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Now that we are looking back on more than 30
years of Connemara breeding in |
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Germany it is a good time to let pass all these years and to
have a look on present |
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German Connemara breeding. |
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General development |
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It was the year 1962 when Mr. Jan-Harald
Koelichen (founder of the Jan-Harald |
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Koelichen perpetual championship in Clifden) decided to bring
his Conneamara- |
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Ponies from Ireland to Germany. He had a farm in Co. Cork near
Bantry Bay where |
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he and his wife bred Connemara-Ponies for about five years. In
1962 however he |
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thought it would be nice to have the Connemaras at home too
and so the first two |
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Connemara-Ponies came to Germany. They were the grey gelding "Irish
Don" by |
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Inver Rebel, and the grey mare "Sheelagh
Shrue" by Carna Dun, she was called |
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Jule as a nickname later on. More ponies were following to his
German home near |
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Munich in Bavaria. Another interested man appeared on the
scene at nearly the |
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same time. Mr. Zika, who lived near Frankfurt. He was more a
dealer and brought |
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about 100 Ponies of the best quality to Germany the following
years. They mostly |
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came from Connemara and from Lambay Island, especially after
the dispersal sale |
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there. The first stallion that came over from Ireland was in
1963 an offspring by |
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Carna Dun, Lord Dun Carna (CPS 141), who had
great influence on the German |
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breeding and who died 1986 having reached the fine age of 27
years. |
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At the beginning of the 70's more and more people began
to breed and to import |
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Connemara-Ponies so that the number of ponies in Germany grew
up until today to |
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about one thousend. |
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Because of the historic background Germany was
organized after World War II as |
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a federal state system which had 11 states (now 16). These
states live under the law |
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of the federal republik of Germany. But on the other hand they
are independent in |
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some parts of their policy which are i.e. culture and
agriculture. So each state had its |
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own breeding policy and in every state there was founded a
pony breeding society |
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which was responsible for all pony breeds. |
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The Connemara Pony breeders in Germany felt very early
that this situation would |
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cause problems so they founded in 1973 the so called Connemara-Pony
Interessen- |
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gemeinschaft e.V. (CP-IG for short), which
was no breeding society but an nation- |
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wide union of the Connemara breeders who should help to
keep in contact with each |
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other. It also worked and works together with the breeding
societies in the states |
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which was very helpful in coordinating all their activities.
The members of the CP-IG |
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were also members in the breeding societies- so practically
the CP-IG was very |
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powerful inside the breeding societies through its members.
And last but not least |
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the Interessengemeinschaft had always good contacts to the
parent society in Ireland - |
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this fact was very important all the time for not loosing the
roots of the breed. |
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Nearly 90 % of the Connemara-breeders in Germany are
organized in the CP-IG. |
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The IG was it also who produced a general breed standard for
Germany and now |
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every state in Germany has the same breed standard for
Connemara Ponies, which is |
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the most important thing to keep the breed true outside
Ireland. |
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The IG is a member of the FN (our German horse board)
and is heard in every |
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nationwide decision which is made about Connemara Ponies. We
are proud on that |
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because we can now present a very true to type Connemara Pony
in Germany and all |
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the Irish judges who were present on every show the last eight
years were very pleased |
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about the good quality of the German breeding. |
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The Connemara-Pony in Germany was and is for the first
a reliable family pony that |
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can be ridden by children and adults likewise. Some Connemaras
have earned great |
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honour under saddle in jumping and dressage arenas. Just
recently Libelle, a daughter |
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of May Prince and Lovelly Bellis was the best sports pony in
the south of Germany. |
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And Rasmus, a registered sire by Dyamond's
Dandy got very much attention by jump- |
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ing more than 150 cms with his 15 year old rider. |
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Above all the Connemara is because of its very good
character, hardiness and dura- |
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bility an excellent partner for the leasure-time riding which
is very popular in |
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Germany. The breed has made itself lots of friends over the
last 30 years and is still |
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getting more and more admirers. Although it is not easy to
sell colt foals (which |
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seems to be an world-wide problem in all breeds) we have a
very good market for |
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our products. The Connemara has conquered a stronghold in the
German horse scene. |
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Outstanding
ponies |
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