The first stallion to appear in the Connemara Pony studbook was the now legendary Cannon Ball. The Society’s first Approved Stallion list was compiled in 1925 and he appeared at the top of this list with his son Rebel. He was 20 years old when the first inspections were held at Oughterard.
Son of Dynamite out of a native mare, he was foaled in 1904 and stood 13hands 3 inches at full height. Owned by ‘Henri’ O’Toole, he worked on his farm at Leam, outside Oughterard. A weekly trip to Athenry Market on a Saturday consisted of a thirty-two mile journey each way. At various points on this route mare owners would wait with ponies for Cannon Ball’s service. For a fee of ten shillings, Henri would take him from the cart, remove harness and Cannon Ball would cover the mare.
Famed for his speed, it was his performances on race day that endeared Cannon Ball to so many. John Costello, a butcher’s son from Galway was his most regularly jockey. Described as ‘not an easy ride’ he would shake his head in anticipation and be ready for off when he saw the flag markers. He was well known to win more than one race in a day. The story goes a bet was take that Cannon Ball could not out run the train from Clifden to Galway. The bet was lost with Cannon Ball’s reputation for speed & stamina winning out.
He died of natural cases in March, 1926. He was waked in the traditional Irish fashion laid out on a stable door in Henri’s kitchen. Plenty of Guinness was raised in memory of his great days at the races. He was buried in a haylined grave standing up to face the Oughterard race course. An epitaph in the Connaught Tribune to Cannon Ball read:
‘Sleep brave old pony, thy race is run,
No more with earthly kin you’ll mingle.
Dream of racecourse triumphs you have won,
Of noble steeds and epic deeds,
And bookies left without a jingle.’
Cannon Ball’s legacy lives on today through the Blue Line and notable offspring including Rebel & later decadence Templebready Fear Buí