LIVING in the heart of Connemara and surrounded by the Twelve Ben mountains, breeding beautiful Connemara ponies is my idea of heaven.

Moorland Connemara Ponies have always combined the magic mix of the pony living within its own special landscape while taking on the showing world. Perhaps it is this natural environment which has made Moorland Connemara Ponies so successful!

1. 2022, a memorable year?

We have had many years of showing success but post-Covid, this was a spectacular return to the show ring. We were at a show every single Sunday from the start of the season in May, whether showing or judging right into September.

We came home from every single show with a red rosette first prize, including an All Ireland broodmare championship, Clifden foal championship, many supreme championships and, of course, the World Young Breeders championship in Ermelo, Holland, where my daughter Camilla was a member of the Irish team.

2. Proudest moment?

As a member of a family that has been breeding horses and ponies for generations, it was a proud moment when my mother Brigid Snow was presented with the prestigious Hall of Fame award from the Connemara Pony Breeders Society (CPBS).

My mother was involved with Connemara ponies when it was rare to have female judges/breeders from Connemara. Also, a special, proud moment occurred when one day, while standing examining ponies with my daughter Camilla, I realised the baton had been passed on, as she has inherited the gift of a good eye for a pony!

3. Favourite broodmare?

For me, Easter Trixie (Windy Day - Trixie II) was an extraordinary broodmare. With a deep body, powerful bone, and great hindquarters, she covered the ground with ease. She passed on her bloodlines through Moorland Snowy River to our present All Ireland broodmare champion and Clifden winner, Kilpatrick Snowdrop.

Snowdrop is the dam of the 2022 Clifden foal champion and also the yearling filly Moorland My Oh My, possibly the most successful yearling of 2022!

4. Your template for a Connemara pony?

Having judged nationally, internationally and as a CPBS inspector, I can happily say there are some beautiful Connemara ponies being bred out there. Of course there is no such thing as the perfect pony!

At this stage, the name Cathy Snow is synonymous with looking for good bone in a pony. However, when you set eyes on a Connemara, it should immediately have all the other obvious breed traits too; short cannon bone, correct large knees, a sloping shoulder and a sweet head, nicely set on a balanced length of rein. It should be a complete picture.

5. Describe your regime for keeping Connemara ponies.

Top secret! At Moorland, having ponies that are true to type, means that they are tough enough to live outside on the rugged Connemara landscape for the winter. Hay is spread on the gorse bushes, which also offer shelter.

In the spring and summer, we have mares and foals playing in the fields around the home base for the many international visitors who come to admire them. Youngsters are then handled for upcoming shows and ridden ponies are kept close by for training.

Ponies free to roam outside are happy ponies and build muscle and bone naturally.

6. Any pony you would like to have bred?

I tend not to think about ponies that I would love to have bred, instead, perhaps, I focus on what I hope to breed in the future.

Moorland Connemara ponies have a motto: “Breeding ponies to be proud of.”

I would like to think that we will continue to carry this motto with our ponies.

7. What do you think are the greatest challenges facing Connemara breeders?

There have always been challenges in breeding but breeders are resilient and find solutions.

If owners could work together on promoting the Connemara pony in a progressive direction, while maintaining traditional traits, we could overcome a lot of challenges.

Overuse of certain bloodlines is definitely one serious challenge we need to look at.

I believe that we must encourage young breeders with clinics, courses and educational seminars being created.

Schemes that would be run to entice breeders to breed a better standard of pony; ponies that could win awards or points every time they win in the show ring.

Although we have super performers in Ireland - congratulations to the talented medal winners in the European pony championships this summer - I feel that we could improve hugely on the flat ridden showing scene.

The merits awards created by the CPBS should be expanded and elevated for young breeders.

We should be seeing top standard ponies, at a level equal to HOYS ponies, at all the big shows in Ireland.

8. Breeding Connemara ponies, would you do it all over again?

In the blink of an eye! Connemara ponies are an integral part of my past, present and future. I simply love being in a field of youngsters and planning which way each one should be brought on, whether a filly would be successful under saddle or a colt would make a Class 1 stallion.

I relish the opportunity of judging a nice class of broodmares and knowing that people can see what is important to have in a Connemara pony by looking at my winner which I have chosen. Being proud of my choice is important.

9. Best advice you ever got?

I don’t always take a lot of advice but I can give a lot of advice to young judges. Always judge with only the pony in mind; you may not always make friends that way but you will be respected at the end of the day for judging honestly and will preserve the pony for the future.

10. How is the Connemara pony seen abroad?

When I give my talks on the Connemara pony in the Connemara National Park I always like to remind visitors that like the Irish people themselves, the Connemara pony has emigrated to so many countries around the world and has made a success of itself.

It is one of Ireland’s finest ambassadors and we should be so proud of this special pony that we love.