly built ice rink, which was converted to a horse arena for the show. (ACPS News)

1978: ACPS Secretary Betty O’Brien tells members that demand for Connemaras is far outstripping supply. (ACPS News)

1978: Karen Lende’s fullbred Connemara, Erin’s Shamrock, is the second recipient of the ACPS Camlin Trophy for his success in eventing. (ACPS News)