Lisa Martin-Gerdes &
Magic Dragon
|
Breed
and Sport News > Connemaras
New Internet Resource for Connemaras
A new internet resource is available online for Connemaras. Lisa
Martin-Gerdes of Redbud Ranch, Sacremento CA, hopes the new website
will become a central spot for Connemara breeders to find stallions,
breeders, and ponies for sale. The site has been up since January
6, 2005, and after three days had already sold one pony. They have
had interest from across the United States, and from as far away
as Australia. Lisa says she plans to add an international translator
to the web pages, so visitors from around the world can get some
idea of the site's content. The site includes photo ads for Stallions
Worldwide, International Sales Lists, a US/Canada sales list, and
text ads for Ponies Wanted. The best part for pony owners? Ads are
free until 2006.
Lisa, a graduate of UC Davis' Animal Science degree, has been a
lifelong equestrian who grew up on the Martin family's Maple Knoll
Farm, raising and training thoroughbreds, in Hollis, New Hampshire.
During her career at the University of California, she has worked
as a Stallion Manager/Handler, in the Intensive Care, Neonatal,
Medicine and Surgical units, and was involved with various research
projects with the university's Equine Performance Laboratories.
She has also shown two horses to the national level in hunter/jumpers
as an amateur.
When asked why she chose to get into pony breeding, Lisa laughs,
"Well," she says, "I think everyone gets to a certain
point in their life!" 'That point' being children; Lisa now
has a two-year-old daughter. "I just wanted to own something
with the temperament and athletic ability that I could share it
with her," she says. Connemaras seemed to be a perfect fit.
They were also prompted to get into breeding by the fact that sport
ponies are becoming so popular in the US, as their athleticism,
which has been long recognized in Europe, becomes more well-known.
"At the European Pony Championships," says Lisa, "the
Connemaras absolutely dominated the dressage and eventing. They
are incredibly talented."
She also had a several links to Connemaras in her own childhood,
though they weren't all realized until later in life. "When
I was about twelve years old, and a riding student, my instuctor
asked me if I would go out to teach a younger student on her own
pony. This pony was a four-year-old Connemara gelding, and he was
just the perfect gentleman. He always stuck out in my mind, so I
remembered him and actually later saw him in a Connemara book."
Later Lisa found out that her lesson barn had in fact owned several
Connemaras.
Lisa says she plans to gradually expand what the Goodpony site has
to offer, including vet and farrier articles (Lisa's husband, Max
Gerdes, is a Certified Journeyman Farrier), and import/export information
for breeders.
Connemaras @ Goodpony.net
www.goodpony.net/ConnemaraP.html
|
