This July the Kerry Bog Pony Society is moving its National Breed Show to the midlands for the first time. The show will be held at Mount Briscoe Rare and Traditional Breed Show, Daingean, Co Offaly on Sunday 22 July.

Last year was the inaugural running of this show in Mount Briscoe, which celebrated all of Ireland’s rare and traditional agricultural breeds. The show showcased Ireland’s agricultural heritage and values the preservation of our genetic biodiversity. Last year’s show was a wonderfully informative, enjoyable family day out.

Holding the Kerry Bog Pony Breed show outside of Kerry is an effort to introduce this endangered pony to a wider audience.

Surrounded by the boglands of Offaly, Margaret Edgehill’s Mount Briscoe Farm is a most suitable venue to showcase the Kerry Bog Pony.

Native breeds

As one of Ireland’s three native breeds, it will be exhibiting alongside Irish Draughts and Connemara Ponies at the show.

Kerry Bog Ponies were rescued from extinction in the 1990s and the population has grown very slowly, with about 35 foals being born each year. To put this in context there are approximately 90 Kerry Bog mares, in comparison to over 3,300 Connemara breeding mares and over 1,600 Irish Draught mares in Ireland.

John Mulvihill, chair of the Kerry Bog Pony Co-Operative Society said: “Holding our National show at Mount Briscoe Rare and Traditional Breed show is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the pony to a new audience.

“The Kerry Bog ponies themselves are the best promoters of the breed, displaying their wonderful temperament and character, and charming everyone who meets them!”

There will be classes for ponies of all ages, along with ridden and younger handler classes demonstrating the great temperament and versatility of the pony.

More information on the breed will be available at the society tent at the show. The show opens at 10am and the Kerry Bog Pony classes begin at 2pm.

For more info please see:

kerrybogpony.ie

mountbriscoe.ie