Test Your Connemara Knowledge - Take Our Quiz!

To celebrate the American Connemara Pony Society's 27th Annual Region III Show, we put together a few fun facts about the Connemara breed. Test yourself!
 

 How did Connemaras get their name?
a) Epona, the Celtic horse goddess, named the Connemara breed after her daughter.
b) From an area in Western Ireland with rocky terrain and craggy shores.
c) Citizens named the breed after an Irish beer, delivered to pubs by carriage ponies.


According to local legend, how did Connemaras arrive in Ireland?
 a) The Irish Hobby, an extinct breed established in the 13th century, developed in the rough Irish countryside.
 b) The Vikings brought Scandinavian ponies to Ireland for use in battle.
 c) When galleons from the Spanish Armada sank off Ireland's coast in the 16th century, Andalusians swam to shore and bred with native Irish ponies. 

  

How did the breed develop their gentle disposition and stamina?

a) A careful breeding program and performance ratings preserved the breed in the 19th century. 

b) Since Irish farmers could only afford one horse, the family pony adapted to clear land, carry bogs for cooking, and cart the family to Sunday Mass.

c)  The Gaelic sun god Lugh gave Connemara ponies their unique and helpful characteristics. 










Scroll for answers.....















ANSWERS:
1) B
2) A, B, and C!
3) B

Over the Rail....with Joe Fargis

Joe Fargis, a Show Jumping legend, was part of three Olympic teams, and earned a gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games aboard his famous bay mare, Touch of Class. He competed for the US in the FEI World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, and more than 30 FEI Nations Cups. We caught up with Joe between riding and training during the Lexington National Horse Show at the Virginia Horse Center.

VHC:  Which of your achievements is most important to you?

      Joe: The last one, an EAP Clinic. For me, it’s always the last one.

      VHC: What is the best part about being a clinician?

Joe: I LOVE to teach. I love to pass on what I know to younger people.

VHC:     Do you have any advice for up and coming young riders in the industry?

Joe: Never give up! The horse business is a hard business, you’re overworked and underpaid. You must love it.

      VHC:  What is your best tip on finding a distance?

      Joe: Repetition. It’s best to set up a small line and go through it repetitively and don’t take the same horse through it every time. Ride as many horses as possible. 

    VHC:  How has horsemanship changed from when you began riding to today?   

    Joe: When I began riding in the 50’s we were taught to enjoy riding. Winning wasn't the goal, learning was the goal. Horses have become expendable and it is now more of a function of money. Then, you had one horse and worked on how to better it.  

    VHC: What is the best way to overcome a temperament problem with your horse?  

     Joe: The best way to overcome a temperament problem with your horse would be to work with him not against him, and learn to read your horse. It’s much better to move slowly rather than quickly.

    VHC:  What is the most challenging aspect of a round?

    Joe:  Control between the fences; the approach is the problem, not the jump.

     VHC:    What satisfaction do you get from riding?

    Joe: Any good response from the horse is satisfaction. I love animals and being outside vs. inside, that helps too. 

Connemara Pony Society Show

We are proud to welcome the American Connemara Pony Society's 27^th Annual Region III Show for the first time this weekend, August 24 and 25. The Society seeks to assist and promote the breeding, registration, training, exhibition and general use of the Connemara pony.

The Region III Show brings this special breed to the Horse Center to compete in Dressage, Combined Test, and Breeding classes. Breeding classes, judged on breed type, conformation, disposition and true movement, begin on Saturday at 1 p.m.in the Northern Arena. Dressage begins on Saturday morning at 8 a.m., and Show Jumping begins on Sunday at 8 a.m.. Fun classes, including Fancy Dress, Leadline, Family Class, and The Great Egg and Spoon Challenge take place on Sunday afternoon.

Visit the American Connemara Pony Society website for more information. Click here for the complete Horse Show prizelist.