The Council of the CPBS met last night in the Westwood House Hotel. Following the ICCPS AGM in Clifden it was reported by the International committee that next year the ICCPS AGM will be held on the Wednesday of show week instead of Tuesday. The Marketing committee reported that the stand at the Ploughing Championships was a good success and thanked the Midlands Group, the Southern Group and the South Eastern Group for their help in manning the stand. The results of the online survey on the Connemara pony festival being carried out by the Marketing committee will be presented at the next Council meeting. Under Operating Procedures on the Agenda Jerry Mahon presented three documents prepared by the Memorandum and Articles sub committee. The first of these relates to protocols and procedures for CPBS judges. The second document relates to protocols and procedures for ring stewards and the third document relates to Grievance protocols and complaints procedures. All three documents were unanimously accepted by the Council. The committee are currently working on a protocol for exhibitors. The Council congratulated Emma Massingale on winning the International Equestrian film awards Short Documentary in Montana USA on Sunday and acknowledged the huge exposure she is giving to Connemara ponies. During the President’s address Tom MacLochlainn congratulated and thanked all those who took part and who helped during the Connemara Pony festival. He identified the selection of judges as a priority and said the judges for all competitions and rings must be selected by the 1^st of March and the schedule should be also available by this date. The need to look at every aspect of the festival week was discussed and it was agreed to put a review committee in place. The possibility of also including Saturday as part of the show was mentioned. The President felt that some recent posts on a Council member’s Facebook page may be in breach of the by law adopted at the last Council meeting and should be investigated further. The Education committee was asked to organise a judge’s refresher course during November as a first step towards the selection of Clifden judges for 2016. The annual Christmas show will be held on Saturday 12^th December in Creagh Equestrian Centre, Ballinasloe. The show will feature two foal classes and it is hoped to include some show jumping competitions in the schedule. On Sunday 13^th December an Educational Conference will take place in Hayden’s Hotel. Topics being presented will include HWSD, Linear Profiling, In-breeding, Classification and Current Performance Ponies. On the 29^th November the Annual General Meeting of the CPBS will take place in Hayden’s Hotel, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Under the newly approved Memorandum and Articles of Association a postal ballot will take place prior to the AGM for elections to the Council. An independent company will post a ballot paper to all members eligible to vote. The ballot papers will be returned to the Returning Officer who will count the ballot papers on the 12^th of November. Candidates and their chosen observer will be invited to attend the count. If the number of candidates going forward in any province does not exceed the number of seats available the seats will be drawn by lot and no election will take place in that province. The October Council meeting will take place on Monday 19^th October.