Sly Expanded

More Facts and Fun from both Sly and his family…

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2011 Champion Stallion and Reserve Supreme Purebred at the Midwest Connemara Breeder’s show under Irish judge, Heather Dean Wright
2016 Year End Champion GCHJA and LHJA Low Schooling (.85m to .95) Jumper (first year showing)
2017 Year End Champion GCHJA and LHJA High Schooling (1.0m to 1.10m) Jumper
2017 Purebred Performance Champion- Midwest Connemara Breed Show
2018 Year End Champion LHJA and Reserve GCHJA High Schooling (1.0 to 1.10m) Jumper
2019 Champion Stallion and Supreme Champion Purebred- Region 4 Connemara show under US judge, Gloria LaCroix

Multiple Championships at the 1.0m level in open competition at A shows. 

2019 Appeared in NCIS: New Orleans, Winter Premier, “Vindicta”
2020 Scene in the upcoming 2020 romantic comedy, The Lovebirds, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani, directed by Michael Showalter.

Article on Sly in Practical Horseman Magazine- Wildwych Wily Casanova: From Jumper Champion to TV Star

Sly is a proven performer who passes on his athleticism, type, enthusiasm, movement, and substance. Sly’s temperament is superb. He is handled and ridden by children and adults of all ages and abilities. He is kind, tolerant, and forgiving of mistakes both on the ground and undersaddle. While he has plenty of go, he is willing to come back as well, and stands quietly when it isn’t “his turn.” Sly is impeccably behaved at horse shows, often being ridden around the show grounds in a halter and lead rope by juniors. He has been successful at both the A show level and at schooling shows, in open competition and with juniors. Sly exudes Connemara type that he passes on to his get. He has a beautiful pony head and a large, kind eye. He is quite substantial, with a leg at each corner, a broad chest, and powerful and active hind leg. He is a very good mover with a balanced, uphill canter, rhythmic trot, and forward, active walk. He is a versatile pony who loves to go “do” regardless of what that might entail. Besides showing in the jumpers across the south, he has been shown in the hunters at local competition, competed in costume classes with juniors, attended dressage clinics where he received rave reviews, has jumped around the training level cross country course at Chatt Hills in GA (just for fun and with a junior!), has given pony rides to church groups, was leadline pony for a 4 year old child, has been on movie and tv sets, gone on trail rides in all sorts of terrain from rocky and hard to wet and muddy and everything in between, given lessons to all levels of riders, and is currently the go to pony at home for visitors to brush, bathe, and ride. All of this he has done completely barefoot. At 12 years old, he has never been shod and multiple farriers have remarked about the excellent quality of his hoof. Sly is both a gentleman and a fierce competitor with a heart of gold in a tough, pony suit.

Though his get are far from numerous, he has consistently improved gait, temperament, and athletic ability in both purebred and nonConnemara mares. His purebred get have excellent breed type, good bone, and are substantial, good moving ponies. They inherit his beautiful head and his kind disposition as well as his keen desire to be with their humans in any endeavor. His two halfbred get are both willing, kind, and eager to learn as well as being substantial, athletic, and brave. His oldest son, purebred gelding Wildwych Porker Blue, has competed successfully up to and including the 1.0m jumpers in open competition, has done the hunters and equitation, swam in the ocean, galloped on the beach, dragged logs, played “round up pony” a few times, and was stunt pony on a movie set. Porker is a beautiful mover with a fabulous jump and a great pony character. Blue Rock Fintan, Sly’s oldest stallion son, has also demonstrated his versatility and kindness. He has shown in the hunters (winning Reserve Champion at his first time out), in the Hopeful Jumpers, and is just beginning his career as an eventer showing himself to be athletic, eager, and game. Fintan’s temperament is superb. He is a beautiful mover and correct jumper who is also brave and willing. Like his sire, he’s ridden by all levels of riders and is kind and forgiving without losing his competitive edge. Fintan has traveled around the south at various clinics, shows, and fun days, always on his best behavior, always willing to go to work when asked, yet standing quietly and calmly when needed. Blue Rock Romeo, another Sly purebred gelding son, is just beginning his show career, winning a division in the jumpers at his first outing. He shows great promise and has a lovely, powerful jump. Three year old purebred, Blackwing Fleur de Lis, is just starting his under saddle career. He’s level headed and a lovely mover who is already developing a been there, done that mentality. As a yearling, he traveled to St. Louis, MO and was shown in and won a led trail class. Though he’d not been off the farm prior, his behavior was excellent. All four of these boys are ridden and compete barefoot.

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Bunowen Castle Ri

Village Boy X Bunowen Castle Queen

Sly comes from a family of winning ponies- both performance and on the line. His sire, Bunowen Castle Ri, was bred in Ireland and stands at Blackthorne Stud in the UK. Ri was an incredible performance and winning in hand pony with a long list of accomplishments. Here are a few of the highlights of his outstanding career:

• NPS Baileys Olympia M&M Supreme Ridden Champion 2007
• NPS Reserve Cuddy Qualifier 2007
• BCPS In Hand Supreme Champion 2007
• BCPS Ridden Supreme Champion 2007
• NPS Baileys Supreme M&M Champion 2005
• HOYS Reserve Supreme Pony of the Year 2005
• HOYS Supreme M&M Champion 2005
• M&M Ridden Champion Royal Windsor Show 2005 

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Oxenholm Matador

Marble X Oaklands Silver Orchid

Sly’s dam, *Rudgeway Silver Filigree, though never shown herself, is from a family of performance and in hand winners. Filigree’s sire, Oxenholm Matador is by the famed Marble, a pony well known for passing on jumping ability. Matador himself was a very versatile performance pony who consistently passed along his athleticism and versatility to both his purebred and his halfbred get. Among Matador’s many achievements are numerous NPS Working Hunter and M&M ridden classes. At six years old, he was BCPS Champion Ridden pony and won the Connemara class at Olympia. As a seven year old, he was BCPS Champion Stallion and Reserve Supreme Champion Connemara. As a twelve year old, he was Overall Champion Performance winner, Side Saddle, and Elementary Dressage winner at the BCPS Ridden show. For the BCPS Golden jubilee show, Matador, at nineteen years old, came out of retirement to win the Side Saddle, Stallion, and progeny classes. Matador was also a fabulous producer of performance ponies and halfbred horses. 

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Filigree has multiple full siblings who excelled in eventing, dressage, jumping, and in hand in the UK and well as having produced multiple performance ponies herself. Sly has a halfbrother, Wildwych Peccadillo, who competed through Prix St. Georges, another half brother, Wildwych Bamboozle, who was the mount for the 2018 USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals 13 and Under National Champion, a half sister, Wildwych Belladonna, who has successfully competed in the hunters, jumpers, and dressage as well as in hand and is now assuming broodmare duties for Catskills Connemaras, a halfbrother, Wildwych Give “Em Hell Harry, who competes with his kid in hunters and dressage, a half brother, Wildwych Kite Runner, who competes with his kids in Pony Club, and another halfbrother, Wildwych Shiver Me Timbers, who was the West Coast Connemara Yearling Futurity winner in 2015. Filigree is bred to T F Classic Twist for a 2020 fall foal. Keeping our fingers crossed as we are super excited to meet that foal!

More pics of Sly and his people