"I WAKE up every morning hoping I qualify for Dublin!”

Kitty Concannon is a master of time management in bringing her hopes to life, as the Inishbofin native juggles a full-time degree course and managing a pub with producing her Connemara ponies. Long days and careful planning has seen her qualify two Connemara ponies for this year’s Dublin Horse Show.

Her love of ponies has been a lifelong one. As a present for her fifth birthday, her parents bought her two Connemara colts from the Maam Cross sales, something that has become a sort of tradition since. “Every year, religiously, we either buy from the October Clifden Sales or buy from the breeders. We get three-year-olds to bring them on. Our Dublin preparation will start after the show, trying to source a novice that has show potential. When buying a young pony, I am looking for something with a good temperament, something clever,” she explained.

Cornfield Cressida (Tempo Active Atlas - Ardbear Mavis), who Kitty has qualified for the four and five-year-old Ridden Connemara class, is an example of this approach. Spotted when shown as a two-year-old with then owner Cathy Snow of Moorland Connemara ponies, Kitty and her mother Nikola fell for the mare immediately. “Mum thought she was one of the most perfect ponies she had ever seen.”

The mother and daughter team expressed their interest in purchasing the mare last August following the Dublin Horse Show. While Cressida was not for sale at the time, they purchased the mare in November just in time for the birthday tradition. “We didn’t tell my dad we bought her initially and brought her to the Parks Equestrian Centre in Moycullen, Co Galway, the winter base for her ponies during the college term where she rides every evening after lectures.

“Laura McDonagh broke her for me. We did some of the training clinics with the West Workshops earlier in the year. Her first outing was the IPS Spring Championships in Mullingar Equestrian. She exceeded our expectations, she won two Novice Connemara classes and stood Reserve Champion,” Kitty explained.

Dublin ticket

The pair’s successes have continued through the season and they secured their Dublin ticket at the fourth qualifier in Rincoola. “We did all the qualifiers – she was great in all of them. But the classes have been so big that even if your pony does go lovely, it can just be luck of the draw on the day. It’s hard for ponies to be seen sometimes. There were 48 ponies in our class at Tullylish,” which involved an eight hour journey to the qualification venue in Armagh from their west of Ireland base.

Kitty and Nikola’s dedication paid off at the final qualifier as Cressida was pulled top of a class of 39 ponies with her cousin, Tazmin Murray, qualifying in second with Bofin Cove Finn (Rathcoona Cove - Slievefinn). “It happened last year as well that we qualified in the same class at the same show. It’s very special to be able to go to Dublin together.”

Bridgo’s Knight (Glencarrig Knight - An Lady Beag) is the second pony Kitty has qualified to compete in the RDS this August. They make their return to the Intermediate Side Saddle class having qualified at Charleville Show in Cork. The gelding, bred by Stephen Keady, was also bought from Cathy Snow three years ago having enjoyed a successful career in hand. In 2022 Kitty and ‘Cloudy’ made their Dublin debut and finished third in the over 17 Ridden Connemara Class. They have qualified consecutively every year since to compete at the RDS. Kitty’s pure love of her ponies shines through when she talks about Cloudy.

Inisbofin’s Kitty Concannon and Bridgo’s Knight won the 2024 Athlone supreme pony title \ Susan Finnerty

“He is just the perfect pony. He is quirky, like a real Connemara he has his ways, but once he goes into the ring he just lights up,” she explains. Side saddle was something they decided to try soon after purchasing the gelding. “He is really clever and picked it up so fast. I don’t do it so much during the winter because I want to be kind to his back.

“The weeks coming up to the shows I school a little in it. I get some help from Philippa and Philip Scott. It can be hard with Connemaras going in against the Intermediates and Small Hunters, if a judge isn’t used to seeing Connemaras side saddle.”

Kitty presents Cloudy as a native, so he is not plaited and his long mane is allowed to flow. Regardless of who will be standing in the centre of Ring 1 on Sunday, August 18th, Kitty and Cloudy are set to put their best foot forward. “He loves the ring in Dublin, he just gets up on his toes and has that ‘Look at me' mentality.”

Their season to date has been a decorated one, with wins across the country including the Connemara Cup at the Northern Ireland Festival. A stint in the UK earlier this spring under the guidance of Amy Canavan-Smith allowed Kitty to experience the UK showing circuit on a deeper level.

“We thought it would be good experience as next year being final year it will be more stressful in college. It is like a whole other world over there - the standard of schooling is next level. Amy is amazing, the Connemaras she has in her yard are the top. We did quite a few shows and a lot of travelling.”

A return trip and spending more time campaigning there in the future is high on her list of future goals.

Juggling act

The accounting student who will start her final year in ATU (Atlantic Technological University) is pony centric in her mindset surrounding their management. Her aim is that ponies have the time and opportunities to develop to their full potential. During the winter, her focus is on having schooling the ponies while they are at The Parks during the academic term.

When the summer comes, the ponies are split between Cleggan and Inishbofin where the focus is then on beach rides and hacking to keep their heads happy. “After the qualifiers both Cressida and Cloudy went back to the island for a break. We brought them out on the boat and they have been on the mountain until three weeks before the show. Cressida has had several breaks during the year and I think it is important for young ponies to let them develop.”

Kitty Concannon and Bridgo’s Knight at the Clifden Show \ Rynes Walker

Early starts mean having the ponies fed before breakfast service starts in Oliver’s Bar in Cleggan at 9am, the pub she manages with brother Charlie. The lull between lunch and dinner means Kitty will try hack or ride on Rossadillisk beach before heading back to cater to tourists looking to enjoy lobster and oysters from 6pm. Her preparations for Dublin will look similar. “The work has been done, they just need to stay fit so they are ready for shows. It can be a lot for them when they have to travel eight hours across the country to compete. Connemaras are so clever and clued in so they get bored of being in an arena. They love going to the beach and the water. Sometime Mum rides with me.”

The Dublin Horse Show is a pivotal date in the calendar for Kitty and Nikola. “It takes up our whole year. We will start preparing for next year as soon as the show is over. It can take a full year to get something going the way you want it to go for Dublin.”

Though Kitty is a return competitor to the RDS the significance of qualifying is still as meaningful to her. “When we got Cressida she was so babyish, you just never think that she’d be going to Dublin. It means so much now that she’s qualified.”

The support of Kitty’s parents is paramount in being able to compete across the country and she credited Nikola with washing, organising and the all-important driving. “She is a very particular groom. Everything has to be perfect. Tack, nummahs, jackets. She is the one watching from the outside which is a big help.”

Back at base Kitty’s dad, Pat, who owns and manages the Inishbofin Ferry, makes sure everything runs smoothly on days she is travelling and showing.

Nerves

Asked if she will be nervous come August 15th when the Ridden Connemara classes will be judged in Ring 2, Kitty is honest in her response, saying: “I think everyone gets nervous going into Dublin. The atmosphere is so big. You can be going well all season, but everything can change in the RDS. But it is all about having done the right preparation and making sure they have a good warm up without over fussing them.”

While the RDS remains central to Kitty’s calendar, her schedule will continue to be full once the judging is complete in Ballsbridge. All roads will lead to the 99th Connemara Pony Show in Clifden with Cloudy, Cressida, the dun mare Kilnavara May (Coral Bambi x Crahard) and an exciting yearling colt all entered for this year’s show.

September will see the Concannons head for the IPS Championships. Before no time it will be the October sales and the traditional birthday search will commence for Kitty’s 2025 Dublin prospect.