The Connemara pony is a native breed of pony from Ireland.  It is strong and sturdy with a short back and sloped, muscular croup. The hindquarters are powerful and it has 7 - 9 inches of bone below the knee.  The shoulder is sloped and long, so they have a good stride length, and the pony has short, strong cannons and hard feet. The Connemara has a fine head with small ears and usually a slightly dished profile set on a well-arched neck. The Connemara stands between 12.2 and 14.2 hands high, although a lot of ponies in Ireland and abroad are standing at 15 hands and above. The most common colours are grey and dun, but there are blacks, bays, browns, chestnuts, palominos and roans. Due to the fact that the Connemara is hardy and is possessed with tremendous agility as well as jumping prowess, the Connemara has been identified as the world's leading sports pony.

History

Some believe that the Connemara is from the Scandinavian ponies that the Vikings first brought to Ireland. Legend, however, says that galleons from the Spanish Armada ran aground in 1588, and the Andalusians on board were set loose. The Spanish horses breed with the native stock, refining the local ponies. The harsh lands made these horses into hardy, strong individuals. For strength and stamina, Arabian blood was added in the 1700s. They were also crossed with Hackneys and Thoroughbreds. Too much cross-breeding began to dilute the pony bloodlines, so the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society, founded in 1923, worked to preserve the type. The stud book was established in 1926. Today the ponies live all across the globe. They are ridden by both children and adults, and excel in all sport horse competition, including dressage, show jumping, eventing, and driving.

Famous Connemara Ponies

In 1935 at the International Horse Show in Olympia London, the 22-year-old, 15 hand Connemara gelding, The Nugget, cleared a 7'2" jump and subsequently won over 300 prizes nternationally earning over4,500 pounds sterling in prize money

At Madison Square Garden in New York , NY , in 1939, the 13.2 handConnemara , Little Squire, won the Open Championship by clearing fences of seven feet. The American press dubbed him "the littlest horse with the biggest heart."

Tommy Wade's 15 hand Connemara gelding Dundrum became Supreme Champion at the Wembley Horse of the Year Show when he set a record by clearing a 7'2" puissance wall. In 1961 he was regarded as show jumper of the century when he won five major events at the Dublin Horse Show, the first time in history that so many awards were won by the same rider, and he did it with the same hrose! He was International Jumping Champion from 1959 - 1963.

MARCUS AURELIUS was a Connemara/Thoroughbred ridden by Mary Ann e Tauskey. The pair competed in the 1975 Pan American Games and were members of the Gold Medal winning United States Eventing Team. In 1976 they were again on the Gold Medal winning United States Eventing Team.

Only one of two horses to jump a clear round in the entire 1968 Olympics was a 14.1 half bred Connemara , Stroller. Stroller competed in the Olympic games as a member of the British Team ridden by Marium Coakes. They won the silver medal behind the gold medal winners Snowbound and Bill Steinkraus.
Stroller cleared an Puissance Fence of 6'10."
Lendon Gray earned worldwide recognition while riding the Connemara/Thoroughbreds Seldom Seen and Last Scene in upper level international dressage competitions.