Description
Here in Ballyerk, our focus is on breeding the highest quality, competitive performance Connemara ponies with particular emphasis on the oldest proven traditional Connemara breeding-lines available in the world.
I bought my first Connemara filly, Ballyerk Hazel (by Tulira Robuck),in 2001. In 2003, a Glen Valley Grey mare was bought with a foal at foot, and the following year, a Streamstown Larry mare out of Omey Queen (Smokey Duncan X Village Grey) was purchased.
March 2004 proved to be a major turning point in the farm’s Connemara breeding programme. We went to see Clonfert Boy, a Connemara stallion in County Mayo, due to his outstanding jumping pedigree, being closely related to Dundrum (through Little Heaven), one of the greatest show jumpers of all time. We immediately fell in love with him and bought him on the spot.
A more placid, intelligent and friendly pony one could not have wished for. He was the resident stallion here running freely with the mares during the period 2005 to 2012, when he died at the age of 24. All his fillies and colts have been kept on the farm to date, with a view to breeding from the females, and identifying a suitable replacement from among the colts.
