Published: Wednesday, 3rd March, 2010 5:00pm

Castletown-Geoghegan breeder produces European champion

Comments (0) | Print | Email

Pat and Mary have turned thier hobby into a fulltime job that they love.

A seven-year-old Connemara pony, by the name of Ballyowen Maybelle Molly, took gold at last year's European Championships in Belgium. Owned by Anthony McCormack of Ardmore, Mullingar, Ballyowen Maybelle Molly pipped another Irish bred pony, Murphy's Flight in a jump-off for the coveted prestigious award.

A great day for Westmeath, and for the Connemara breed, but one little known fact is that Ballyowen Maybelle Molly actually started on the trek to success on a farm at Castletown-Geoghegan, where many a success story has originated.

Pat and Mary Rabbitte of Monaghanstown Stud have been breeding Connemara Ponies for twenty six years now. The Rabbittes purchased their first mare - April Star, in Ballinasloe in 1984 from another Connemara breeder, John Fitzpatrick from Mullingar. And, what first started out as a hobby turned into a lifetime passion for them both.

"Well we had a site beside the house and we thought we'd buy a pony to graze it," says Pat.

"No, you were going to buy me a pony to ride, that was it," interjects Mary. "We didn't know what we were buying. We just went down to get a pony. We got no advice on it, we just bought with our eye. We took a liking to what we saw on the day and it took off from there," she says.

"We got a lot of advice from the person we bought our first pony from, and he gave us a lot of ideas, and we wrote to a lot of stallion owners and started going to shows. We learned bit by bit: you don't know everything overnight like," continues Mary.

"The mare's third foal happened to be the makings of a stallion, and he eventually bred the mare that won the gold medal for Ireland in the European Championships - Ballyowen Maybelle Molly."

Connemaras are known for their good temperament. They are ideal for children, for riding, jumping, dressage, cross-country, you name it and they're good at it. The breed has spread across the world to 17 different countries. However it is over 50 years ago since the first Connemara ponies came to Westmeath, when Colonel Bellingham brought them to Tudenham.

On the day the Westmeath Examiner came to visit, nine-year-old Monaghanstown Prince is paraded around his home. Measuring just over 14 hands in height, Monaghanstown Prince is a sight to behold, so it's little wonder that this pony is Pat and Mary's prize stallion. There are two other stallions at Monaghanstown Stud - Monaghanstown Fionn and Monaghanstown Boy, which Pat and Mary have high hopes for.

"Well people are still bringing their mares to them anyway so they must like them. There's a good line there," says Pat.

Both Pat and Mary go to various shows every year, showing their ponies from early June to September, which involves a lot of hard work.

"You get up at half four in the morning, wash the pony, and head West. You get home that night maybe at eight o'clock. Meeting people with the same interests as yourself is great," continues Pat. "The whole family gets enjoyment out of it. Patrick, our son comes with us, and our daughter, Sandra used to come with us when she was a girl."

"What started out as a hobby turned into an obsession you could say," continued Pat. "You make a few pound in the summer with the mares coming but you spend it back then in the winter keeping them all fed. It keeps a lad out of the pub!" he says.

"You have to love them," adds Mary. "It's a lot of hard work during the winter I can tell you, between feeding them morning and night."

One big happy family

Pat and Mary are part of a wider network of pony breeders in the Midlands - The Midlands Connemara Pony Breeders Group takes in five counties, Laois, Offaly, Westmeath, Longford and Kildare. Mary is Secretary of the Group.

"We not only hold a show but we put on seminars," she says. "We have a stallion parade coming up in Mullingar Equestrian Centre in March. We have a social then just before Christmas. There's a great social side to it too because it brings people from all over, from the West as well, they all come up here. It's like on big happy family - all us pony breeders like."

How has the recession affected the pony business?

"A pony is the first thing you could do without. They're not worth what they were two years ago but nothing is worth what it was then. But it will come back up again I'd say," says Pat. "People who got into them overnight will get out of them just as quick, but when you're twenty-six-years at them it's hard to change isn't it!" he adds. "An old man said to me the other day that people will only buy them when they get dear again!"

So what's the key to breeding a good pony?

"It's all the luck of the draw," says Pat.

"Well if you start off like we did with a really good mare, our April Star won Clifden in '92, and to win in Clifden is something special. Once you have a mare that has won in Clifden, then chances are she's going to breed something very nice like herself," adds Mary.

In fact five of April Star's offspring won in Clifden - the largest Connemara horse show in the world.

"We've been very luck because Clifden is the place, it's like the Croke Park of the Connemara world," says Pat.

"You'll always remember your first big win," says Mary. "That was back in '92, and April's Star's filly foal won her class the same day, so that was a very exciting day for us. And Monaghanstown Fred came second in his class on the very same day."

And from April onwards, life will be very busy for Pat and Mary, whose seven mares are all expecting foals!

"That will be a bit of excitement - especially at night time". We purchased a new stallion there last year so we'll be looking forward to seeing his foals because they'll be all new to us," concluded Pat.