Connemara ponies go hi-tech as they gee up for a database

THE sun came out for the celebrated Connemara Pony Show at Clifden in Co Galway yesterday after the heavy rain of recent weeks.

But the sturdy ponies, with origins that are believed to go back 2,500 years, are well accustomed to coping with the vagaries of the weather.

The breed can go anywhere, live anywhere, does not require luxurious food, and has remarkable staying power. Many of the dry stone walls in the west were built from rocks moved by Connemara ponies fitted with creels.