CONNEMARA Pony breeder Jarleth Grogan lives at Bekan, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, with his wife Margaret daughter Joanne and granddaughter Darcy.

He got his first Connemara Pony in 1993. She was a jet black mare named Carravilla Pride (Island Hurricane-Primrose), foaled in 1985, which he bought from Liam Walsh on the advice of Patrick McNamara from Belmount Stud. She produced a few lovely foals but only one was black. She died in 2011.

At Clifden show in 1994, Jarleth spotted the filly foal later to be named Mountain Lady (Village Boy-Bell View) mainly because she came from the Village line through her sire Village Boy (Mervyn Kingsmill-Village Grey) who left his own stamp to many of his offspring, especially in their heads. Jarleth’s eye had no hesitation and there and then he made an offer to her breeder John Molloy. Jarleth’s daughter Joanne was then only seven at the time but she has seldom missed a show since.

Mountain Lady, foaled in 1994, was his foundation mare with an abundance of blue blood. Her dam Bell View was by Sean Dunne’s Garryhinch Prince who was by Abbeyleix Fionn out of the outstanding broodmare Kilbracken Queen (Rory Ruadh-Queen of the Hills) out of Lizabelle (Loobeen Larry-Miss Charger) Lady, who originates from a solid pedigree on both the top and bottom line including Village Belle (dam of Village Grey) and Kilbracken Queen who also produced the successful stallions Garryhinch Finn and Garryhinch Millrace.

MOUNTAIN LADY

All the ponies at Bekan originate from Mountain Lady, who has the distinction of becoming the only mare to win the Progeny class twice at Clifden - she did so in 2005 and 2012. Her daughter Mountain Heather, by Laerkins Cascade Dawn, foaled in 2004, won her class at Clifden and was Reserve visitor champion in 2012 - that “was a great year for us,” he says.

A repeat covering between Mountain Lady and Danish import Laerkens Cascade Dawn provided the Grogan family with the successful stallion Mountain Cascade, foaled in 2003. A typical true to type Connemara, he won at many shows all over Ireland including Supreme Championships at Corndulla and Spiddal and Reserve visitor champion at Clifden in 2011 when exhibited by Jarleth, who admits: “when we were in full swing, we believed in ‘have pony will travel’ and they went to 37 shows in one year, sometimes with the stallion and a few more mares. Jarleth says: “I could not have done this without a lot of help from Joanne.”

Jarleth Grogan is a true gentleman and sportsman who is always welcome wherever he goes with his ponies, who sometimes are affectionately known as ‘the herd’. He says honestly: “If you win you win and when you lose, you still have a day out meeting friends.”

In 2012, Jarleth was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer which required chemotherapy but when the hospital phoned to say his treatment was to commence on the day of Clifden show, he persuaded the doctor to let him go to the show rather than the hospital.

What followed was a long series of hospitalisations but he refused to let it get to him. Instead he adopted the policy of Prayer, Positivity, and Ponies.

He says: “Thankfully the shows kept me going. The worst thing was seeing so many younger people in need of treatment. It is vital that you catch cancer in the early stages and thankfully there is not a bother on me now.”

When exhibited by Joanne, Mountain Heather won the Supreme Championship at Westport Show as a seven-year-old in 2012. “It was the first show that my father could not come to owing to his illness but we were able to call him at the hospital to tell him the good news - somehow it was a great tonic,” Joanne later said.

The Future of the Breed

“A lot of people are not bothering to breed and some have the perception that you have more chance of winning a class without a foal. Classes for mares with foal at foot are very important. The keyboard warriors can be dangerous at times - many of them have never bred or had a pony but they are very quick to pass judgement on social media when they know little about them. We must at all costs keep the old established bloodlines fully intact.”

The Council

“The structure of the Council needs change, it is very difficult to get 20-plus people to agree and a lot of time is wasted trying to make positive decisions. Perhaps it should be down to about five people and perhaps a few sub-committees.”

How many mares have you?

“We just have Mountain Lady, with her two daughters Mountain Heather and Mountain Rose, all by Laerkens Cascade Dawn.”

This season Jarleth plans to show ‘Rose’ and her colt foal by Monaghanstown Prince (Glencarrig Prince-Monaghanstown Sheeba) which heralds another generation at Bekan as two old bloodlines have been merged together to retain the tradition of the Connemara Pony. One thing that can be certain is that wherever the show is held, Jarleth and his family will have a day out!