The Fall 1978 issue (Vol. 8, No. 4) of the American Connemara Pony Society News was eight pages.

ACPS Secretary Betty O’Brien provided a little color from the FEI World Eventing Championships and the ACPS meeting held at the same time. She said: “The excitement of the World Three-Day Championships, in which the final placings were not certain until the last horse was over the last stadium fence, is still with us. So, too, is admiration (and envy) for the Kentucky Horse Park. Our annual meeting, as you know, was held on Saturday evening, preceded by a most delicious dinner, and President (Peter) Goltra kept his promise of adjournment by 11 p.m. Altogether, the whole occasion was delightful.”

She said the 1979 ACPS annual meeting would be held during the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show.

Then, she provided this “sober note,” as she called it: “As I have mentioned before, the Equus article generated an unexpected number of enquiries about availability and location of Connemaras. Our acceptance by AHSA as a breed division generated many enquiries about shows with Connemara classes. Our notices concerning the Camlin Trophy have aroused further interest — and more enquiries. I am now in the somewhat embarrassing position of having to say ‘I don’t know’ more often than I think should. It is beginning to appear that our publicity and promotion may have exceeded production and availability of product! My longtime experience as a marketing consultant tells me that that is potentially as unhealthy a situation as its reverse. Well do I know that one cannot produce any horse, let alone one to spec, on demand. I understand fully the time lags involved — that will always be involved — between breeding a mare this year and having a semi-schooled, let alone a finished, animal to sell day after tomorrow. Any agricultural operation requires unending patience and abiding faith in the future. My incoming mail shows increases in interest and in demand for Connemaras, but it does not show increases in new registrations.”

She continued by pleading that members register their Connemaras on time and report transfers promptly. She also requested more information on the availability of Connemaras for sale, shows with Connemara classes, and competitive placements of Connemaras both in open and closed competitions.

On the back page of the newsletter, O’Brien listed 10 of the many requests she had gotten for Connemaras; she indicated this was just a sample of the total. It’s quite a range of requests for Connemaras suited for many disciplines and all rider ages.

Second winner of Camlin Trophy award

Karen Lende’s Connemara gelding, Erin’s Shamrock, was the second winner of the Camlin Trophy, honoring outstanding Connemara performance. A small item in the newsletter said Shammy had made the big time against the big horses in combined training. He was by Tooreen Laddie out of *Erinbay (by Little Heaven). The news item said Mr. and Mrs. Edward Harris of Hideaway Farm had found this combination of bloodlines to be eminently successful. Readers were pointed to the article on Shammy and Karen in Vol. 8, No. 2 of the newsletter, which we summarized here.

Competition results

The winners of the Connemara classes at the Green Mountain Horse Association (GMHA) Show, often called the ACPS Region 1 show, in Woodstock, Vermont, were printed on facing pages in the middle of the newsletter. Red Ridge Super Star was Grand Champion Connemara and Connemara Hunter Champion for 1978. Looking at the individual classes, he won the Connemara Handy Hunter, Connemara Hunter, Connemara Trail and Connemara Under Saddle classes.

Lusitano-Connemara crossbred

There’s a half page item on Louise LeBeau of Fullerton, California, breeding the first Lusitano-Connemara in the US.

Belleek, a colt, was by Lusitano stallion Lique, a Grand Prix dressage horse, out of Bar Bar A’s Summer Dream, a Connemara. One photo shows Belleek at a day old. The second photo is unmarked. It appears to be Belleek a little older.

Connemaregistics

The Connemaregistics section noted that stallion Gilnocky Mullingar, by Erin Laddie out of *Glencara Lady (by Tiger Gill), had been gelded at age 10. New owner Sue Kitchen planned to hunt and show him. He had seven registered foals at the time.