Welcome to the Finnish Connemara Pony Society Website!  The Annual General Meeting of the Finnish Connemara Pony society will be held in Kouvola on 14th March at 2 p.m.   The Finnish Connemara Pony Society arranges a Cup Competition each year for Connemara Pony riders regardless of age - The Connemara Cup. Points are awarded for any discipline, as long as the pony has reached the finishing line and is not disqualified. The higher the level, the more points scored. Connemara Cup winner 2009 is Swedish born mare Ulricedahls Tekla with Juuli Suominen. 2nd prize goes to the same pair as last year - mare Streamside Nuphar - Susanna Honkala. Third place has beed divided between three ponies: Eternal Flake - Jenni Finér, Caragh Caithleen - Hilla Turtiainen and Woolpacks Sweetie Pie - Hanna Koli Altogether 18 ponies were enterd to the competition. All results for 2009  Finnish bred colt Caragh Gaoithe has been sold to Canada to pursue a career as a breeding stallion. Gaoithe's sire Innellan Kestrel has been a popular stallion in Europe and his son will hopefully be sought after in North America.   Golddigger Laddie 9 C, a stallion born and bred in Finland, arrived in Ireland on Christmas Eve 2009 and will be serving mares at Coilltedubh Stud in Co. Kildare during the 2010 season.  Irish bred stallion Coosheen Finnegan has been imported to Finland and has participated in his first show jumping competitions. Finnegan has previously been covering mares in Denmark and Norway.  Connemara gelding Park Benjamin with rider Vera Elopuro won the final of "Hevoshullu Cup", a show jumping cup for ponies with junior riders, during the Helsinki International Horse Show Weekend. During the Show weekend Connemaras also participated at the Breed Cavalcade, represented by show jumping couple Woolpacks Sweetie Pie & Hanna Koli and western pair Goldgnomish Laddie & Annika Hägglund.   Quality Pony Contest is meant for young ponies to show their skills loose jumped and under saddle, but not forgetting the pony type or conformation. At this year's show, the best Connemara was 4-year old gelding Ohana Andromera (Rockfield McBurney - Aramara Eliza - Ardnasillagh O'Flaherty). 3-year old colt Banks Cadeau (Cocum Thunder Boy - Bank Square's Do-Do - Grange Surf Sparrow) got excellent marks for loose jumping, among the best for the day. All results   The results from the Finnish Connemara Show 2009 have been available on the results page for some time, but to briefly reminice how Mr Tomás MacLochlainn found Finnish ponies: At the 25th Anniversary Show the Supreme Champion was Swedish bred mare Hagens Ulina (Frederiksminde Hazy Chance - Hagens Nelina - Hagens Jaguar), owned by Hannamaria Aho. Ulinas filly foal Cluny's Beitris Beara by Cleos Antonius was Champion Foal, while Junior Champion, best Finnish bred pony as well as Reserve Supreme Champion was yearling colt Cargah Gaoithe (Innellan Kestrel - Innellan Gem - Glencarrig Lexus, bred & owned by Tuula Pyöriä). The best gelding and Ridden Champion was Swedish bred Uncle Broderick (Coosheen Finbarr - Olivia Broderick - Lofty Roderick, owners Kati & Karoliina Kääntä), and bred in Sweden as well, the best stallion was Dale Mountain Mist (Dale Haze - Brolötens Irish Made - Abbeyleix Fionn, owner Sari Takala).   Connemaras did well in The National Pony Show in Helsinki in the beginning of August. 17-year old mare Downhill Dewdrop (Kåsta Scaramouche - Aramara Audrey Grey - Millfields Ensign, breeder Sari Alhainen, owner Elisa Uusi-Heikkilä) was first chosen as the Connemara Supreme Champion, then chosen as Best In Show III of all ponies and all breeds of the weekend. The judge was Scottish Mrs Sheila Clark. See all results and photos.   The society arranged a lecture with theme "Breeders' ABC", stallion parade and match show for all ponies and horses in Lahti on 1st May. Four stallions were shown in the parade in beautiful spring weather. Please see impressions in a slide show   Two new stallions were approved for breeding in Finland at the stallion inspection 2009: 3-year-old Vanity Padraigh (Janus 71 RC - Tempelisa Lady Calista 194 C - Ard Ri Cunga IRL 11 IC) was approved for the next three seasons, while 4-year-old Doyher Bay Boy (Symphatil Hazy Becks 12 C - Golden Ashlair IRL 193 C - Westside Mirah CSB 892) was approved for this and next year. The other two new stallions in Finnish Connemara breeding this year are Fairyhill Fort (CSB S1-1215), and Calvin Klein (RC 89) leased from Sweden for the season. More information about the stallions can be found under "Stallions 2009" shortly.   Impressions from Clifden Spring Festival 2009