About the BCPS

History of the BCPS

Following the foundation of the Irish Connemara Pony Breeders Society (CPBS) in 1923, word soon reached pony breeders in Britain of an excellent riding pony breed from the West of Ireland. One such breeder was the indomitable Cynthia Spottiswoode, who brought the first Connemara ponies over and did much to bring them to the attention of the wider public with the help of Sir James Pitman and John Meade. Together they formed the English Connemara Pony Society in 1947, which had a committee of six members headed by Cynthia.

After her death in 1953, the Society was reconstituted with John Meade as Chairman and Louise Barthorp as Secretary. They held these positions for many years, ensuring stability and continuity during those important early days. In 2004, the name was changed to the British Connemara Pony Society in order to reflect its status as an Affiliated Society of the CPBS, which covers the whole of Great Britain.

Many of the key services offered by the BCPS have a long history. In the early days of the Society, the National Pony Society (NPS) maintained a Connemara section for registered ponies, but in 1979 the Society established its own stud book both for UK-bred ponies and those bred abroad. The BCPS Stud Book continues to be produced annually. 2010 saw the introduction of Grassroots, a breeding database which enables pedigree and progeny data to be accessed easily, and which has proved an invaluable tool for serious breeders.

The first show held by the Society took place at King’s Ride, Ascot in 1948, and ever since then the BCPS Breed Show has been held annually. The Breed Show now takes place over two days with both in-hand and ridden sections. In recent years in particular, the performance aspects of the Connemara have been brought to the fore, with dressage, eventing, show-jumping, Trec and endurance becoming regular features in the Connemara’s ‘tool box’. These attributes are today highlighted at the Society’s annual Performance Day, as well as the prestigious Dressage and Eventing Championships.

Members are kept up to date with Connemara news through the Society’s publications. The first was the Quarterly Circular produced by Elizabeth Beckett, a breeder who did much to consolidate the information about the breed. A Society Yearbook was later proposed by the inimitable Pat Lyne, and in 1974 the first edition of the Connemara Chronicle appeared. From relatively humble beginnings, the publication has now grown to an impressive 250 pages of articles, show results and advertisements, and is an invaluable reference book for all Society members. Over its lifetime, the Chronicle has only had two editors – Pat Lyne and Lady Scott; a testament to the dedication of breeders to the Connemara Pony.

Further information on the history of the breed and the BCPS can be found in Pat Lyne’s excellent publications, which are available to buy from the Shop.