Round Robin’s Easter Bonnet – winner of 1997 Broodmare Trophy - ACPS
By Joanie McKenna
Round
Robin' Easter Bonnet with Chapman Hopkins who competed her successfully in
hunter and eventing into her 30s.
Round Robin’s Easter Bonnet is one of those “together” women that everybody loves to hate. The dark bay mare has managed to produce nine quality offspring while pursuing a successful athletic career, volunteering time with Therapeutic Horsemanship and traveling to the Kentucky Horse Park to represent the Connemara breed.
Still sporting a youthful figure, the 35-year-old 1997 recipient of the ACPS Outstanding Broodmare Trophy, donated by Marian Molthan.
Robin, out of *Clare Dun by Foxridge Starboy, was born at Charlotte Read’s Round Robin Farm in New Hampshire. She was purchased as a yearling by the Bailey family of Lynfields Farm, Vermont. “Of all the young stock, she was the best-looking and the healthiest of the bunch, “ Jim Bailey said recently.
Robin’s first foal came as a surprise a year later in 1965, after a fellow yearling apparently bred her in the pasture. That foal was followed by eight more in the next 11 years. (The foals are listed at the end of this article). During this time Robin also showed, evented and Pony Clubbed with one of the Bailey’s children.
In 1975, Robin was purchased by the McKenna’s of Kerrymor Farm in St. Louis. She arrived with Lynfields Kiltuck, six months old, at her side and Kerrymor’s Autumn Hope on the way. Hope’s birth would be the last because it caused too much scaring for Robin to carry any more foals.
At age 13, Robin returned to the ring with Joanie McKenna, also 13, finding success in pony hunter, Connemara divisions, hunter trials and pair classes with Tre Awain Rue Loren. Robin went on to be a school horse at two barns, then a favorite dressage horse in the Therapeutic Horsemanship program in St. Louis. She returned to the hunter right at age 25 with Joanie, winning the Connemara division at Bridlespur in 1988.
In 1989, Robin spent the summer at the Kentucky Horse Park as the Connemara representative, and met 5-year-old Chapman Hopkins, whose mother was running the program. Chapman’s own Connemara, Bitterashe, was slowing dying of melanoma, and Chapman grew fond of Robin after riding her. When the Hopkins moved to Cleveland later in the year, they asked to take Robin with them. Chapman and Robin showed in several hunter divisions and “always took home the championship, or, at worst, the reserve.” Kathy Hopkins said the pair were also calendar kids in one of Northern Ohio Dressage Association’s calendars.
In 1993, The Hopkins moved to Georgia, and Chapman and Robin tried their hand at eventing. Again they were always in the ribbons and no one could believe Robin was in her 30s. Kathy says, “Event the vets thought we were greatly exaggerating her age.” When the family moved again to North Carolina, when Robin was 33 and Chapman was 11, and Robin’s last event was at the Fence competition in Tryon, NC. They were the only Junior entry to place in the Open Division finishing third. (Their photo, taken about this time, is on the cover.)
Robin’s show career ended when Chapman grew a foot in a year, so Robin has turned to help an even younger generation, as the leadline mount of the Hopkin’s young neighbor, Dante DiMaggia.
The Hopkins have donated a perpetual trophy in Robin’s honor in the pony hunter division at the Duke Charity Horse Show. Who knows? Maybe she’ll win it some day.
Robin’s foals:
1965 Lynfields Misbeat – Owned by Margaret Osgood and her mother for most of her life, loved to teach children. Had two foals.
1967 Lynfields Sinn Fein – Successful show pony in New England for many years.
1969 Lynfields Killary Bay – Owned by Robert Morgan, Vermont.
1970 Lynfields Finn MacCool – former owner Meg Nichols said it was a shame he never had proper training: “I once saw him take a 4-foot fence from the low side on his own,” she said. At last check he was giving lessons at Stoneleigh Burnham.
1971 Lynfields Tullra Lass – Won conformation classes in Ontario, and taught children and grandchildren of the Ryan family.
1972 Lynfields Kylemore – Dr. James Bailey said Kylemore was a wonderful children’s pony and a wonderful broodmare producing excellent foals.
1973 Lynfields Killaloe – Show pony hunter in Edmonton, Canada
1975 Lynfields Kiltuck – Ribbons in dressage and eventing. Horse of the Year with the St. Louis Dressage Society at Training Level ridden by Louise Shapleigh. Reserve Champion Connemara to his sister, Autumn Hope, at Bridlespur. Successful stallion who sired many talented, athletic offspring including the two stallions Kerrymor Madison and Kerrymor Finbar.
1976 Kerrymor's Autumn Hope - Three-time winner of the AHSA/ACPS Clifden Trophy for High Point Pony Hunter, ridden by Nicole Haas, and many wins with Michele Haas. Currently ridden by their mother, Elaine, in Missouri. Hope was also a barrel racer, jack rabbit hunter and cow pony in Arizona with the McKenna family.