The captivating Connemara! We are celebrating these horses as our May Breed of the Month on YourDressage!
Did you know that dressage riders who choose a Connemara as their dressage mount are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the American Connemara Pony Society is a participating organization?
Here, a Region 8 rider shares the story of the seven month old Connemara who she bought based solely off of a photo and a gut feeling, and the partnership that has now spanned long enough for them to qualify for the Century Club.
By Sue Antilla
I was an adult before I started riding, and like many of us, I started as a hunt seat rider at a typical boarding barn as an adult beginner. As I got older, I became enthralled with dressage. Unfortunately, good dressage trainers were few and far between in my area. In addition, even though I had my own horse, my riding time was limited due to family and work.
When we finally got a place with a barn, I brought my Thoroughbred mare home. Unfortunately, good dressage trainers were still very hard to find, and it was even tougher to get one who would come to your home. Then the unthinkable happened. My mare died very suddenly. I immediately began to search for a new horse, which introduced me to the Connemara breed. While I ended up with a fantastic Thoroughbred mare, my attraction to the Connemara breed was cemented: movement, athletic ability, and, above all, low maintenance; what more could you ask for?
Several years later, I acquired my first Connemara, Snugpines Bryan. He was 15.1 hands and so handsome, with the best personality. Through Bryan, I met Cathy Speidell, who is classically trained in dressage and had been working with Bryan for a couple of years. Cathy has been my trainer and mentor, going on twenty-five years now.
Two years after acquiring Bryan, I was looking for a pony for an acquaintance and came across a seven-month-old filly, Folklore Tess Gallagher. Tessie and her dam were bred by Gloria LaCroix and located in Missouri.
I cannot tell you why, but I was drawn to this little girl, and when the acquaintance decided she was too young, I contacted Gloria, and she became mine. Gloria kept her in Missouri for me until she was eighteen months old, as I only had a three-stall barn and already had three horses at home. In addition, I had to think of a way to break the news to my husband (side note: over twenty-two years later, he still does not know she is mine).
Tessie came east with her dam, and two other mares that a friend was leasing, Folklore Elizabeth McNicholas (Liddy) and Folklore Honor Larkin. I kept Tessie at a breeding farm in New York, as she still had a lot of growing up to do. She was about 13 hands and in that awkward stage. Truth be told, when I first saw her, all I could think of was, “What the heck have I done?”
As she matured, the physical changes occurring year after year were radical. As a two-year-old, she looked more like an Arabian. As a three-year-old, she looked more like a Connemara, and I brought her to my friend’s place, where she rejoined her dam. She was the easiest pony ever to back. After only a month, we took her to the American Connemara Pony Society Region 1 Connemara Breed Show at the Green Mountain Horse Association (GMHA) in Vermont. She was perfect. I rode her in my first dressage class, where she placed third in a large class. Yes, it was only a walk-trot Introductory Level class, but I was busting with pride.
As a four-year-old, I boarded Tessie at an eventing barn for a short time and did an adult beginner summer camp. She was the only pony in the camp, but she stunned everyone with her beautiful movement and bravery, even though she was a bit scruffy. I had not jumped in over twenty years, and she packed me around the courses like she was my babysitter. The camp ended with an open schooling show. With some elbow grease and a good bath, she transformed into a swan, and my fellow campers could not believe how beautiful she looked.
It was around that time that I moved Tessie to my trainer’s barn, where her real training began. Tessie has the best work ethic and came along quickly. She proved to everyone that ponies are not just for kids. Over the next several years, we went to several more Connemara shows, a few schooling shows, and clinics, and Tess was always a rockstar. At one of the Connemara shows, the judge came looking for us after our class to see if Tessie was for sale – not a chance. Mostly, though, we spent time schooling and taking lessons since work and family took precedence.
When she finally stopped growing, she stood at 14 hands and was built like a mutant. No one looked small on her. Saddle fitting was a nightmare. After at least six saddles, including a custom Schleese, we finally found a Black Country that worked.
When my Thoroughbred mare passed away, I brought Tessie home to keep Bryan company as he had been very bonded to Annie. He and Tessie became very close. We spent many hours riding through the nearby state park. Tessie and Bryan loved the relaxing rides through the park almost as much as my friend and I did. She kept everyone amused with her sense of humor. One time, she came running up to the barn with a whole French baguette in her mouth.
When Bryan passed at twenty-six, Tessie went back to Cathy’s and continued her training. I even began using my vacation time so I could ride five days a week. Tessie is the best teacher. When you get it right, she is soft, round, and forward from the rear. When you get it wrong, she lets you know subtly, but you do know.
Next year, Tessie and I hope to complete our Century Club ride. Yes, it has been that long. We both are a little stiffer, me more than her, but we still keep going. Cathy still rides her to keep her in top shape, but Tessie is such a fun, easy ride that I think Cathy does it for her own enjoyment.
I love this mare so much, and she gives so much to everyone she meets. I was also given Liddy, who I bred and retained her filly, who is now eight and will be my next mount. She has the same wonderful, kind disposition and the best old lady trot you could ask for. Even so, Tessie is my pony of a lifetime – bought off a picture and gut feeling, and I have never regretted it.
