Merle-Smith Sporthorses

03/14/2025

Raven Sky is still taking names for his 2025 Little Black Book!
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Fifteen hundred carrots for two years
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Please email me at [email protected] to sign up your mare! I will send an agreement via DocuSign.

03/10/2025

We hope this boy will leave his mark on the Irish Draught world like his sire, Touch of the Blues. ☘️

Blue has a new zip code, a new logo, and a new jockey!
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Applications are open for his 2025 line-up of girlfriends! Get in touch with me at [email protected] to get your mare in his LITTLE BLACK BOOK!!!!
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All Blue offspring may be registered with the Irish Draught Horse Society as Irish Sport Horses!

03/08/2025

Happy 12th birthday to my best girl, my first homebred, my ride-or-die, does all the things Cookie Monster 👹 — FORTUNE COOKIE!!!! 🥠🥠🥠🥠🥠
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#🥠

03/05/2025

Galtee Mountain Boy is a 2019 15h+ purebred Connemara gelding who has been foxhunting and playing with his teenagers for several years. He has such a sweet temperament, three LOVELY gaits, and an impeccable jump!
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I rode him in Ireland and just fell in love with his positive and carefree attitude. Stay tuned for updates! 😉
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It only costs $30 to register your imported Connemara with the American Connemara Pony Society, so get it done!!

03/04/2025

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our new ☘️ Irish ☘️ horses! Please welcome Galtee Mountain Boy “Casper” and Fancy Adare “Aidan”!!!

Pedigrees -

https://beta.allbreedpedigree.com/galtee-mountain-boy-ARNxQS7k/pedigree

https://sporthorse-data.com/pedigree/fancy-adare

More info on these boys to follow! 🥰

02/28/2025

We are listing our WONDERFUL foxhunter, Arthur of Camelot! 💖
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Please email at [email protected] for inquiries! Would like to keep all inquiries in one place.

ARTHUR OF CAMELOT
A lovely, experienced hunter that can do it all is available in Virginia!

PLEASE CLICK ON LINK BELOW to contact owner.
https://www.foxhuntinghorse.com/arthur-of-camelot

02/24/2025

02/20/2025

If you even THINK you could make this happen, you should try!!! He is a WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE!!!!

02/18/2025

Blue Bayou’s first time jumping cross country! 🥰

She went down to the XC field all by herself and never made a peep!

02/12/2025

BLUE BAYOU
Connemara/Thoroughbred hunting 1st/2nd flight in VA!

https://youtu.be/8C9anx6Kmsw?si=Xt2-q1j5FqOS2-UV

Please click on link below to contact owner.

https://www.foxhuntinghorse.com/blue-bayou

02/06/2025

BEFORE and AFTER baby Cora’s second clip of the season tonight in prep for Belle Meade Hunt Week. PLUS — How lucky am I to have a Handy Hubby who can tack on a steel shoe?!
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02/01/2025

🦄🏇🦄🏇🦄🏇🦄🏇🦄🏇🦄🏇🦄🏇🦄🏇
Ganymede and Meg Pellegrini - Open Intermediate SJ - Galway Downs Winter HT January 2020
💗💗💗💗💗
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Ganymede is a registered Connemara/Thoroughbred mare, by Ballywhim A Luan “Louie”, out of Court Hawk. She was bred by Nicole Estep, and I bought her from Marilyn Salvetti. She was 6 years old, doing the 3ft jumpers with Kelsey Alvarez in 2009. In the 5.5 years that I owned and competed her, she won USEF Halfbred Connemara Reserve Champion Horse Of The Year twice, among several other accolades.
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As soon as Meg got her hands on her, she won her Beginner Novice division AND Top Pony at the 2015 American Eventing Championships, NUMEROUS wins as she climbed the levels with Meg, including the Theodore O’Connor Trophy for Top Eventing Pony of the Year… TWICE!!!
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Ganymede is the love of my life, and I’m so fortunate to share her with Meg as the love of her life. In 2021, I nominated her for the ACPS Tre Awain Lifetime Achievement Award for Halfbred Connemaras — I’m told they were just WAITING for the day she’d be nominated so she could receive it. I am so proud of her and all she’s done in her life. 💖
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Remember, this pony is only 14.2... and was almost 17 years old at the time of this video. She had gone to her first intermediate with me in 2012, almost 8 year prior to this. And she is the dam of my wonderful Fortune Cookie!
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BSF Liam (same sire - Ballywhim A Luan) competes at the 4* level with Braden Speck and has just won the ACPS McKenna Award for top USEF Halfbred Connemara for the second time.
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Ganymede is also the reason I have BSF Golden Snitch. Both Snitch and Liam were bred by Maura Jordan of Bittersweet Farm. Maura owned and competed Louie. It’s just amazing how it’s all intertwined. 😉

02/01/2025

This past weekend, Joel and I drove down to Thomson, GA, to judge Belle Meade’s MFHA Foxhound Performance Trial. As always, it was fantastic foxhunting camaraderie and some damn good hunting!
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Thanks to Belle Meade Hunt for hosting, Epp and Judith Wilson for putting us and our horses up (and feeding us breakfast every morning!), Ryan Johnsey for being our fearless leader/guest huntsman, Natalie Ware for being my amazing guide, and to all our fellow judges for making the judging simplified by spreading out and gathering as much data as possible.
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Joel and I brought four horses - our two faithful geldings, Winterstormwarning and Arthur of Camelot, and two foxhunting freshies - SRF Chilli Sunrise and Blue Bayou (both about 10 hunts into their career).
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Joel rode Arthur on day one and Bayou on day two. I didnt’t plan on it, but rode Chilli both days because she was still full of energy at the end of a slower day one. We lent Breezy to our good friend John Lemmon on day two.
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For two greenies, we were thoroughly impressed with Chilli and Bayou! They jumped plenty of coops - some on their own! - and got excellent hound scores. SRF Chilli Sunrise (coming 9yo) is by Chilli Morning (yep, the famous one 😉) out of Jetting West xx (bred by ) and Blue Bayou (coming 6yo) is by Langate Bluebeard (Connemara) out of Monyona xx (bred by and she is 4️⃣⛵️)
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Last photo is of all the judges, plus a TidBit Tipsy!
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📸 : Mark Jump Photography - photos 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7
📸 : Allison Howell images - photos 4, 7, 9
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01/28/2025

A little reminder