Pony Histories
Having been loaned a copy of the first issue of 'An Capaillín', it occurs that the articles within may not have been published other than in the volume itself. So this is a new work in progress.....
JOHN JOYCE AND THE SPARROW AND CUCKOO PONIES.
First published in Volume 1 of 'An Capaillín', the journal of the Connemara Pony Breeders Society, 1999.
No author's name was recorded, but the editor of the volume was Tríona Ní Rainne.
The 75th Annual Pony Show at Clifden on 20th August 1998 will long be remembered as one of the wettest show days in the history of the Society, but the miserably cold, wet day ended in triumph for John Joyce, Ballyconneelly, when the Supreme Championship of the Show was awarded to his four year old homebred mare, May Day Cuckoo, ( M 10755 ), s. Smokey Duncan ( S 871 ) d. Heather Cuckoo ( M 8509 ), making it a remarkable achievement for her owner and also for Joe McCann who had helped produce her and showed her in the ring. It was a popular win and particularly fitting that the Supreme Championship at this special 75th Anniversary Show went to a breeder from Connemara.
John Joyce has been one of the most enthusiastic exhibitors at the Show for over forty years, and has been consistently sucessful as a breeder. He has bred a great line of winning ponies from his father Peter's founding mare, Lor Sparrow
( M 1264 ), and his 1998 Champion, May Day Cuckoo, represents the fourth generation of this famous female line.
The Sparrow Ponies.
The foundation mare for John Joyce's long line of ponies was Lor Sparrow ( M 1264 ), foaled in 1947 s. Keehaune Laddie ( S 87 ), d. Sparrow ( M 855 ) by Noble Star ( S 17 ). Sparrow was a fine big mare who was sadly killed on the road when her foal was only a few weeks old, and the Dunne family, who owned her, raised the foal on a bottle. The foal was sold to Michael Flaherty, Ballinaboy, who registered her as Lor Sparrow, and she came to the Joyce family when she was ten years old with a black colt foal at foot.
Peter Joyce showed Lor Sparrow at Clifden in 1960 and she won her class for mares of seven years and over with her first filly foal at foot by Dun Lorenzo ( S 55 ). This foal was registered as Wise Sparrow ( M 2270 ), and she remained with John Joyce at Ballyconneelly until 1965, when she won the five to six year old mare class and the Young Mares Championship with her second foal at foot, a filly by Carna Dun ( S 89 ). In 1965 Wise Sparrow was sold to Jimmy Jones to become a much valued foundation mare for his Ashfield Stud in Carlow, and bred five good foals to Carna Bobby ( S 79 ), including the outstanding show jumping stallion of International fame, Ashfield Bobby Sparrow ( S 444 ) and his full brother Ashfield Sparrow ( S 583 ), who became resident stallion at Ashfield Stud and sire of many sucessful ponies including Abbeyleix Fionn ( S 810 ).
Wise Sparrow's 1965 filly foal by Carna Dun was later sold to Lady Maria Levinge and was registered as Dun Sparrow ( M 3025 ). She became one of the foundation mares at Grange Stud in Wexford, and was the dam of three stallion sons including the resident stallion Grange Bobbing Sparrow ( S 623 ). She also won the Clifden Supreme Championship for Lady Maria in 1972.
Another of Lor Sparrow's daughters was Sparrow Hill ( M 3661 ), foaled in 1967, by Rebel Wind ( S 127 ), and she also bred two outstanding foals for Peter Joyce. They were both by Abbeyleix Owen ( S 496 ), the first was a filly Silver Sparrow ( M 6898 ), foaled in 1976, who was sold to Michael Clancy, Spiddal, and won the Supreme Championship for him in 1985. She was later sold to M. Hubert Laurent in France, and in 1998 two of her daughters bred in France at the Melody Stud were judged Champion Junior and Champion Senior mare at the National Show at Poitiers.
Silver Sparrow's full brother, foaled in 1979, was the stallion Cuchulainn ( S 789 ), who was owned by James de Courcy, Roundstone. He won the stallion class at Clifden in 1986, and was a Grade A showjumper. He was also the sire of Rocky ( S 914 ), d. Silver Fort ( M 7281 ), bred by Joe Gorham, Kingstown Stud, and won the Junior and Supreme Championships at Clifden in 1991, so becoming the second Clifden Champion from this branch of the 'Sparrow' family.
The Cuckoo Ponies.
John Joyce retained Wise Sparrow's first foal by Clonkeehan Auratum ( S 104 ), foaled in 1963, to carry on the line, and she was named Wise Cuckoo ( M 2714 ). She bred many good foals during her 27 years at Ballyconneelly, and gave her name, Cuckoo, to many of her progeny. Wise Cuckoo was the dam of two notable stallions; the first was Sarsfield ( S 579 ), foaled in 1973, by Killyreagh Kim ( S 308 )( by Carna Bobby S 79 ), who was a Society stallion and stood in Connemara from 1976 to 1980. Her second stallion son, Silver Cloud ( S 811 ), by Skryne Bright Cloud ( S 622), was foaled in 1981, and stood with Tim Carey alongside his Thoroughbred and Irish Draught stallions in Co.Westmeath.
Among the daughters of Wise Cuckoo to carry her name was April Cuckoo ( M 7714 ), a full sister to Silver Cloud, who won her class at Dublin and Clifden in 1981 as a three year old, when owned by Lady de Vesci, and was subsequently sold to France. Sadly, she was killed by lightening at a young age. Her full sister, June Cuckoo ( M 8083 ), has remained at Ballyconneelly with Tom McWilliams, and June's daughter, Amaryllis Cuckoo ( M 9261 ), produced twin foals by Coral Prince ( S 934 ) in 1995, only the second set of twins to be recorded in the society's history.
Wise Cuckoo then had two fillies by Mervyn Kingsmill ( S 762 ), and these were named Heather Cuckoo ( M 8509 ), foaled in 1984, and Maureen's Cuckoo ( M 8799 ) in 1986. Both fillies were sucessful in the show ring, and were always well placed each year at Clifden, and in 1989 John Joyce was proud to produce Maureen's Cuckoo to win the three year old mare class and the Killanin Cup, the Confined Championship, and the Supreme Championship ! She was later sold to England and then to Switzerland, where she bred a good stallion son by Cheviot Midas. Heather Cuckoo remained at Ballyconneelly to carry the line into the next generation, in 1990 replacing her dam, Wise Cuckoo, who died shotly after foaling at the age of 27 years, leaving a colt foal by Mervyn Kingsmill.
In 1994 Heather Cuckoo won the class for senior mares at Clifden aged ten, and her filly foal was Champion Foal of the show. The foal was by Smokey Duncan ( S 871 ), who was Supreme Champion in 1990, and this filly was the one chosen by John to keep on and maintain his line of good mares. She was foaled on 1st May and was named May Day Cuckoo ( M 10755 ), and having always been placed in the first three in the youngstock classes, she came to Clifden for the 75th Anniversary Show in 1998 and won the four year old class, the Archbishop's Cup, the Confined Championship and the Supreme.
It was a special moment for John Joyce, and a great reward for his faith in his own line of good breeding mares and his judgement in knowing the right one to keep on. May Day Cuckoo became the fifth Supreme Champion at Clifden to have been bred from the descendants of Lor Sparrow, and four of these were bred by John Joyce and his father, Peter, at Bunowen, Ballyconneelly. A unique breeding achievement !
Pictures to add. July 31 2010.
Kilduffahoo 2nd ( by Kilduffahoo by Sarsfield ex Wise Cuckoo )
photo from http://www.connemara-pony-ig.eu
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