Festival of the Connemara Pony

The Festival of the Connemara Pony is a celebration of the Connemara Pony breed with week-long activities.

The Connemara Pony is a distinctive breed with excellent qualities: strong, intelligent and very hard working, perfect for the wild unforgiving landscape of Connemara, the Galway region that gave them their name. Their genial disposition makes them excellent pets while their powerful build makes them good jumpers and great show ponies. The annual Connemara Pony Festival & Show attracts visitors from all over the world.

The highlight of the festival is on Thursday and Friday, when the biggest showcase of Connemara Ponies in the world takes place. Ponies compete in in-hand classes, ridden classes, working hunter classes, and in a puissance competition. Visitors are treated to the spectacle of seeing the ponies demonstrate their prowess in trials and competitions under the watchful eye of experienced judges and a win is always a source of great pride for the pony’s dedicated owner. For non-pony enthusiasts, there is a dog show, a domestic arts show and Irish Dancing.

Wednesday 19th August

• International Performance Hunter (Team event)
• Final of Irish Green Hunter (please refer to list of qualifiers for qualifying shows)
• Family Working Hunter
• Final of 3 Year Old Loose Jumping (please refer to list of qualifiers for qualifying shows)
• Final of 4 Year Old Performance Mare (please refer to list of qualifiers for qualifying shows)

Thursday 20th August

• The ridden (flat) and in hand classes will take place on Thursday
• Dog Show
• Best Dressed Lady competition & most Appropriate Dressed Gentleman
• Irish Dancing
• Domestic Arts

Friday 21st August

• Working Hunter classes (pre entry)
• Final of Clifden High Performance (please refer to list of qualifiers for qualifying shows)
• Puissance (pre entry)
• Parade of Champions around the town of Clifden