Sarah Hodgkins

We were very sad to hear that Sarah Hodgkins had died on Friday 14th October after a long illness.

Sarah’s first Connemara pony was a mare called Daisy Chain. Initially used for riding, Daisy Chain went on to breed  4 foals for Sarah,  with the Spinway prefix being registered in 1969. Many great ponies followed after Sarah’s move from Leicestershire to Leafield in Oxfordshire in 1971. It is hard to pick anyone of these but surely Spinway Comet, a son of Thunderbolt, must be one of the best known having a successful career both In Hand and under saddle.

Sarah is the only person to have held every office on the Council of the British Connemara Pony Society having taken over as Secretary when Louise Barthorp finally retired in 1977. She also served as Treasurer and Chairman and did much work on the Society’s Articles and Rules. Sarah was made a Life Member of the Society in 2020 in recognition of her tireless work. As well as this work,  Sarah was a Colt and Filly Inspector and a respected judge. Her outstanding eye for a pony enabled her to bring many ponies over from Ireland and, as well as Comet, she stood many other stallions including Atlantic Rebel, , Ashfield Blue Rock, Atlantic Ace. and the home bred Spinway Corsaire and Spinway Prosperity.

The Society has lost someone whose knowledge, capacity for hard work and dedication to the Breed will be irreplaceable.

Photo: Satu Pitkanen