The 1977 Winter Issue (Vol. 7, No. 1) of the American Connemara Pony Society News was eight pages.

Details of AHSA recognition

By this point, Ann Gascoyne was ACPS president and described in her column a few details of the recent recognition of the Connemara by the American Horse Shows Association (now the United States Equestrian Federation).

The AHSA had recognized purebred and halfbred Connemaras for hunter classes, Gascoyne said, which should make it easier to get Connemara classes added to hunter shows.

She suggested that members who had a horse show in their area with unrecognized Connemara classes ask the show committee to request AHSA rating.

Gascoyne noted that the society would seek to get more disciplines included over time, and she urged members to continue to push for unrated Connemara classes in a range of disciplines to show the breed’s scope.

Gascoyne congratulated Dr. Marian Molthan on her top 10 finish in the Great American Horse Race in the summer of 1976. And she asked all members to let the society know what they were doing with their horses, since apparently that information was not being shared.

Gascoyne said: “Gathering the needed statistics to achieve AHSA recognition was like pulling teeth from a closed mouth. We need member input. I haven’t met a Connemara owner yet without at least one story of marvel about his or her pony. … Many of your stories might be suitable for the newsletter or other uses promoting the breed.”

Lastly, Gascoyne made a point that remains true half a century later. She said: “I often hear from members who want more promotion in their area. They want the society to do more. YOU are the society, and only YOU know what the best promotion approach is for your area. The only way to increase interest in the breed in any area is through your own personal interest, time and energies. The executive office can offer guidance, information and moral support, if you seek it, but we can’t come hold your hand and do it for you.”

ACPS Secretary Betty O’Brien noted in her column that those seeking AHSA points needed to ensure that their Connemaras were registered and shown under their full registered name.

How to document Connemara color

O’Brien also wrote a pretty amusing section on describing a horse’s coat color and markings when one registered a Connemara:

“As you know, there is not a great deal of room on the certificate for this important information. There are ways, however, of shortening the description without losing any of the detail that is so important for proper identification. First is the matter of color. Every now and then, I find an application that says, “Bay with black points.” By definition, a bay has black points, as well as a black mane and tail; if he does not, he is not a bay, no matter what his coat color. So the simple three letter word will suffice. One should, however, mention black points on horses that are other than bay. Occasionally, also, there will be a ‘black with tan hairs on muzzle’ (or elsewhere). Again, by definition, this is NOT a black. A true black, which tends to be more rare than our stud books would indicate, has NO brown or tan hairs anywhere; he is all black, except for such white markings as he may have. The apparently black with tan or brown hairs on muzzle, belly, or inside the upper legs is either a brown or a very dark bay. Those two colors, in some cases, are so difficult to distinguish that the Jockey Club, some years ago, went to the single designation ‘dark bay or brown.’

“In describing markings such as stars, stripes, socks, etc., the word ‘white’ is unnecessary; they all are. Do, please, however, be sure to specify which leg, ankle or pastern has what markings. The standard abbreviations (r.f., r.h., l.f., l.h.) are quite satisfactory; just be certain that, as you face your horse, you designate HIS right, not your own! A dorsal stripe is assumed to be black; dapples, except on a grey, come and go with season and/or condition, and are not a matter of identification, which is, basically, the purpose of these descriptions.”

O’Brien also noted in her column that very few members were ordering the stud books, and the ACPS was at a loss to understand why. How ironic, since ACPS members would kill for those books today and can’t get them or the digital version of the stud books.

Washington International Bicentennial Pageant

There was an item on Blue Ridge Farm representing the breed at the 1976 Washington International Horse Show’s Bicentennial Pageant, which honored 475 years of horses and ponies in the United States. Mrs. William C. Grayson of Blue Ridge Farm said her niece, Leslie, and Connemara *Belle Star did beautifully. Grayson described Belle as a “good looking dun with black points, a lovely head, and rather remarkable tortoise-shell mottling in her color.” Belle and Leslie survived vast confusion, some runaways, spotlights, band music, and loud speakers, with Belle standing absolutely still and posing beautifully, Grayson said.

Horse show notes

A “Horse Show Notes” section reported that Polaris Make Believe, bred by Mrs. Magruder Dent Jr. and owned by Marion Guyer, was large pony champion at the Washington International in 1976 for the second year in a row.

A photo of Rose Hill’s Oharazan said the mare was Champion Connemara in Hand and Grand Champion Connemara at Woodstock in 1976.

Death of Flying Cloud

As for deceased horses, an item noted that Charlotte Read and her Round Robin Farm had lost homebred mare Flying Cloud, by Tooreen Laddie out of *Sun Cloud. Flying Cloud had won regional rallies for the Groton Pony Club many times. She happily participated in eventing, hunter trials, hunting, showing and everything else asked of her. She also had eight foals for Round Robin Farm from 1960 to 1976, all by An Tostal. There’s an unidentified photo under the obituary that doesn’t appear to go with the text below it, so it must be Flying Cloud. See the gallery below.

Jackie Harris on maintaining hardiness and good disposition of ponies

And Jackie Harris of Hideaway Farm submitted a letter to the readers’ forum on guidelines for the feeding and general care of the Connemara. Harris said:

“We have now been raising, training, showing and selling Connemara for two decades. During this time, we have made a calculated effort to maintain the good original characteristics of the Connemara that we feel came to us through their origin in Ireland. I refer to hardiness, good disposition [and] ability, along with quality and temperament. I feel that we have been successful.

“With this in mind, we have our ponies turned out both summer and winter. They have open sheds where they can get out of the wind, away from the heat of the sun and the flies and where it is dry in rainy weather. They come and go at will.

“In summer, they graze and, as the pastures become insufficient, we make hay available to them. For the first time last winter, we had sturdy hay racks that we can keep filled at all times. This has made a great difference in the way they have wintered. Other years, we had to put the hay on the ground, and much of it was lost being trampled on. In addition to hay or pasture being available to them at all times, they have salt licks and, of course, always water.

“Any animal that is not yet mature, or that is in foal or that has a foal at foot, or that is worked regularly gets an additional feeding of whole oats and calf manna. During the winter months, we add a bit of whole grain corn off the cob.

“We have not shod our Connemaras, even for hunting, but we keep their feet carefully trimmed. Naturally, they have the usual immunizations and are on a regular [de]worming schedule.”