Native Pony February 2022 (150)

pony FEBRUARY 2022 ISSUE 150

LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW Coverage of the BSPS Le Mieux Heritage Final Shetland Pony Grand National

Behind the scenes with JESSICA TALBOT

• IZZY ARMSTRONG on her jumping superstar, Captain • NEW FOREST Point to Point • Jaqueline Berg on her driving Dartmoor detectives

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 1

LO-CAL

BALANCER LOW CALORIE LOW STARCH LOW SUGAR LOW ENERGY At rest or in light work, they’ll look fabulous on a couple of mugs a day all year round!

Supports overall health, well-being, top line and hoof growth, from just 1 coffee mug a day - quantity varies according to bodyweight Provides a premium package of vitamins, minerals and quality protein, without unwanted calories SUITABLE FOR THOSE PRONE TO

GASTRIC ULCERS

Photo by White Cat Photography

AS PART OF ABALANCED DIET

@osh.dressage with OSH Broughton the Saracen (aka Alfie), Welsh Section D stallion

1 mug = 34p (approx)

For your free sample: Baileys Horse Feeds Tel: 01371 850 247 (option 3) www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

2 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

MADE IN OUR OWN

UK MILL

A word from our editor Dear Reader, This issue was pulled together as we negotiated our way through the closing month of yet another tumultuous year and stepped gingerly into this one. My social media feed is often peppered with memes, but over the new year, one struck a chord with me and I giggled every time I saw it.

The general surmise of it was that hopefully, someone will have given 2022 a good pre-emptive session on the lunge before we all got on board. I’m still hopeful that’s the case, especially as my diary really is filling up with shows and events that I would dearly love to attend.

Until late November 2021, few words had evoked in me the same mixture of stomach-knotting nerves and brimming excitement. HOYS. OLYMPIA. ROYAL WELSH. CHRISTMAS. I could go on, but you’ll have surely caught the gist of what I mean. Well, now I have a new word to add to the mix: EDITOR. So, it’s probably fitting that my first issue as editor should have coverage of the London International Horse Show – the ‘new’ Olympia. Just as we enjoyed watching showgrounds across the country reopen their gates and showrings last summer, it was wonderful to see ponies returning to London for the BSPS LeMieux Heritage Final, albeit in its new home at the Exel Arena. How fortuitous for us all that the London International Horse Show organisers were able to accommodate the final at such short notice!

I’ve more to say on the new venue in this issue’s ‘talking points’ so I won’t say any more here, but suffice to say that the heritage final really was quite the spectacle and a pleasure to watch. You’ll find further coverage of the show in the forthcoming Showing World, so be sure to pick up a copy of that, too.

but their people are, too. I am extremely grateful to the wonderful individuals who give up their time to promote ‘their’ breed in the magazine. To those individuals: thank you. To everyone else, make sure you keep abreast of who to contact and for what.

One such story I had never heard of before was that of the New Forest Point to Point. Boy! Do I wish I had a New Forest to take part! It looks tremendous fun! I take my hat off to the riders and ponies to traverse the landscape at such speed.

On the other hand, a story I had previously heard and had wanted to write about was section D, Rhencullen Tommy Tucker’s tale. His breeder, Carol Prater told my sister, Maggie about him at HOYS and I had to find out more.

It took me a while, but I tracked down his rider, Izzy, and the rest of the tale isn’t history, it’s written-up in this issue for you to hear, too!

Anyway, back to where I started : pulling together this issue. When the final pages of this magazine were set, I felt a surge of excitement; my first magazine as editor was about to leave my hands and embark on its journey to you, the reader. Now, as I imagine you flicking through with your morning cup of tea, my stomach is turning faster than the tumble dryer. So, all that remains to say is this: I sincerely hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed editing it.

- Beth

As well as the native showing, I thoroughly enjoyed the nail-biting Shetland Pony Grand National unfold. It just goes to show that there’s merit in the label, ‘small but mighty’, as the ten ponies and jockeys at the show more than rose to the occasion: they raised the roof.

I have always had an appreciation of the equine in all shapes and sizes: natives, part-breds, sporty, chunky, big and small. Equine behaviour, science and training of all kinds has also fascinated me. But my new role with the Native Pony is forcing me to delve deeper and look beyond the showring and the showing community for the stories that I write. It’s been a revelation and I can honestly say that I’m loving it. It turns out that natives of all kinds are even more wonderful, even more popular, and even more versatile than even I believed. Not only that, but their heritage and associated traditions are so very interesting.

Because of the breadth of disciplines covered in these pages, I won’t lie, the prospect of sourcing a sufficient amount of engaging content to fill the pages scared me.

Where on earth would I find the Dales doing dressage?

Or the Exmoor driving star? It turns out I needn’t have worried. Not only are the native ponies wonderful,

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 3

Contents Features 6. London International Horse Show 14. Captain - Ready for Take-Off 18. In the Spotlight: Jessica Talbot 30. New Forest Point-to-point

Regulars

6

22. Ruth on the Hoof 48. Out and About 52. Connemara Breed News 55. Dales Breed News 56. Dartmoor Breed News 57. Fell Breed News 58. Highland Breed News 59. Shetland Breed News 60. Exmoor Breed News 62. Welsh Breed News 64. New Forest Breed News

18 22

30 Disclaimer: The view and opinions expressed within the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or Showing World Limited and while every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in the magazine is correct and current at the date of publication, Showing World Limited will not accept any liability. Showing World Limited will not be held responsible for the appearance of photographic material supplied without the necessary consent, copyright and/or photographer’s details. In

58

59

addition, Showing World Limited offers no guarantee of publication and reserve the right to edit any reader’s letters, press releases, reports and articles submitted.

Showing World Limited 2022. All rights reserved. No part of Native Pony may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or shared in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to; electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of Showing World Limited.

4 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Talking Point LONDON INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW:

THE VENUE

Native exhibitors and enthusiasts breathed an enormous sigh of relief when the London International Horse Show team saved the day to host the BSPS Heritage final. Nevertheless, the news was also met with a degree of scepticism on account of the show’s new venue: the London Excel Arena. How could it ever match the arena at Olympia? I for one was pleasantly surprised. For a start, negotiating my way there from the opposite end of the M4 was much easier than I anticipated, and parking was undoubtedly easier. It was a journey I could contemplate in a lorry should I be lucky enough to qualify again. Once inside, the sheer scale of the venue was startling and for me, that was one aspect in which it fell short. Somehow, the intimate sense of festive magic that its Earls Court counterpart conjured was lost in its vastness. But then, once seated, the arena wasn’t a disappointment at all, and given I was rendered teary when little Cliodna McEvoy smashed the Mini Major Final on her inimitable Princess, there’s no denying that the magic was present in abundance. The only thing missing at that point were those iconic gold horses – you know the ones I mean! It struck me that the working-in arena was also an upgrade. To me, it looked bigger and I liked the addition of the spacious

The BSPS Heritage finalists wait for results.

bar area to the side. Then again, as a spectator, I’m aware that I had but a small slice of the overall picture, so I was keen to find out what competitors felt. Native producer, Samantha Roberts said: “I loved the extra space; the huge collecting ring and more space in the ring. The light was better, and it felt like there were millions of people in there; and the screen was lower than it used to be which caught a few ponies out when they saw it. The stables were also spacious and clean and hadn’t been used by anyone until we came in. But I missed the golden horses and the classic architecture of the Grand Hall. Then again, it still gave that amazing ‘hair standing up on the back of your next’ moment when you trotted back into the afternoon’s prize giving. The atmosphere at that time was amazing as always.”

Winning rider Rebecca Penny agreed: “I liked the venue and the unloading of the ponies straight into the building instead of on to a road was amazing. We got a huge upgrade from the usual toilet as a changing room and the collecting ring situation was much better and the ring was also bigger. Yes, the golden horses were missed but I think it had so many other plus points that it didn’t massively matter.”

The show felt as festive as ever!

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 5

LONDON

INTERNATIONAL HORSE SHOW BSPS Heritage Supreme Championship

6 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Lynne Scott’s Lynuck The Showman ridden by Rebecca Penny.

The Showman Claims the Spotlight Thirty-nine native ponies came forwards for the festive final of the BSPS Heritage Supreme Championship at the Excel Arena in London.

Competitors and spectators alike were in high spirits for the duration, with many expressing gratitude to the BSPS, LeMieux and the London International Horse Show for organizing a fantastic season finale at the last minute.

Lynn Scott’s home-bred Lynuck The Showman [Peanut] proved himself to be showman by name and showman by nature when he took the BSPS Heritage Championship and Best of Breed for the Welsh section Cs. Although produced at home

by Lynn’s daughter, Emma, he was partnered to the win by his usual show-rider, Rebecca Penny.

This was the super-consistent eleven-year-old‘s fifth appearance at the festive finale. He has been placed on every appearance and had four Best of Breed titles, a second and third prior to his 2021 triumph. He has also had his share of the spoils at HOYS, standing second in 2016 and winning in 2019, and has brought home three consecutive Royal Windsor wins, as well as a win at the Royal Welsh, the Great Yorkshire and in the British Isles Supreme at NPS. “I’m really so pleased; I did not expect that to happen,” said a visibly shocked Rebecca, “I thought, ‘maybe Best of Breed,’ but not that!”

She went on to say that as one of the older competitors in the line-up, the win was “even better as now Peanut has nothing left to prove.

The second and third ponies were both lovely young ponies who will definitely have their day another time”. Lyn also said that she was “shocked, but the win was all the better for it”.

When asked about his future, Lyn said: “I’m going to show him again this season; I want him to do a few that he hasn’t won and maybe he can go to HOYS again, but I think this will be his

Julie Pennell’s Nipna Midnight Rambler ridden by Sarah Parker.

Rebecca Penny and Lynne Scott’s Lynuck The Showman.

last year. After that, we’ll use him to cover and stand at stud. I don’t have anything on the ground by him. We’ve tested his semen but it’s hard for stallions to do both jobs. We’ll show something new then and have some exciting prospects for the future”. One thing’s for sure, whatever the future holds for him, he’ll still be Lyn’s favourite: “he’s the best section C in my eye, whatever he does, win or lose”.

The Pennell family had extra reason to be on tenterhooks during the Highland, Fells and Dales section of the competition. Not only were they the proud owners of home-bred Nipna Midnight Rambler [Rambo], but they also had two further representatives of their Nipna prefix at the festive final. Furthermore, Caitlin and Kirsty Hamilton’s Nipna Invictus is the sire of Rambo and is a full brother to the third finalist bred by the Pennells, Nipna James Britannia. Both Invictus and James Britannia are by Wolsey Xabi and out of Hodgson Lane Alice. All three had a superb 2021 season. Rambo qualified for the London final when he stood champion at Windsor Horse Show and finished second at HOYS under Sarah Parker. Meanwhile Kate and Richard Waite’s James Britannia and Vikki Smith finished second at the RIHS, and Caitlin and Invictus stood reserve champion junior mountain and moorland at the RIHS. Anna Pennell said, “As breeders, it’s one of our proudest moments to see ponies we’ve bred but sold go on to give such amazing moments for their owners. We hope when they are born that they will be much loved in whatever sphere they do, but it’s a great delight to see them do so well for their owners and riders. After many years of hard work and patience, they’re a credit to them”.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 7

1. Lynuck The Showman

10. Hoekehorst Example

6. Cashelbay Rocket

The Final 2. Salcombe Starehole Bay

1.

Welsh section C BOB Lynn Scott’s Lynuck The Showman ridden by Rebecca Penny

2.

Dartmoor BOB Felicity Thompson Salcombe Starehole Bay ridden by Katy Marriott Payne

3.

Dales BOB Julie Pennell’s Nipna Midnight Rambler ridden by Sarah Parker

4.

Welsh section D BOB Karen Johnson’s Menai Eurostar ridden by Adam Forster

5.

Shetland BOB and highest placed junior, Rachel Brightmore’s Lotuspoint Cassius ridden by Lilly Ahern-Lee

6.

Connemara BOB Robbie and Barbara Fallon’s Cashelbay Rocket ridden by Michael Hearty

7.

Linda Atkinson’s Danwood Llewellyn ridden

by Hannah Atkinson

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF

3. Nipna Midnight Rambler

8 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk 7. Danwood Llewellyn

Section B BOB, Clanmill Leteika Miracle

New Forest BOB, Lovelyhill Folklore

Exmoor BOB, Dunkery Wigeon

5. Lotuspoint Cassius

Lineup 8.

9.

Jessica Talbot and her own Sharptor Tricolore Kerry Wainwright’s Skellorn Déjà Vu ridden

by Harrison Taylor

10. Welsh section A BOB Hayley Grota’s

Hokehorst Example ridden by Libby Grota

•

Fell BOB Zoe Marsden’s Wellbrow Diplomat ridden by Brian Williams

•

New Forest BOB Penny Sutton and Peter Rowe’s Lovelyhill Folklore ridden by Vikki Smith

•

Exmoor BOB Maureen Richardson’s Dunkery Wigeon ridden by Hayley Reynolds

•

Welsh section B BOB Katy Marriot Payne’s Clanmill Leteika Miracle ridden by Kimberly Bates

Fell BOB, Wellbrow Diplomat

4. Menai Eurostar

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 9 9. Skellorn Deja Vu

8. Sharptor Tricolore

Shetland Grand National If you missed out on the 2021 Shetland Grand National at the London International Horse Show – the final showdown in the Shetland racing calendar – then you missed

an adrenaline-fuelled treat. A COVID-induced break from racing in 2020 did nothing to slow ponies nor jockeys, and little legs motored down to the 2021 finish faster than ever.

Section B BOB

The Shetland Pony Grand National team race and fundraise for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. They travel the country together, from the Royal Lancashire show to the Royal Cornwall show and to the queen’s back garden at Royal Windsor.

At each event, the team will take between 16 and 18 pony-and-jockey combinations to go head-to-head, racing over miniature steeplechase-style fences. Exactly how many ponies are on the starting line largely depends on the size of the ring they are racing in.

Having raced all summer, ten combinations are chosen to race at the London International Horse Show.

Whilst any combination of pony and rider within the ruling parameters can apply to take part in the race, each of those combinations is put through their paces during a mandatory assessment day in April before they are allowed to race. 2021 saw approximately 55 combinations attend the assessment day, though of course, not all of them made the team. “The assessment measures their suitability and ability to race and ensures their safety,” explained director, Seb Garner.

The young jockeys are expected to demonstrate skill riding amongst others, at speed, and over steeplechasestyle fences. When you watch them race, you can see

exactly why it’s needed: these ponies really do gallop, corners are tight, and competition is fierce. And that’s without the electric atmosphere that could fire up even the quietest of ponies.

Whilst there are no costs involved in taking part, the jockeys are asked to commit to fundraising for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. They take this extremely seriously, and to date, the Shetland Pony Grand National has raised over £150,000 for the charity. The 2021 team was no exception and raised a phenomenal £42,980 for the charity, with the final calculation yet to be made. What an incredible total to celebrate 40 years since Bob made a legendary comeback to win the 1981 Grand National riding Aldaniti, just months after he completed cancer treatment.

Children are resourceful, and as a result, the funds are raised in several innovative ways, from cake sales to bingo nights and everything in between. “A few years ago, one child went around picking apples from the village, took them to a local cider press, pressed the apples and made her own labels before selling the juice,” said Seb, “It was tremendously popular”.

The kit that these young jockeys wear is exactly as the professional jockeys. Breeches can also be sponsored

10 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

with the benefactor’s name or logo emblazoned down the jockey’s thigh for £250, and this money goes directly to the Bob Champion Cancer Trust.

Nevertheless, the Shetland Pony Grand National is as much about training jockeys as it is about raising funds.

The team has a long history of nurturing successful riders in all disciplines, such as event rider Francis Whittington and show-rider Gemma Pallett. Inevitably, it also has close links with the Thoroughbred racing world and there is no shortage of professional jockeys who have found their racing stripes with the team. In the past, trainer, Nigel Twiston Davies’ son, Sam, 2016 champion flat jockey, Jim Crowley, and Jamie Osborne’s daughter, Saffy, have all raced with the team. Just days after the 2021 London International Horse Show, champion trainer, Paul Nicholls’ daughter, Olive, 16, rode her first point to point winner aboard Virak. Olive raced Shetlands for four years and is further testament to the enduring success of the team.

Many of 2021’s jockeys also have a keen ambition to become involved in the racing industry with several already connected. Successful winning trainer, Martin Keighley’s son Freddie, 10, raced in 2021, as did Grand National winning jockey, Timmy Murphy’s son, Lucas.

We cannot wait to see who will make the cut and take part in the 2022 final. One thing’s for sure, it will be a nail-biting contest.

If you are interested in taking part in the race, make sure that you keep and eye out on their Facebook page and their website for information on how to take part and regular updates to their calendar.

Who can take part?

• All ponies (mares and geldings only) must be registered with the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society and must be between 37-42 inches in height.

• All ponies must be between 5 and 20 years old.

• SPGN riders must have attained their 8th birthday, but not attained their 14th birthday by 1st January of that season in order to take part.

• No rider over the height limit of 5 feet tall will be permitted to ride in any SPGN Trial Days, Displays, Qualifiers or at the London International Horse Show.

• All combinations must have attended and passed the mandatory training day • At the London International Horse Show, the combination of pony and rider must be the same as the one that qualified / selected.

• All ponies must be accompanied by their S.P.S.B.S. passport containing a full vaccination record against Equine Influenza. info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 11

Class of

2021

1: Cranford Fantastic [Zorro, 42”] Jockey: Eleanora Ljungman, 10 Owner: Mrs M Shepherd Trainer: Mrs M Shepherd

6: Dawn Chorus of Crafton [Katie, 41”] Jockey: Harrison Dickens, 10 Onwer: Mrs M Lee Trainer: Mrs H Dickens

2: Grutness Innogee [Ninja, 41”].

Jockey: Mollie Palmer, 13 Onwer: Miss K Palmer Trainer: Miss K Palmer

7: Brewards Kerwen[Blackie, 41”] Jockey: Freddie Keighley, 13 Onwer: Mrs B Keighley Trainer: Mrs B Keighley

3: - Cranford Fandabby Dosey [Fanny, 40”] Jockey: Alice De Quincy-Adams, 10 Onwer: Mrs L De Quincy-Adams Trainer: Mrs L De Quincy-Adams

8: Selspen Merry [Merrylegs, 39”, joint smallest pony on the team] Jockey: Claudia Groves, 13 Onwer: Mrs S Groves Trainer: Mrs S Groves

4: Claredale Edward [Eddie, 42”] Jockey: Matthew Holliday, 11 Onwer: Mrs S Holliday Trainer: Mrs S Holliday

9: Damerham Briar Lilly [Lilly, 42”] Jockey: Alfie Diaper, 12 Onwer: Mrs H Diaper Trainer: Mrs H Diaper

5: Merkisayre Sea Duble [39” joint smallest pony on the team] Jockey: Lucas Murphy, 12 Onwer: Mrs L Dadson Trainer: Miss P Dadson

10: Ladbury Vanguard [41”] Jockey: Phoebe Jackson, 11 Onwer: Mrs L Jackson Trainer: Mrs L Jackson

Olive Nicholls:

Olive Nicholls & Monsier Gibraltar, JW Photography

“The Shetland Pony Grand National definitely taught me a lot: how to cope with atmospheres and be able to speak in an interview as well as the obvious riding skills - being tactical and safe yet fast. I raced for four years so was lucky enough to go to some pretty amazing shows! The behind the scenes is such good fun, too; you get pretty close with everyone when you’re staying at shows for four days!”

12 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Credit JW Photography

SHOWING WORLD Whether you’re a producer at the top of your game, or aspiring to bag your first golden ticket to HOYS or the RIHS, you’ll find everything you need to know here at Showing World!

SUBSCRIBE TODAY, 6 ISSUES FOR ONLY £36!

Scan me with your phone camera

If you hurry, the first 1,000 subscribers will be receiving a ticket to Horse of the Year Show 2022!

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 13

Captain: Ready For Take-Off

Rhencullen Tommy Tucker

Isabella – Izzy – Armstrong and Rhencullen Tommy Tucker [Captain] were the only Welsh section D in the Robinsons Equestrian Pony Foxhunter Final at Horse of the Year Show in 2021. We caught up with Izzy to find out more about their rather surprising story…

At the Game OF Thrones photoshoot.

NP: You and Captain have an interesting story. Tell us how you first met him and the story behind you getting him.

Captain had been working with the Riding for the Disabled Association for a while but he was bored. Alan Scott, a local horse dealer, swapped him for another pony he had that he believed would be better suited to the job. When we saw Alan at a show a few days later, he told me he had a 148 cm pony on the lorry that might be suitable for me. He wasn’t very athletic looking, and there wasn’t really anything to say that he would make a top showjumper. But I tried him at the show. He was drifting and knocked fences down, but he also gave a good feel. I don’t know what it was but there was just something about him. I’ve always had a feel for my ponies like I know they are something special. At the time, I had a 128 show-jumping mare who was very successful but quirky and getting older.

Alan believed he had the perfect rider for her so we swapped her Captain. He arrived in June, 2018. He was called Tommy then, but I changed that to Captain.

NP: So he hadn’t much jumping experience?

He had done a bit of low-level unaffiliated

jumping but not much. I found it hard to begin with because he’s quite powerful and I was only 11. The first few courses, he was so laid back and careless that I had to kick him round.

NP: But you knew that he was talented over fences?

He couldn’t sort his legs out; he hadn’t been educated! One of the first courses we tried – a local 65cm – he stopped after the fences because he was used to doing that in the riding school. But every now and then, I felt him really jump and we knew then he had talent – it’s just that we didn’t think he had as much as he does! He jumps like Superman with his legs out in front of him; he has his own style that works for him!

NP: Tell us your best results or your competition highlights?

Our first big win was winning the 1.05m Junior National Championship at Trailblazers in 2019. We couldn’t believe it. He then went from strength to strength.

We won our RIHS Hickstead qualifier at Arena UK in 2020, the Winter JC. We were the only triple clear. We were also placed in the BS National Championships in 2020 in the Schools 1m and 1m10 finals and won our first ever HOYS Foxhunter qualifier, also qualifying for the Newcomer

14 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Final that year too. We won the Foxhunter again in Scotland this year to qualify HOYS 2021 and late in the Summer, Captain and I won the Pony Club Open Showjumping National Championship for our pony club, York and Ainsty North.

NP: What else can he turn his hooves to?

We have done some cross-country and had a go at polocrosse at pony club. The ball was bouncing off him and he just stood there without a care; he was so good. He even sabotaged the other team by stamping on a racquet and snatching it out of the player’s hand.

NP: How did you end up being a part of a Game of Thrones photo shoot?

Mum, Abby, saw a Facebook advert and applied as she thought I looked like a young Sansa Stark. On the first attempt, it was cold and windy and my cloak wouldn’t stay on. It was up on the moors, I had to ride bareback with a pretend sword – pretend – and Captain kept trying to jump through the bog. The second attempt was more successful! The Highmoor Bloodhounds were nearby and he got a bit distracted by that but in a way, it helped because it kept his ears forwards. He’s funny because if

The breeder’s perspective: Carol Prater “Dave and I still have his mum, Rhencullen Charm. The sire, Rhencullen Martino, was only two at the time, so initially sent Charm away to stud.

When she returned, we believed that she was in foal but she came back into season so we turned her out with Martino rather than travel her again.

The following spring, a small black colt was born. We expected Martino’s foals to be flashy with lots of colour so I was quite shocked by him. To be sure, I had his DNA tested.

At the Royal Highland Showcase 148cm Grand Prix

During the Pony Foxhunter at HOYS

you say, ‘Captain, picture,’ he puts his ears forwards.

NP: How does he cope with crowds That’s the thing: he’s so good. He is never spooky, fizzy or naughty. Even at busy shows, his attitude doesn’t change. He doesn’t care about rugs, trophies, rosettes or anything like that. My trainer, Mark McGowan, was worried he would be affected by the atmosphere at HOYS but he didn’t mind at all. Once I was out, I dropped the reins to hug mum and my trainer, and he stood. He goes round with ears pricked when he’s jumping but then he’s a ‘dopeon-a-rope’ once he comes out. He’s like a big dog!

NP: What’s his personality like at home? What are his likes and dislikes?

He loves bananas! And after he jumped his HOYS qualifier, my mum’s friend gave him a white chocolate muffin, which he ate. He sticks his tongue out after eating if you give him something like a polo. It’s funny. One

We sold him as a three-year-old gelding and then lost track of him. I realised that he was doing something as he was on the JMB database. All you want when you breed ponies is that they have good homes so it’s lovely that he’s gone on to do so well.”

Winning the PC National Championship

annoying thing is he’s always pulling a shoe off. In his first ever Hickstead qualifier, he pulled one off as he went in. Then at HOYS this year, his shoe flew off as we jumped in the warmup arena with three to go, so we didn’t have time to replace it. It’s always a front one but he seems to manage and performs anyway.

NP: What are your goals for the future?

He doesn’t owe me anything, but I owe him a lot. He made things happen that I never thought would be possible for me. Now I hope he does that for his new rider, Lexie, who’s 11. I’m going to move on to jumping horses.

NP: How did Captain and Lexie find each other?

Over lockdown, Captain got a lot of Tiktok followers. He’s got just over 29,000 followers and his # has over a million views. Lexie was one of his followers and she commented on a lot of his videos. At Weston Lawns Pony Premier in May, she

Winning the RIHS qualfier February 2020

came up to say ‘hi’. I was about to walk the course so told her that she could get on him and have a walk around. After that, she’d always come up to talk to us. Then at South View in October, I said to her to ‘have a jump on him’. When I decided that I should come off ponies, our respective mums discussed it and Captain was given to Lexie for Christmas. That was the first she knew about it.

NP: What would you say to anyone who says, ‘natives can’t jump’?!

Almost all of my jumping ponies have been natives. I’ve had Welsh section As, a Welsh section B, a Welsh cross, a Dartmoor hill pony and another smaller Welsh D. Captain is living evidence they can jump as he’s competing alongside some of the best ponies in the country. Although he does do things his own way!

NP: Anything else you want to say about him…

He is literally the best teammate I could ask for. He’s a star.

Lexie’s mum, Suzanne Corcoran, on the family’s new Captain…

‘I glanced around at Weston Lawns, and Lexie was cantering a big Welsh cob around. I thought, ‘I’d buy him now if I could’. His temperament is amazing, and she clicked with him straight away. Izzy just legged her up and away they went. I had never seen him before that and so then we watched him and we followed him through the season and bought him at the end of it.

Lexie really knew nothing about it. It was very difficult to keep it from her; I kept my phone well away from her.

We picked him up on December 23rd and Lexie was most put out when I told her she couldn’t come to see the ponies that evening or the next day. We keep the ponies at my dad’s farm. She was quite overwhelmed when she found out.

We aren’t competing him yet. They are getting on well and she s riding him most evenings, just hacking around the fields. We’re concentrating on trying to qualify for Hickstead with her 128cm show jumping pony, Ashurst Quicksilver, for now. Shandy’s a New Forest pony. They were eighth at HOYS together last year and qualified for Hickstead and the London International Horse Show, too. She was one of the most consistent ponies in HOYS qualifiers last year. But, because the strides are so different between Shandy and Captain, we’re not competing him yet because it’s Lexie’s last year in the 128cm class and we don’t want to mess it up. We’ll start competing Captain later in the spring hopefully. Anyway, it gives Captain and Lexie time to get to know each other.

The Trailblazers Final

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 15

Vintage Treasure:

Tyan Takara

By Robert Parker Jones Photos supplied by Kerry Wainwright

Since its formation in the 1960s, the Skellorn Stud has been synonymous with the Welsh breeds and the Wainwright family. Initially, there were Welsh section A’s, and then, in 1977, the first Welsh section B was bred at the stud. Move on a further 20 years to 1997, and Kerry – the current custodian of the stud – decided that she wanted to introduce a completely different breed to the stud.

Cara at Olympia

For quite a long time she had admired the Connemara breed, probably seeing them as a similar type to the Section B’s but a size bigger. In the autumn of 1997, she noticed that the Tyan Stud had an advert for a filly foal named Tyan Takara [Cara], who was

by Whitewell Senator and out of Lanburn Leonie. The mare line went back to Leam Bobby Finn, a pony Kerry had long admired.

Unseen by Kerry herself, but viewed from

Skellorn Harrison

many photos and videos, a friend agreed to visit and give his opinion.

It was favourable, so a decision was made. The £960 price tag was nonnegotiable and when weaned, the filly made her way north to Skellorn.

Cara wasn’t shown as a youngster but was given lots of care and attention.

The decision was taken when she was three to cover her and breed a foal before embarking on a ridden career.

This would give her the opportunity of maturing and letting down, as Connemara’s are often late developers compared to other native breeds.

She was sent to Goosemoor Duncan and in 2001 she produced a healthy

16 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

colt foal that was named Skellorn Harrison. Harry, as he is known at home, was to have an illustrious career in the show-ring both in-hand and under saddle, before making his mark at stud siring numerous winners such as HOYS winner, Skellorn Déjà Vu. When Harry was weaned, the next task was to break Cara. She had matured well but was not big, measuring a little under 14 hands. There was no rush, and her ridden career was undertaken with enthusiasm. The highlight of her show-ring appearances under saddle was to qualify for both The Horse of the Year Show and the National Pony

Skellorn Monarch

Cara in-hand

Society Ridden Mountain and Moorland Championships at Olympia in 2005.

The following year it was decided that Cara should return to broodmare duties and she visited Carra Cashel. The resultant foal – a colt – was named Skellorn Monarch and he was to follow in his brother’s footsteps with considerable successes both in hand and under saddle. He, too, would become a successful sire with the HOYS junior champion, Skellorn Prairie Starlight being a notable one of many.

A Takara daughter, Skellorn Princess, has achieved considerable success being shown under saddle and Skellorn Leonie, another

daughter, is doing very well eventing. In fact, all her stock have gone on to achieve success in whatever discipline they have been aimed at.

With advancing years, Cara suffered as many greys do with melanomas and it made breeding a risky business. When retired from breeding, Cara joined an old family friend as a happy-hacker, and she fulfils this role to this very day.

With 2022 being a 25-year celebration of Skellorn Connemaras, it is fitting and commendable that Tyan Takara, the first Connemara at Skellorn should have had such an impact on the breed and the stud’s success.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 17

In The Spotlight:

Jessica Talbot Just outside Kingsbury Episcopi, a simple, single sign announces that I have arrived at native pony specialist, Jessica Talbot’s Somerset yard. It’s the only marketing she’s ever done since her first ‘breaker’ arrived when she was just eleven years old. “As time went on, more people asked me to produce their pony.

I’ve never advertised or anything; it’s just got bigger,” she explained.

Sharptor Tricolore, photo by Equinational

The interest initially came from her parents, Helen Jeans and Jonathan Talbot, who have both “always had horses. I’ve been interested as long as I can remember, and started riding before I can walk,” said Jessica. Although she enjoyed a variety of types of ponies as a child, from part-breds to coloured ponies, Jessica has always had a heightened interest in native ponies.

Jessica and Peasedown Madison [Pinky] at HOYS, photo by First Class Images

2002. He always dropped a shoulder or bucked me off, but he taught me a lot”. Purchasing a section C from Caroline Sutton of the Peasedown Stud proved influential. “That’s how I got involved with Caroline and I’ve remained interested in the section Cs,” said Jess. In fact, Caroline and Jess have formed a strong partnership and Jessica is now officially “part of the prefix, and so will hopefully continue to breed useful ponies that do well under the Peasedown prefix”.

However, Jessica cites the ponies themselves as the greatest influences on her work. “You meet lots of great people – instructors and other producers – through horses, but I find the greatest inspiration are the horses

Her first pony was a Shetland called Socks.

Interestingly, she never had another Shetland until 2019 when she rode Sharptor Armani for his breeder, Julian Walters, and last season she leased Sharptor Tricolore from Julian. Socks was succeeded by her ‘pony of a lifetime’, a Welsh section A called Craydon Mandarin [Percy], with whom Jess “did a bit of everything with – I rode him, drove him, did pony club activities, hunting, showjumping, and even won the plaited first ridden class at the New Forest and Hampshire show in

themselves. The more you do with them, the more it inspires you to do better.”

As she talks, it’s clear that Jessica loves her job. It comes as no surprise to me as I once heard her joke that she would ‘go to a show every day of the week’, something she maintains: “I love going to a show and everything about it. Although I like to have a mixture of showing, arena eventing, show jumping, a bit of dressage, hunting in the winter, and clinics in between. Clinics are good because people on the ground see different things, especially with youngsters as they also allow you time to correct mistakes that you wouldn’t get when competing”.

18 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Aarons Echo takes a leap, photo by Equinational

Have you had to learn any horsey related lessons the hard way? If you could say anything to yourself when you started showing, what would it be?

I had an instructor and the section A I was riding kept getting the wrong leg. She told me that it was because I was looking down but I wouldn’t listen so she walked out and refused to teach me till I listened. Mum was so angry with me because I was being cocky and not listening. The instructor came back the next day and I listened; I didn’t look down, so we didn’t have a wrong leg. Otherwise, I think that you always learn the hard way with horses.

Top three tips for someone starting out: 1. Be prepared to work hard 2. Believe in yourself 3. Love what you do.

Side-saddle hunting with Pinky, photo by Sweet Photography

As a child, she also fitted in riding side-saddle, something she only occasionally does now. At the age of six, she was asked to take part in the native pony display at the Royal Show, and specifically, asked if she could do so riding side-saddle. In preparation, she was taken for a lesson with Jinx Brier. “We took the saddle and pony to Jinx,” said Jessica. “She gave me some brief instructions before sending me off to join in a Pony Club session in the next field, and that was all the practice I had.”

Jessica also drove ponies until her teenage years and was junior and intermediate champion consecutively with Welsh section C, Gellihaf Dafydd, at the indoor driving finals in Keysoe.

For the uninitiated, it involves three phases: dressage, cones and obstacles, with both the latter parts completed “against the clock”, before the scores are tallied and the highest average

At Windsor with Pinky, First Class Images

wins. “I wasn’t confident, and he [Dafydd] wasn’t quiet but we seemed to get on. He was sharp, but he had to be to get on with his job. It’s very competitive and the ponies have to be so fit. I got him as far as I could get him before he got older. I had a few more broken to drive but they weren’t suitable for competition and it’s hard to do both jobs; I’d always rather ride”.

Consequently, Jessica now focuses entirely on ridden ponies.

Her first HOYS qualification came in 2007 when she was 12 years old and qualified section B, Brinnie Hapni, in the 133cm working hunter pony classes.

Jessica cites that first ticket as one of her greatest achievements, along with qualifying Shetland, Sharptor Armani and her mother’s homebred Dales, Sotherton Jasper, for HOYS in back-to-back classes at the 2019 Derbyshire Festival on their respective debut attempts.

Last season saw her achieve her best HOYS result to date when she finished 5th with Welsh section D stallion, Brynseion Methelusah, whom she has since been gifted for Christmas.

Interestingly, Jessica believes that a further two of her showing highlights came about with section D stallions: winning a huge class at Royal Windsor on Cascob Locomotion in 2015, and standing second at the Royal Welsh with Llanfyllin Shooting Star when she was only 14 years old.

However, it is the smallest of our native breeds, not the largest, that secured Jessica’s first London International Horse Show qualification last season. Specifically, Shetland stallion, Sharptor Tricolore [Troy] secured the qualification at the Heritage Championships. In an unfortunate twist of fate, a breaker slipped and fell on top of Jessica whilst hacking and damaged her ligaments with less than three weeks to go before the final. Characteristically unflappable, she described it as “one of those things,” and proceeded to prepare Troy for the final unperturbed that she would not be able to ride until the 11th hour. Instead, she took to walking him from a borrowed scooter to make sure he stayed fit, a move which obviously paid dividends when he wasn’t at all ruffled by the busy arena to finish eighth.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 19

Her interest in the workers has endured and she produces ponies for both the flat classes and the mountain and moorland working hunter pony classes. With classes in both sections to juggle, it’s just as well that she likes to be kept busy.

Still, it takes careful planning to negotiate competing in both, and so each pony’s season is planned carefully from the beginning. “I try to work out what’s on and which shows will suit which ponies best as well as how much that pony needs to do. Some horses you have in thrive on going to a show often whereas that’s not right for others. I treat and think of them all as my own and no matter what an owner’s ideals are, you have to do what’s right for the horse.”

Jessica and Brynseion Methelusah, photo by First Class Images

Jessica with Sotherton Jasper at HOYS, photo by First Class Images

It’s obvious as we make our way around the yard that this is the case, and her affection for the ponies is evident, especially for yard favourite, section C and 143cm worker, Peasdown Madison [Pinky]. When asked what her most “treasured possession” was, Jessica had no hesitation in naming Pinky. “Caroline owns him, but he never goes home; he’s not allowed,” she jokes.

No doubt we’ll see Pinky out this season as Jess strives to achieve her goal of winning the workers at the Royal International Horse Show.

“It’s always such a good track with the water and so on; it’s exciting to jump around it.” Aside from that, her targets are clear: “hopefully I will continue doing what I’m doing and to win HOYS one day”.

What does routine look like on the yard?

First thing in the morning, the ponies have breakfast and they’re mucked out. Then they get worked. That all depends on what level they are at or what they have got coming up. It might be that they’re lunged, long-reined, hacked, schooled. The workers need to be fitter so they may do fast canter work and we occasionally box-up and go cantering on hills a bit further away. If they have a competition coming up, they might jump once a week and then again on the weekend. Everything goes out in the field either before or after work, again depending on what they’re doing etc. They usually have a groom in the evening and then they’re mucked out and have a hard feed again. Before bed, I check them to top up their hay if they need it.

20 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Sharptor Tricolore, photo by First Class Images

Quick Fire Round Other than your own ponies, if you could own any pony past or present, who would it be?

What could you not live without?

Horses.

Llanarth Prince of Wales. He looks lovely in-hand and it would be lovely to ride something like that.

What could you not go to a show without?

Timetables and helpers.

Who would you trust to buy a pony for you and why?

If you could swap jobs for a day, what would it be?

My mum and Caroline. They always look for the wrong things but their choices always seem to turn out to be good in the end!

A jump jockey.

Best holiday you have ever been on and where would you really like to go?

We never really did holidays but I would love to go to New York.

Tell us something about yourself that you think might surprise us?

Lots of people wouldn’t know that I used to drive, but other than that, I never went to school after primary. I was homeschooled after breaking my arm on some monkey bars.

If you were sent to a desert island, what three things would you wish to have? No mobile phones are allowed.

My horses, my dog, Bertie, and chocolate cake.

Jessica in her driving days

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 21

RUTH ON THE HOOF Travelling through the Highlands Words and photos by Ruth Chamberlain

22 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk The pony track at Gaick.

Arisaig Luchag Mhor of Creag Dhubh - Highland pony stallion conservation grazing near Kingussie.

In the last issue, we left off with me saying goodbye to the wonderful ponies of Eriskay.

It was time to begin the journey home – with pony stops along the way, of course. It didn’t take long for a new pony subject, this time it was some lovely Shetland ponies who live in a large nature reserve on South Uist. I was accompanied by a lovely local photographer, Carla Regler, who I had met on Eriskay. We set out with the dogs, and we soon spotted the first ponies on the footpath. It was such stunning scenery, made even more lovely by the ponies quite literally dotted everywhere. It was nice to see a range of colours, especially dun-coloured ones. I said goodbye to Carla and headed North to Lochmaddy to catch the ferry back to the Isle of Skye.

The Highland pony stallions Balmoral Major and Balmoral Squire looking very regal.

One of |the GaickNative Highland ponies. info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue The Pony | 23

Shetland pony in some croft house ruins.

One back on the mainland I headed to Kingussie to see Ruaridh Ormiston and his ponies. I spent a few days with Ruaridh and we explored the vast areas around Kingussie, all the while listening to all the stories and histories of ponies and highlanders - Ruaridh has a story for every inch of land there and it was fascinating to listen to him. One fascinating place we visited was Gaick.

It felt like the longest drive in the world to reach Gaick lodge where we met some working highland ponies up there for the season.

We met Philip, who is one of the wonderful pony handlers there and he was so welcoming and showed us around. The hills around the lodge are perilously steep, and we could see the steep zig-zag pony track used to get up onto the beat. You can see why vehicles just are Retired Highlands grazing at Glen Feshie.

24 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

not feasible in this sort of terrain, but the pony is the perfect tool. The Gaick ponies were gorgeous looked incredibly fit for the season, and it was great to hear Philip’s stories about them and their work.

We also got to meet some Konik ponies who live locally to Kingussie. They were very sweet and looked not dissimilar to young highlands either.

The main herd were off in the marsh somewhere, but we met a few of the younger individuals. I spent some time with Ruaridh’s conservation grazing ponies too. They look so impressive with the backdrop of the Ruthven Barracks behind them.

They continue to do fantastic work improving the biodiversity of the landscape they live in.

My next and final stop was over the hill to Balmoral to see more Highland ponies with Sylvia Ormiston.

I was extremely fortunate to get to ride when I was there, something I won’t forget! It was great to go around with Sylvia and learn about the ponies and breeding programme. It’s easy to see just how passionate Sylvia is, and it is reflected in the quality of ponies produced there. The foals I had met over the summer were looking all grown up and had grown warm woolly coats for winter.

For those of you who follow me on social media, you will see that I ended up going out with the deer ponies on my last day – but that is a story for another time!

A young Konik pony.

Shetland pony on Uist.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 25

,

HOLNEST

CONNEMARAS Winter Holnest Barnum

We thank Charlotte for her updates through 2021 and wish her the very best of luck in 2022! We’re looking forwards to following her progress on social media. Don’t forget to follow Holnest Connemaras, too!

Now that the eventing season has come to an end, it’s that time of year when we try to get our youngsters out to some in-hand shows as we struggle to do much with them during the summer months. This year, our three-year-old partbred, Holnest Barnum, has been our main focus, although we have struggled to find many foal and youngstock shows.

Remembering back even a few years ago, you would have had a show most weekends during October and November, but this year we’ve been lucky to find three and that’s with two of them being at least an hour and a half away!

Barney, as he is known, has made it to two so far. The first one was the SWA of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society Show, where he got two seconds in the ‘owner bred’ and show hunter pony classes against some really lovely ponies. We were delighted with how well behaved he was for his first show and even his first time leaving home! The second outing didn’t go quite as well, but through no fault of Barney’s.

Having seen they had good entries, we planned our timing carefully to arrive for the afternoon classes in which he was entered, only to find when we got there that they were already on the supreme of the show! Apparently, no one had turned up on the day, so they just whizzed through all the classes.

It was so disappointing as we had travelled a long way, but thankfully the judges kindly stayed on after the championship so we could present Barney and get some practice. They gave him some really lovely comments which made it even more

gutting that we had missed his classes, but Barney still came away thinking he had won a rosette, we just haven’t told him he only got it for turning up!

Frodo and Mac have been enjoying some trail hunting, and gosh am I so lucky to have two such fabulous hunters. We hunt Frodo for his fitness as hunting is his favourite thing in the whole world, he is that perfect lady’s hunter now. We hunt for his education as he is still quite green and we think it’s a brilliant way to teach youngsters to go forward through any going and to find that ‘fifth leg’. I have recently invested in an equestrian hat-cam which I take out with me and love looking back through the footage at the end of the day. I have started putting together videos of the highlights of our days so if you would like to see them please head over to our Facebook, Instagram or YouTube pages; find us under ‘Holnest Connemaras’.

Finn is having a short holiday before I get him back up again for the BE arena eventing series and whilst I’ve been getting Fearghal going.

Fearghal has been going to various clinics whenever I can fit them in and he too has been such a good boy, taking it all in his stride. He is going through another growth spurt so will now be having some time off over Christmas before getting him up again in the New Year; he really is turning into a fine young horse.

I am really looking forward to 2022 and am very lucky to have such an exciting string of homebreds. Thank you for following our journey this year, we have really enjoyed it and hope you have too.

All the best,

Team Holnest.

Holnest Barnum

26 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk Frodo out trail hunting, photo by Nigel Gidney

Charlotte and Frodo’s dam tackle the same fence

HAPPY NEW YEAR From Amy Smith

Wow! Can you believe it’s 2022? Where has time gone? I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and new year. My Christmas was super busy! This year was the first year since being with John that we haven’t gone back to Ireland to visit his family over Christmas. His dad has a very special birthday coming up at the end of January, so we decided to hold back a few weeks to go back then and celebrate his birthday with him instead.

Work is always crazy around Christmas-time, and to add to the craziness, I was preparing Nipna James Britannia for his first visit to the London International Horse Show.

I’d like to thank the British Show Pony Society for making it possible to compete in London. What a truly magical show it was; the format, the set up, and the show was fantastic! I do find people take the ridden classes far more seriously and it’s more intense than being around the working hunter ring! Everybody seems so nervous and sometimes I feel it creates a very tense atmosphere. We are meant to be enjoying ourselves. Then again, I’d much rather jump a course of fences than a ‘figure of eight’; it’s my ultimate comfort being in the worker ring.

It was amazing to have a Christmas with our family complete; Myles was so excited not just for him, but also to watch his little brother get presents, too. We spent Christmas Day at my sister’s house where the kids shared what they had and played lots.

Maybe we had too much of a good time over Christmas week. Something I’ve always struggled with is my weight, and I planned to indulge and indulge I did! As I went back to my Slimming World meeting, I learnt I’m capable of putting on 9lbs in one week. That’s some doing! So now

I’m trying to join in with everybody else in the whole ‘New Year, new me’. Dieting has got to be one of the hardest things when all you want to do is eat the food.

Looking forward to 2022, I have a collection of super rides.

There are some old faces, and some new faces, but not many novices for the beginning of the year, which is great as I get to avoid the cold, winter shows. I just really hope we get to have some sort of normal show season this year.

I would also like to thank the National Pony Society for listening to their members when trying to implement the body protector rule. To some people it may seem silly that people don’t want to wear a body protector, but adults like myself feel they’re unnecessary over the height of fences we are jumping, especially when you have back-to-back classes in the sweltering heat. That was something I was not looking forward to.

My open ponies have been on a break since HOYS, so when I get back from Ireland, they will start getting ready for the season ahead. It’s always grim bringing them back into work, doing the hacking and strengthening work in sub-zero temperatures or torrential rain.

To finish, I would like to say, I’ve seen a lot of negative posts and comments on social media these last few weeks. I hate bullying. Social media makes it very easy for people to do this. Please, just be kind; just concentrate on what you’re doing and let other people do what they are doing. We do what we do for the love of horses, please remember that.

I would like to wish everyone a happy and successful 2022.

Whatever level you may be competing at, remember to go and enjoy yourself and do what makes you happy, we are here for a good time!

PHOTO EXPLANATIONS Top row L-R: visiting Santa as a family, Myles and Amy at Winter Wonderland, enjoying family time, the boys at Alton Towers.

Bottom left: Pedro clipped and ready for work.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 27

,

Field to Fit:

Chapter 6

Stainsby Grange’s unaffiliated Wednesday evening showjumping began at the start of October. This venue attracts super speedy ponies and very competitive jockeys! Although Bow can’t match the speed of most entries, let alone cover the ground, one thing he can do very well is stop on landing, turn sharply, and jump from no strides or stand still – which usually shaves a few seconds off in a jump off. For two consecutive weeks, there were 25 ponies entered in our classes. Bow jumped carefully and as fast as his little legs could carry him to finish in the ribbons both times! It transported me back to my childhood when I used to showjump my first Highland pony, Goldcrest of Dykes.

Following on from Bow’s first arena show cross event at Richmond Equestrian Centre, I decided to enter a 55-65cm hunter trial at The Hollies in Richmond. To prepare for this (knowing that Bow isn’t always compliant with water) I decided to hire the course the week before the event to build Bow’s confidence. To encourage him to travel forward, I took a friend and one of Bow’s stable mates along, to provide a lead in between fences. The course varied in height and challenge from 35cm to 90cm. We schooled over a variety of jumps, mainly in the 66-85cm range, as this is his comfort zone. Bow was very willing to walk through the water, jump on and off a bank, and we even jumped a scary spider barrel!

To ensure Bow was totally comfortable, I re-clipped him. I also secretly hoped that this would make him fresher and super streamline in his change of role to an eventing hippo!

The following weekend, we attended the hunter trial. After viewing the course plans on social media, I decided to change my entry to a lower height class. This was down to the length of the course and factoring in Bow’s fitness levels, rather than the height of the jumps. The original class I entered covered an extra 2 fields so I decided to move down to the lower class. I was so excited to try something new on Bow. He was very well behaved and stood quietly, watching others work in, as we waited for our slot to jump, as they were running very behind time. I felt really excited as we stood in the starting box ready to go. We jumped straight into canter and headed for the first jump, which he jumped without any issues. The second and third fence (pictured)

,

Jumping clear to finish 3rd in our first optimum time XC

consisted of some barrels jumping downhill and a mini house. As we progressed around the Halloween decorated obstacles, Bow got into a great rhythm and seemed popular with spectators who thought he was very cute! We jumped into the next field, popped down some steps, up a hill and over a bank and some more fences then through the finishing flags with a big smile, lots of pats and a CLEAR ROUND! I took Bow back to the horsebox and then went to check the results. The course was judged by an unknown optimum time for a section of the course. I decided to canter the whole course but allowed him to walk through the water and to trot down the steps so that he could have a little breather and keep balanced as the ground was very slippy and he was the last to jump so the ground was a little more testing. We were a few seconds over the optimum time and finished in 3rd place - had we not have walked through the water, we would have won! I was so pleased to finish in the placings on our first attempt at such a well supported event.

Bow is now enjoying a winter break in the field in his new dinosaur print rug. Next year, I am hoping to do some dressage on him. In early spring, Bow will be put to the test at Highland school and by summer we should be ready for some Prelim tests.

Thank you for following our field to fit journey this year. To continue to follow Bow’s future adventures, follow my Instagram page: @samanthaosborneequestrian

Samantha Osborne ,

Cross country practice at Richmond

28 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

,

Coming 4th in showjumping at Stainsby Grange EC

Putting Bow to the test with some steps

1. Finlay Byrne and Earnwekk Keele, photo by Adam Checkley 2. Bonnie Follows and Brittleton Royal Brackla, photo by Black Heart Photography 3. Harry Cinnamond and Manwee Celebration 4. Harriet Glenn and Townend Chireftan ridden & Leila Reeves and Lanleighs Express 5. Molly Green and Pricklegate Seren Haf 6. Rachael Barratt and Drybarrows Boxer, photo by Smantha Grew 7. Lilly Heywood and Fieldcote Devil’s Helmet, photo by Kate Simpson Photography 8. Tatianna Poyser and Buckland In The Spotlight 9. Jess Black and Carlung Valiant, photo by Kate Simpson Photography 10. Mattie Andrews and Leysewick Leanne, photo by Anne Marie Thomas 11. Hermione Follows and Gellihaf Romeo, photo by Black Heart Photography 12. Ruby May Beach and Windwillow Zorro 13. Queenie Follows, and The Wrangler of Crafton photo by Black Heart Photography 14. Evie Andrews and Newcopse Nibbler, photo by Anne Marie Thomas

Natives in the Field

1

2

6

10

3

5

4

7

8

11

12

9

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 29

13

14

NEW FORESTERS GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN POINT TO POINT The New Forest Boxing Day Point-to-Point is believed to be the UK’s only remaining authentic point-to-point race, dating back to the early twentieth century.

Libby House and Beth Richmond.

30 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Cassidy Frances riding Rocket, image Steve Laycock

The New Forest Boxing Day Point-to-Point is believed to be the UK’s only remaining authentic point-to-point race, dating back to the early twentieth century. It is organised by the New Forest Pony Breeding & Cattle Society with permission from Forestry England and Natural England. The races are open to any member of the NFB&CS, but they must ride pure and part-bred (minimum 25%) New Forest ponies.

The race is run over the open New Forest and covers a variety of tracks and rough terrain with the finish-line alternating between the north and the south of the forest. Competitors are told the vicinity of the finish about a week before the event and phone to learn a meeting place just a day in advance. From the meeting place they are taken to their respective starts; adults race for 3 miles, and children and veterans for 1.5 miles. All competitors then have to choose the quickest route to the finish which is marked by ropes and flags where a large crowd assembles.

For safety reasons, children’s races are followed by stewards, and they are not allowed to cross any roads. ‘Most competitors are forest-based, but a few come from further afield – this year from Winchester and Bridport. Although it is an advantage to know the forest, it is not essential because in practice one person in the race usually knows and the rest follow,’ explained James Young, Chairman of the event.

The 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID, but Boxing Day 2021, saw neither competitors nor spectators deterred by the wet weather.

77 entrants across 9 races all completed safely with some nail-biting finishes. ‘The event is such a focal point of the forest and commoning calendar that the organisers are determined that it will continue for future generations,’ said James.

Daisy Slocombe fights off competition from Innes Mitchell.

Photo Steve Laycock

Daisy Slocombe determined to shake Sophie Grimes off her tail

Insider’s perspective With Erika Dovey

Erika Dovey and Nutschullyng Bewitched

Erika Dovey has been racing for twentynine years, ‘give or take a few years off for pregnancies’. In 2021, she won the ladies race on part bred NF ponies for the second year, riding Nutschullyng Bewitched [Walnut] and the cup for the first cross for the third year. For Erika, the win was a poignant one, with Erika and two of her children, as well as her sister’s children, all racing in memory of her father, Eric Dovey.

She explains the race’s significance in both the commoning and her family’s calendar.

‘For the commoning community, it’s the event and the one we look forward to all year. There’s a good mix of races and something for everyone.

There’s no money or anything for winning; it’s all about the prestige and the stories you can tell afterwards, even if it’s the ‘what-ifs’ after it’s all gone wrong.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 31

I’ve lived in the forest all my life and the race is a part of my heritage as a commoner. I’m a commoner and a ranger; my father and grandfather were farmers and commoners. It’s a skill to get across it the open Forest; you need to know it well to make sure that you cross the right bridges and take the right turns in the race. But you still need a bit of luck. Really it takes luck and skill. I’ve been unlucky before. I’ve got lost and one year I fell off twice. It’s a gamble.

You also need to know and trust your pony. You need a pony with stamina, surefooted-ness and speed. It takes about eight weeks to get a pony ready to race. You don’t want to train much longer than that in case your pony peaks too early. I race a Thoroughbred x New Forest mare. She prefers wetter and muddier conditions so last year was lucky as I know she’s always good on her feet. Really, it’s better if conditions are wet anyway because dryer, colder weather can mean ice and slippery conditions.

As a family, it’s a huge part of our Christmas. It’s why we breed our ponies. Dad, Eric Dovey, bred New Forest ponies under the Yewtree prefix and was renowned for his racing ponies. My partner, three of my four children, my sister, Kerry, and her children all race. We sadly lost my dad last year and so we raced in red in his memory. It was an emotional day and a lovely tribute. My son, Sonny Lovell is thirteen and won the younger children’s race on the same pony that my dad won on in 2018. The pony is called Warren Trail Layer and so far, that pony’s unbeaten over 1.5 miles. My niece, Honour Humble, was second in the older children’s race on a pony connected to her Grandad, and her brother, Hugh, was sixth. My other son, Isaac Lovell, had a young pony and was unseated so he had to ‘play catch-up’ to make it back to sixth.

I could talk all day about the race! As commoners we look after the forest by grazing our animals. Our heart is with the forest and it wouldn’t be Christmas without the race.’

It takes a lot of hard work from everyone involved and we are forever grateful to keep this important tradition going.

Erika Dovey shows the meaning of determination

It’s mad, exhilarating and gritty! I’m a huge fan!

- New Forest fanatic and Native Pony contributor, Janine Paterson, has competed in the race four times.

Sonny Lovell and his late grandfather’s Warren Trail Layer.

32 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

R-L Colin Moore and Longslade Skipper, winners of the Colthunters race, and Mark Adams on Wootton Heath Herbie, winners of the heavyweight race.

Results 1A. Riders over 55 years, open to part-bred New Forest and New Forest X ponies: Bob Mansbridge on Deepmoor Golden

Virginia

1B. (Tanner Cup) Riders 55 years and over: Katie Macey on

Staghill Polar Flight

2. (Pulteney Cup to the winner and memento to best novice child) Children not to have attained their 14th birthday:

Sonny Lovell on Warren Trail Layer

3. (Beaulieu Road cup to winner and cup in memory of Charlotte Smith to best novice child) Children who have attained their 14th birthday, but not their 17th by closing date of entries: Rowan Cranton on Oakwood Jester 4. (Slipper cup to the winner) For young commoners aged 16 – 35 years riding New Forest ponies: Amelia-Mae Long on Kilncopse Gina 5. Open part-bred New Forest and New Forest X ponies 5A. (Cree Cup) for horses and ponies not exceeding 15.2hh to be ridden by ladies: Erika

Dovey on Nutschullyng Bewitched

5B. (Pipers Gold Cup) Colthunters race riding horses and ponies not exceeding 15.2hh:

Colin Moore on Longslade Skipper

5C. (Heavyweight Cup) Horses to be minimum Height 15.2hh, and minimum weight 15st:

Mark Adams on Wootton Heath Herbie

6A. (Eileen Lockyer Cup) For novice New Forest ponies which have not won a registered New Forest pony race: Lauren Hawkes on Mockbeggar Jethro 6B. For novice part-bred New Forest ponies: Steph Davies on Brock Boudicca 7. (Star Trophy) Open to pure bred New Forest ponies: Anita Smith on Janesmoor Jasper

Amelia Mae Long and Klinscops Gina storm home to win the young commoners race.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 33

The Outpost:

Jaqueline and the Detectives

Photo by Samantha Fotographie

Jaqueline Berg on her dynamic driving duo, Morse and Sherlock ‘Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved all animals, and ponies in particular.

Unfortunately, I did not stay a little girl for very long, and soon I was tall enough to apply for the local volleyball team, so riding ponies was out of the question.

During my time at agricultural college, I got infected with the driving bug. I learned I could even have two ponies and drive a pair.

For fifteen years I drove the very cheeky and fast Shetland pony brothers, Tieske and Vigo vd Beemdhoeve. I got them as a yearling and a weanling from their breeder and trained them myself. They were the best team a novice driver could hope for.

In 2019, they started showing the first signs of old age, and marathon driving is a tough sport, especially for the little Shetland legs. My next pair could never compare to the wonderful Tieske and Vigo, so I decided my next pair would not be Shetland ponies, and if the next pair could be slightly bigger, they would be slightly better suited for driving the marathon obstacles with longer legs and more stamina.

Having spent many unforgettable holidays in the UK and having visited Dartmoor before, it was an easy decision that the next pair would have to be Dartmoor ponies. And since I don’t like doing things the easy way, I decided I would like to look for my new pair in the UK. After all, you get your whisky from Scotland, your tulips from the Netherlands, and your furniture from Sweden, so why not your Dartmoor pony from the UK? We were not in a big hurry to get these new ponies but in 2019, the Brexit negotiations did not go very well and suddenly we realised, if Brexit happened by the end of 2019, it might get more difficult to export livestock from the UK. So as my husband started reconfiguring the barn to add two stables, I got on the internet and quickly found what I was looking for.

The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust keep a sales list online, where local breeders can advertise their ponies for sale. Ideally, I was looking for yearling or two-year-old ponies, that looked more-or-less the same, which is preferred if you drive them as a pair. Then there they were, in an advert by Verity Nicholls and Graham Colton. ‘Peekhills Morse and Peekhills Sherlock,’ the advert said, ‘will make a cracking team’. It felt like it was meant to be: two bay geldings, both born in May 2017, both sired by Merribridge Boss. Morse’s dam is Walreddonmanor Meg, and Sherlock’s dam is Fernridge Melody.

34 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

It was now August 2019 and it looked like Brexit might be happening soon. Little did we know…

So, we contacted DPHT. They were very helpful and everything moved very quickly after that.

I got in contact with Verity Nicholls, and we decided I would travel to Devon to meet Morse and Sherlock. My mother and I made the trip by car in early September. We were only there a couple of days but as soon as I saw the two Peekhill boys, I knew I wanted to take them home with me. So far, that was the easy part.

Driving the car to Devon, I realised it’s a long way to drive a horse trailer if you are not used to driving in the UK. Having worked in big yards and seen the big horse lorries, I knew I did not want to put my two little baby ponies on one of those big commercial trucks. But we did have a logistical challenge. When exporting two UK ponies to the Netherlands, you need to get a lot of certificates, permits, and stamps from the UK government and the local vets. The DPHT and Verity went out of their way to help me organise all the documents and vet checks. Once the ponies pass the final checks, they have to leave the country within 24 hours and cannot stop over at any other yard.

I realised I would not be able to do all this driving myself. Verity suggested to use a local, small transport company to drive the ponies from Dartmoor to Dover. We would meet the ponies in Dover, load them on our trailer and take them on the ferry home. It sounded like a straightforward plan and although it was a long a stressful day with high winds and delayed crossings, the plan worked. We arrived home

in the middle of the night, tired, and greeted by two curious Shetland ponies. Sherlock and Morse seemed very content to move in next to the Shetties and they just wanted to sleep. We all did.

Looking back at this day and journey, it was the perfect day, so many things that could have gone wrong, but didn’t.

Two years on, we now have the perfect little herd.

From day one, Sherlock and Morse have been absolute stars: so friendly, smart, eager-to-learn and always happy.

We are teaching them to drive as a pair.

Last September, after slowly but successfully completing all the groundwork steps, we were able to take the Dartmoor Team out for the first time! It has been so much fun watching them develop. They have taken very big steps in a very short time.

At home we drive around the village and through the forest. We are also taking lessons, and they love it! The picture was taken last autumn, when we took them for a fun ride to experience marathon obstacles. They were so brave.

We owe so much to Verity and Graham for making this adventure possible for us. We hope they can keep doing what they are doing for many years to come and make lots of people happy by keeping these great ponies on Dartmoor.

It really has been a fairy tale so far and we can’t wait to see what the future will bring. We are so very proud of these Peekhill boys!’

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 35

Remembering Dr Wynne Davies MBE, FRAgS

The equestrian world has lost one of its most respected and well-liked personalities with the passing of Dr Wynne Davies of the Ceulan Stud only months short of his 90th birthday. Known affectionately to many as Dr Wynne or simply, ‘The Doc’, he has enriched the lives of so many, particularly those with a Welsh pony or cob interest.

The Ceulan stud was started in 1915 by his father Mr E. S. Davies and over the ensuing years years Mr Davies became one of the most respected figures within the Welsh Pony and Cob Society (WPCS) with an unique interest in breeding. He kept remarkable records, so it was no surprise that his son, Wynne, developed the skill of detailed record keeping. The ‘Ceulan Library’ became legendary in the annals of the Welsh pony world where catalogues of every sale could be found fully marked with buyers, prices and often with corrections to the printed pedigrees!

Wynne often reflected on those early days at home in Talybont - Ceulan came from the name of the stream that flowed through the village - and especially about the frequent stream of visitors that came to see his father who owned and ran Central Stores in the village. The most memorable visits were when Miss Brodrick and her stud groom, John Jones, from Coed Coch called, and his father would give Wynne a sick note from school allowing him to travel with them on their regular buying trips to the Gower and South Wales to supply the blossoming American market. He also carried very fond memories of his university holidays (1951- 1954) when he would spend the summer with Emrys and Dinah Griffiths at the Revel Stud.

Academia was Wynne’s chosen profession. After gaining his PhD in Chemistry at Aberystwyth University, he first taught in a secondary school before moving to further education at Llandaf College, later to be the University of Wales Institute. Wynne’s remit also included student enrolment and he often regaled in the fact that on a student recruiting drive in 1976, he had to visit Libya to negotiate with Col. Gadaffi! He retired at Llandaf in 1989 having

been Head of Chemistry for many years before promotion to Deputy Head of Department.

Education’s loss became the equestrian world’s gain. With more time, Wynne expanded his involvement to the many roles that ensued. The name Wynne Davies was already synonymous with the Welsh pony and cob in print. He had started writing for Horse and Hound as far back as 1951. In 1952 and 1953, he only reported on the Welsh breed classes, but from 1954 onwards he was tasked with reporting on all equine classes. He continued for 58 years until his 80th birthday. His reports were all in his own distinctive style: logical and very much of the old-school with plenty of fact and opinion and little chat. His reports would have no place in the ‘social press’ of today. However, they were always much awaited and acclaimed at the time, and like those of his contemporaries much respected. He constantly shared his knowledge and interest of the Welsh breeds through many publications worldwide including the American publication, ‘Your Pony’. In terms of publications, he was immensely proud of the annual WPCS Journal. His great friend, Alison Mountain, was editor in the Journal’s formative years when Wynne was a regular contributor, eventually taking over as editor from 1992 until 2002.

In his own right, Wynne was the author of 13 books.

His first was in 1976 which recorded the Welsh A and B champions from 1947 - 1972 through photographs and pedigrees. It was a modest publication in contrast to what was to come from his famous pen; interestingly the front cover had his own pencil drawing of a stallion’s head.

Having been approached by publisher J. A. Allen for several years to consider a book on the history of the Welsh breeds, he eventually put his mind to it and the classic ‘Welsh Ponies and Cobs’ was published in 1980. This was only the start of what was to follow.

To celebrate the WPCS centenary, he wrote ‘One Hundred Glorious’ years and was always proud to recall that this particular publication made £40,000 for the society. Later

36 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

he devoted his time to produce a book entirely dedicated to and entitled the ‘Welsh Cob’; published in 1998, it proved to be his best-selling publication. The coffee-table styled ‘Sixty Years of Royal Welsh Champions’ published in 2009 is another ‘must have’ for enthusiasts of the Welsh breeds and provides not only photographs of all the champions, but also pedigrees and mention of judges who placed them.

In 2015 his last book was published: ‘From the Horses Mouth’ was his autobiography based on the diaries he has kept over the years and those diaries were extensive!

Most will probably have known him through his involvement with the Welsh Pony and Cob Society in the various roles he undertook over a seventy-three year period. He often referred to being ‘Father of the House’.

His father gave him membership of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society in 1948; he gained a place on the Council in 1955 and served 52 years. He ‘retired’ from Council in 2007, though he often commented, “not through choice, but new regulations had brought in compulsory breaks in service”. During those years, he supported Mrs Pennell in her role as Publicity Officer before taking over the role himself; he supported the development of several ‘Association’ through their formative years; and was a very popular President and ambassador for the Society.

Modern parlance regularly makes use of “legend” or “legendary” often without much substance to back the claim. However, no one could challenge the claim with regards to Doctor Wynne as his contribution has been truly legendary for the WPCS, and has included extensive

sale and show reports, support of performance awards, production of annual calendars, organising displays and providing an endless supply of photographs and slides of the breed. Above all, he has chronicled the history of the Welsh breeds to an extent that it would be safe to say no other breed will have such detailed record. He became custodian of so many valuable resources, some of which he placed in the National Library of Wales where he knew their safekeeping would be assured.

His other great interest through Welsh ponies was the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS). He was elected onto the Glamorgan Advisory Committee in 1961 and remained a very loyal support until retiring this year; during this time he was involved in eight ‘feature county’ years in Glamorgan’s rota of host county. Having a good foundation created by his father, he developed the equine history of the RWAS with a particular interest in medals that had been awarded over the years. It would be safe to say that the ‘Ceulan’ collection of WPCS and RWAS medals will be second to none. Of course many will be able to recall his legendary - yes I use it wisely - commentary both during the classes and also parades. No one who ever heard a Dr Wynne commentary where he would inevitably find a ‘Ceulan grandmother’ in the results will forget them. In recognition of his service to the RWAS, Wynne received the Sir Bryner James Award from Princess Anne at the 2002 show followed in 2003 with the award of Hon. Life Governor. Only months before his death, he received Hon Life- Presidency of the Society and the RWAS Silver

The Donatis, Dr Wynne and Ceulan Caoln Lan

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 37

Medal.

Throughout his life Wynne enjoyed many awards.

However he described his MBE presented to him at Buckingham Palace in 1995 by HM The Queen as one of his proudest moments. Another proud milestone was back in April 1961 when he married Ruth, whom he had met at university where she graduated in geography. Ruth lived up to the well-known saying, ‘behind every great man is a great woman’. Renowned for what was known worldwide as ‘Ceulan’ hospitality, Ruth welcomed the endless stream of visitors to Ceulan with the warmest smile imaginable.

Ruth became a support like none other in their 57 years together until she sadly passed away in the spring of 2018.

Children, David and Jane, followed their parents into a university education; David studied agriculture and before retirement in 2019, was Curriculum Head of Land based Studies at Gellli Aur Agricultural College. Jane followed her dad, graduating in science from Exeter University before gaining her Masters from Dominion University, Virginia. As children at home, David and Jane shared their parent’s interest in the Ceulan ponies, though it is David who has taken it further. For the last couple of decades, David has been gradually taking over from his father and I am sure he has never been far away from advice!

Dr Wynne had a great eye for a pony and had his own priorities when assessing a pony. Wynne always appreciated a pony with a ‘good front’ and free movement. He bred ponies with an eye to their futureuse and I can’t think of a Ceulan pony that had a bad temperament. The Royal Welsh is every Welsh pony and cob breeders’ yardstick, and Wynne was no different.

He first experienced this in 1947 while helping his father when they produced Dinarth What Ho to take the overall championship. In 1949, the female championship came their way with Coed Coch Serliw who featured highly in Wynne’s all-time list of influencers on the breed.

Newcomers to the breed may be rather surprised to learn that What Oh was grey and Serliw roan as the modern Ceulan pony is non-grey, be it hard colour or dilute. It will come as no surprise that more recently the favourite of ‘the boss’ was the palomino, Ceulan Cariad, foaled in 1988, who produced a dynasty of offspring that really made Wynne smile, and none more so than her foaling of Calon Lan in 2008. Who can forget that memorable victory trot out by his 83-year-old breeder after Calon Lan took the HOYS qualification at the 2015 Royal Welsh? Mention of Ceulan Stud’s Royal Welsh successes would never be complete without mention of the progeny class which Wynne relished each year, winning it a record eleven times. It can be safely said that Wynne was not the biggest enthusiast when the organisers decided in 2002 it would no longer be judged in the form of three ponies together and be replaced as a points competition.

It would be obvious to visitors to Ceulan that Wynne had a great interest in equestrian art and probably were introduced to Old Douse one of his prized oil paintings.

There would not be an equestrian painting on eBay or at auction that he was not aware of its sale. Up until his death, he was an avid observer of the various auction sites; it would not be the first time that he pressed the bid button to become the owner of something that, on reflection, he did not really want. In past years, Wynne was also involved in the world of music playing the harp and was known to accompany himself with the odd song.

The passing of Doctor Wynne was the end of a life that was filled to the brim with enthusiasm, a willingness to help others, knowledge and generosity of time. His sense of humour and wit was well known and he often told stories against himself. He enjoyed a laugh and liked making others laugh. He was also the master of exaggeration. A recent story told of the newly born foal at Ceulan that was sold overseas via Facebook before it had time to get to its feet! He also never lost track of being a born Cardi; however not elaborating, sufficient to say there will not be many free lunches he missed!

He was a truly remarkable person with undoubted ability and unique personality. There was no other, nor will there ever be another Wynne Davies.

Wynne was a very proud family man. Condolences are extended to David and Jane and their families at their very sad personal loss.

- David Blair

38 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

To echo David’s words, the Welsh pony and cob world lost a legend when the inimitable Dr Wynne passed away last December. As Young Ambassador for the Welsh Pony and Cob Society, I spent a few afternoons enjoying Dr Wynne’s company and Ruth’s famous hospitality. After that, Dr Wynne was always ready with a congratulatory word or phone-call. Sometimes, Maggie and I would return home from a show to find messages waiting for us on the land line’s ‘answerphone’; his zealous congratulations when we secured our first qualification for Olympia was touching. Later, there were cards and emails when he enjoyed a feature or show report that I had written, and I was thrilled to receive commendation from the master!

As I came to know more young Welsh pony enthusiasts, I learnt that his kindness to us was characteristic of Dr Wynne; he revelled in encouraging younger enthusiasts of the breed. Perhaps it was a potent mixture of his own love of the breed and the innate sense of ‘teacher’ that led him to nurture future breeders and exhibitors in the way that he did. Knowing this, I asked three breeders that he took under his wing at Ceulan to give an account of Dr Wynne as they knew him.

- Beth Simons

To echo David’s words, the Welsh pony and cob world lost a legend when the inimitable Dr Wynne passed away last December.

Rhydian Donati breeds Welsh section As under the Milwas prefix with his wife, Beth. Though a small stud, they sell foals all over the world, and are the proud owners of Ceulan Calon Lan, supreme champion at the Royal Welsh in 2015, when Dr Wynne was 83 years old.

“My parents’ house backed onto Doc’s fields, and when I was about eight or nine years old, I started going over there to spend time with the ponies.

Next thing, it was, ‘Do you want to come along to a show?’ Then it was, ‘have a go at the young handler classes’.

As I grew older, I would spend days at a time there, and a few other lads used to come down and do the ponies together, and Wynne would take us all to shows with him. Some days, we would go off stud visiting for the day. Some days, there would be four or five lads, and we would all cram into the Land Rover together. People would laugh at us all piling in and out of the Land Rover. He would give us all a go at showing. By then, we could run faster than he could. He just loved young people and helping them. During the summer, we would pitch a tent in the field – especially during haymaking; we would work in the day, camp in the night and we’d have a bag of chips each and some

squash for supper. It was great fun.

In a way, I met my wife, Beth, through Doc. As a child, her parents had taken her to the Royal Welsh for the day and afterwards, she’d begged for a section A. Fast forwards a few years, Beth was working behind the bar in a local pub. We got chatting about ponies, and then about Doc and how I knew him. Next thing, I was taking her to dinner and the rest is history!

A few weeks after we met, I took her to meet Doc, and Ceulan Calon Lan was a very young foal. He was out of Ceulan Cariad, Doc’s best mare at the time. He joked, “Why don’t you buy him, Rhydian?” So I did and gave him to Beth.

By the time he was a two-year-old, he’d won thirty championships. Seven years later, we was champion section A and supreme champion at the Royal Welsh. It was amazing.

As he got older, towards the end, we still saw him regularly and he was grand. We’d take him a Sunday lunch every week. When he died, it was very sad, but all I can think is that I am so grateful to have known the man.”

-Rhydian Donati

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 39

Age is no deterrent when you’ve bred a RWAS champion!

Gareth Coomber grew up spending hours on the farm at Ceulan alongside Rhydian. He now breeds and shows Welsh cobs under the Meigan prefix alongside his daughter, Megan, 17. He struck gold when he found a cob foal at the Llanybydder horse sales and purchased it for £70. That was 2016 Royal Welsh junior Welsh cob stallion class winner, Rhydfendigaid Sweet William.

“Dr Wynne’s farm backed onto my parent’s garden, and when I was about nine years old, I started going into the fields to build dens and so on and then started helping with the ponies and the hay. My interest in the ponies all comes from those days and through Dr Wynne. I went to my first show aged eleven, and I was in his book, ‘The Welsh Cob’ aged twelve. We had a lot of successes showing. I remember once Princess Anne asked me to do an extra lap of honour with one of Dr Wynne’s stallions, Taran. Myself, Rhydian and a few other local lads, had lots of fun on the farm together. I moved into cobs, but I knew Dr Wynne over thirty years, and he was always good to us. If we needed help or advice, he was always the first one to turn to.”

- Gareth Coomber

Ryan Wilson is another young breeder mentored by Dr Wynne. He now breeds ponies under the Meisgyn and Bordervalley prefixes with his partner, Gemma Morris, and has enjoyed countless successes in the showring since a chance meeting with Dr Wynne.

“I met Dr Wynne while walking Nan’s dogs along the public footpath through the fields in Miskin. Having loved horses all my life, I got talking with this man who later invited me to see his ponies. This man was the legend that was Dr Wynne. At the age of fifteen, having helped out for about seven years, I was desperate to have a pony of my own, so my grandparents bought one for me: Ceulan Caryn, so my journey with the ponies really began.

In 2015, Dr Wynne made a last-minute decision that I should compete in the WPCS Young Judges competition. As it was very last minute, I didn’t have a bowler hat, but Dr Wynne said, ‘not to worry, you can borrow mine’. I called at Ceulan on the Saturday morning of the National Championships to collect the hat. When I rang to tell him I had won, I didn’t get a, ‘well done,’ or, ‘congratulations’. He simply said, ‘I knew you would as I left my brains in the hat for you’.For me, that summed up Dr Wynne’s sense of humour to a T, just like when at my 18th birthday party, he asked Nan if he could have the candles off the cake so he could swap the numbers around for his 81st birthday the following year!

Everything I have learnt about the ponies and cobs has come from Dr Wynne. I am so grateful to him for all the guidance I received, and I am grateful that I could call him a friend. It was an honour to be his friend.”

- Ryan Wilson

With Princess Anne

40 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 41

MEET THE JUDGE

Judging the Royal Welsh Photo by Angela Briggs

Where did the interest in ponies start? How did it develop? What makes the section C occupy a special place in your heart?

I was six years old when these cheeky bundles of fun came into my life, and my love affair started. My first pony was a grey section A called Kidpile Jacob, who was purchased from Henley-In-Arden Market as ‘safe child’s pony’ by my Uncle Norman, and mother and father. We soon learnt this wasn’t the case, as Jacob was a little tinker, who threw me off every time I rode; or at least, it felt like that! But, he did eventually teach me to stick the naughty shoulder drops and we never looked back.

Jacob also gave me my first taste of showing, competing in lead rein show pony classes with my Uncle Norman leading; we even managed a red rosette or two! This was the birth of my love of showing.

The rest of the family were into show jumping, so this was the direction I went in, too, after Jacob, with many wins on various ponies. Every so often, I also got to compete in some working hunter pony classes, as well as one day events. By the time I was sixteen I had JA showjumpers, competing alongside the likes of Marie Edgar in the juniors. It was then time to move into the adults. I carried on for another year, but I knew my heart was with showing. When it came to changing horse, we saw my 14.2hh back up for sale, and after seeing him in such a state, we took him home that day. He was my route back to showing, competing in working hunter pony classes, and qualifying for the Royal International Horse Show, where we were placed ninth in the final, then held at the NEC in Birmingham.

Being deaf in one ear impacted my balance greatly, which doesn’t help when jumping, so we decided to find a Welsh section C that I could hack and show in flat classes with. After a six-month search, we ended up at the Ryall Stud in Malvern, where we originally went to view Ryall Diplomat. However, when we were there, Mum and I spied a beautiful two-year-

Anne Hutchinson old bay gelding in the field. This pony was Ryall Democrat [Demi], who ended up my pony of a lifetime and the reason we started breeding section Cs. I think the Welsh section C holds a special place in my heart because of their cheeky personalities, beauty, versatility, and their total loyalty. I’ve never known a breed to make me laugh as much as they do, and there isn’t another I would want more.

What are your highlights as an exhibitor or breeder?

This is a hard one as we have been lucky to have so many highlights. We have never bred huge numbers as this was our hobby and mainly bred for ourselves to show and enjoy. But it has always been lovely to watch our ponies take my daughters and other owners to HOYS and Olympia and fulfil their dreams. One of my personal proud moments has to be when Wyken Lady Jasmine qualified for Olympia at Northleach – the same show where Demi had once qualified – and then when she went on to take Best of Breed at the final. Also, I can’t leave out the ‘main man’, Wyken Rob Roy, who is not only a HOYS finalist himself, but his achievements as a sire make me immensely proud, and I just love that you can spot a ‘Robbie baby’ even in a ring full of bays!

Has there been a pony that is extra special to you?

Ryall Democrat as already mentioned is my pony of a lifetime.

After finding him in a field and having to wait a couple of years before I could ride him, this beautiful gent made my dreams and wishes come true.

Like every little girl, I had dreamed of competing at HOYS and Olympia. In 1988, Demi carried me round the ring at Malvern to win his class and take my first Olympia championship and qualifier. Demi took me to Olympia five times and taking the Best of Breed title four times in total. Not only that, but he also went to HOYS twice as a mountain and moorland working hunter pony – there were no mountain and moorland flats

42 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

back then – and took multiple supreme championships around the country. He lived with us until he died and will always hold a special place in my heart.

When did you start judging? What panels are you on?

After a few years of success with Demi and others, I started judging some local shows to gain experience. I was then asked to judge the Royal Welsh sections C and D ridden classes in 1995, which was a huge honour. It was also a huge task riding 40+ ponies in each class. Although I was told to only ride twenty-five ponies per class, I was determined to ride them all, and all I did!

I am currently on the Welsh Pony and Cob Society sections C and D panels and their Ridden* panels, as well as the Northern Counties Pony Association and The Showing Register panels.

Due to showing my own ponies, I had limited myself on how many panels I was on, but now that I no longer compete, I may look at expending.

What is the first thing you look for as a pony enters the ring?

When a pony walks in the ring, I first look for a good, relaxed walk, and a nice head and eye. I think the walk is a very important and sometimes overlooked pace; this is the first thing we judges see when a pony enters the ring and there’s nothing like a first impression to make a judge remember you.

What are your pet hates when judging?

Democrat Olympia

My pet hates are capped hocks and dishing, capped hocks Thanks, Anne for your insight. Look out for our Meet the Judge in the next issue, when we will be putting Lisa Barsoum Allen under the spotlight.

especially as they can always be avoided. Also, I find over trimming unnecessary and can spoil a beautiful pony; I think some forget these are native ponies and not show ponies. Tails should be shaped naturally and not all the way up to their hocks, and manes should also be as natural as possible, tapering down from the top to the bottom.

What do you most enjoy judging: natives, nonnatives, in-hand, ridden, opens, novices…?

Jasmine Windsor, photo ES Photography

I feel honoured to be asked to judge any section and love to judge ridden classes as much as in-hand. I always find the lead rein and first ridden classes leave my face hurting from smiling and I find it rewarding to judge a novice class and see a star in the making. I don’t tend to judge many plaited and non-native classes, but I always like a change and to see different ponies.

What makes you happy as a judge?

Happy competitors = happy judge! If you smile, then your pony will smile. Most of the time! I like to see competitors have fun and enjoy themselves, and ones that laugh at an ‘oops’ moment rather than beat themselves up about it. You can always correct a mistake or improve for next time. Also, to think that I could give a little advice to a competitor that would help them along in their future showing career also makes me very happy.

What is most important to you when judging a class?

Ninky

When judging a class manners are extremely important to me, especially in a ridden class. Also ponies that are true to type and are presented and shown in this manner; a Highland pony shouldn’t go the same as a Welsh cob. I like to see ponies shown to their full potential; however, this doesn’t mean being rushed or being pushed out of their stride.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 43

How have you seen showing progress over the years? What changes have you seen that you are in favour of? Are there any changes that you are not in favour of?

Numbers have increased across the board in the Welsh breeds, compared to when I started, and even more so under saddle, which is great for the breed. There are also many more shows, which is great for a competitor to have options but does hinder the organisers who will have split entries. It is lovely to also see more classes, either split out by breed, or the additional junior or amateur classes etc. This gives competitors so many more options and has been great for increasing numbers for particular breeds; when I first had a section C, there were only a few other section Cs competing in mixed sections C and D classes. When the section Cs got their own class at HOYS, numbers competing increased hugely, with that class now being one of the largest and strongest across showing.

Robbie Progeny at HOYS, by ES Photography

A new change I wouldn’t have been particularly in favour of as a competitor, is the ruling of mandatory body protectors in some working hunter pony classes, and I don’t think I am alone with that one! It was great to recently see that the National Pony Society reviewed their decision with this, and I hope other societies follow.

How would you like to see showing develop in the future?

I would like to see ponies being given a proper novice season again and not being pushed into open classes in pelhams and double bridles before they’re ready. I always think the most exciting part of a pony’s career is the novice season, with the aim of winning the Picton final at the NPS Champs, they always were such strong classes and I hope they return to those large numbers again. One way to develop this would be for all open classes to be for 5-year-olds and over, I know the NPS already have this rule, so it would be great if other societies would follow suit.

Robbie turns 25

If you’re judging, do you prefer to set a show or allow competitors to decide on their own show?

I like to let competitors do their own show and show me they are worthy of winning. These are native ponies and I find some set shows are more Judging in Australia

like dressage tests. I like to see something flowing and not too long, so I find asking the competitor to do their own show allows them to show their pony’s best paces off. As long as I see a good gallop and all three paces, then I am happy.

Do you like using marks or would you rather be without them?

I would rather not use marks; I think these cause more issues than they’re worth. A mark of 35 from one judge could mean a completely different thing to a mark of 35 from another judge, some would consider this an above average award, and for others this could be a poor mark. I can appreciate their use in a large class to help speed things up and to avoid two judges disagreeing, but I think they shouldn’t be displayed to competitors afterwards and should be a guide for the judges instead.

You’ve judged all over the world as well as the UK. Where have been your favourite places or shows to judge at? Where would you like to go back to?

Judging at Northleach

Judging in Australia

I have been honoured enough to have judged at some fantastic shows across the country. Some of my favourites have been Pembrokeshire County, Royal Highland, Northleach, Usk Show, to name but a few. But my all-time favourite in the UK has to be the Royal Welsh; I have been incredibly lucky to have been asked to judge there twice and would love to go back again.

I have also been very privileged to have been asked to judge in Australia, which was an amazing experience. With such lovely organisers, competitors, and ponies, I would go back in a heartbeat. As well as Australia I have also judged in the Czech Republic, which was another brilliant experience and I have been fortunate enough to be asked back to judge there this year.

44 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Janine

The Native Pony Enthusiast Hey fellow native pony enthusiasts; my name is Janine Paterson and I’m an outand-out New Forest and Connemara pony addict! There, I’ve admitted it!!

New Forest ponies have been part of my life since I started riding at 4 years old.

Growing up in the forest started the addiction and now I’ve had the privilege of having some exceptional ponies and have also found a passion for Connemaras too.

I think the reason I am drawn to these breeds, must be their versatility.

My first New Forest pony, Beacon Cathy, was a tiny 10.2hh, the smallest registered NF. She was a great lead rein pony to learn on, and I owe my stickability to her, as she was an absolute minx off the lead!!!

In my early teen years, I had a super NF pony, Willoway Calvados, who represented GB in Ireland on the pony dressage team, evented, and took part in all PC activities. He was the most fantastic all-rounder. He competed to medium dressage, but was safe enough for your granny to hack out. He hunted, jumped, and showed me just what these ponies are capable of.

My next Forester was a much sportier type, he was sharp and a real handful as a youngster! However, he was one of the most talented jumping ponies I’ve ever sat on; Tantany Torch took me around courses I never thought possible on a pony, let alone a native pony!

Janine and Blakehill Master

Willoway Amigo

Having had the pleasure of these two super talented ponies, no matter where life has taken me, I’ve always had a Forester in my orbit. I’ve dabbled with Welshies

Willoway Calvados

Beacon Cathy

along the way too and I do love a Welsh x TB mix, but my heart lies with the Foresters and Connies.

I’m very fortunate to now have a small team of ponies that I compete for their owners. They live with me full time and we enjoy a varied calendar involving fun days out with British Eventing, British Dressage, working hunter pony classes, combined training, beach rides and gallivanting across our wonderful countryside!

I’m excited to share our progress this year with you all, hopefully we can share lots of laughs and hopefully successes and an insight into what we all get up to.

Head of my team is Willoway Amigo, he’s a fourteen-year-old NF gelding. I’ve owned Roo in partnership with long standing supporter and fabulous friend, Ingrid Jordan, since he was an untouched three-year-old, purchased directly from Willoway. He competes at BE90/100 and has qualified for the Grassroots Champs at Badminton this year! He struck into a tendon at Bricky in September 2020, so it’s brilliant to have him back out competing.

Next up is Lahinch Teddy, another fourteen-year-old gelding but a Connemara. Teddy has been owned by the wonderful Sharon Goodman since a six-year-old and been competed by myself and her son, Toby. He’s been to HOYS and RI as well as successfully

competing at BE100. Teddy fractured his splint bone badly which needed operating on in May 2020, but he’s now feeling better than ever, so I’m excited to see where this season takes us!

Blakehill Master is the youngest recruit, at 6. He is the most fantastic Connnenara gelding, bought by Sharon as an unbroken three-year-old from Cathy Wood. He will be aimed at BE80’s this season as well as contesting WHP qualifiers. He is a talented pony and has been taken slowly, so I’m really looking forward to getting him out and about this season after his winter holiday!

Last to introduce is Supersonic! He’s a seven-year-old homebred NF x WB - owned and bred by my lovely friend Alex Gambling and I. Sonic is around 153cm and by Woodrow Prince Harry (NF, and also Roo’s sire). He’s out of Alex’s homebred mare Without Doubt (Broadstone Westcountry x Dawn Fox) who I evented a little bit. However, she HATED travelling so we decided a change in career was maybe less stressful all round! Sonic loves travelling so we are excited to get him out eventing this season too!

So that’s an intro into all of us and hopefully I can get motivated to go to some parties before the next issue!

Having moved to Dorset from Somerset at the start of November, I’ve been busy exploring the wonderful hacking and I need to get sorting my plan of attack...the season is looming!

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 45

Caitlin and her pink ponies

46 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Name: Caitlin Evans-Simpson Age: 8

What are you proudest of?

Harvey hasn’t been the easiest and I fell off him lots at first. That is what makes me so proud to have ridden him at HOYS now.

I now do a bit of jumping with him and want to do first ridden classes with him this year. He can still be a little cheeky, but I am stronger now and he is hopefully starting to understand that.

Tell us when you started riding?

I started riding when I was 18 months old on a beautiful palomino pony called Fairy.

Who helps you with your ponies?

What makes you love riding so much?

The best thing about riding for me is just having fun, especially when at shows and pony club making new friends.

What is the best thing about having a pony?

The best thing about owning a pony for me is grooming and talking to them and giving them cuddles; they are like my friends. Riding them is fun, too!

Tell us about your ponies. What do you like to do with them?

I am really lucky to have three ponies of my own. All three are roan as it is mine and Mummy’s favourite colour, and all three have four white socks; we like matchy-matchy ponies!

Funs [Finglebridge Funtime] is 14 years old and I have had her three years, which has been amazing. She is a Welsh section A. I have taken her to Field Farm twice, pony club camp, dressage, showing, first-year first ridden, jumping and hunting. She will do pretty much anything, and loves hacking out with Mummy [Claire Evans] and Daddy [Kevin Simpson]. She’s taught me how to ride on my own.

Lottie [Locksbit Forget Me Not] is a six-year-old Welsh section B that we have bought recently for me to show as a novice first ridden and junior pony eventually. She has done a bit of showing, a bit of pony club, dressage and hacking so far with me.

We are just getting to know each other and hopefully will be out competing soon.

Harvey [Heniarth Brando] is another Welsh section A. He’s also a six-year-old and has been a bit cheeky to bring on since Mummy bought him as a four-year-old. I have had him two years and done lots of showing on the lead rein and we are now hoping to show him in the first ridden qualifiers this season.

Harvey used to be very cheeky off the lead, but I now hack him out on the roads with Mummy on her horse and he is a good boy. We have grown together, and I love him very much.

What has been your highlight with your ponies so far?

My biggest highlight was riding at Horse of the Year Show with Harvey and led by my mum last year. I will never forget the day we qualified; I cried lots and Mummy did, too, and even the steward at the show did. Funs was also supreme mini champion at the NPS Summer Championships in 2019 in both the open and home-produced sections, which was a really big achievement for me and Mummy.

Mummy helps me the most, but I also have lessons with Liz Hartley, Ann White, and we go to Katy Carter clinics. I also do pony club training with the Grove Hunt branch and really enjoy attending camp each year; it’s great fun. Nannan and Daddy help me, too, and I really try hard when they come to watch me.

What are your goals for next season?

First ridden classes with Harvey and some novice first ridden classes with Lottie to let her see different places and relax more.

Who inspires you? Who do you look up to in the equestrian world?

I am inspired by Charlotte Dujardin in dressage and loved watching her train when we visited Carl Hester’s yard. I watched John Whittaker at London International Horse Show in the speed stakes class and he was amazing to watch, I really look up to him, too.

Favourite food: Jacket potato Favourite programme: Heartland Favourite colour: Pink Favourite horse/pony that doesn’t belong to you?

Valegro, he kissed me when I was lucky enough to meet him in his stable.

If you could be one thing in future, what would it be?

Horse trainer.

Do you have any other pets?

Two dogs called Stan and Ollie Do you have any other hobbies?

I enjoy playing football at school and with Rotherham Wildcats

PHOTOS: Opposite Page: Caitlin, Harvey and Claire at HOYS by 1st Class Images Top Row: Caitlin & Lottie Smile for the camera, Caitlin & Funs in the lead rein, Caitlin and Harvey at a Christmas show by Daxpics, Funs becomes a real life unicorn

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 47

Inspired by

Magic

Novelist, translator and reporter, Anwen Francis, lives near Cardigan, west Wales, with her husband, Dilwyn, and two children, Soffia and Henri. Anwen has recently released the first in a third series of children’s books inspired by her love of ponies. We caught up with Anwen to find out more about the books, the characters, and the four-legged inspiration behind them.

TNP: Anwen, congratulations on your most recent release, Abigail’s Magic. Tell us a little more about the inspiration for the book?

Having seen the results of a photo shoot of our ponies on the beach with local photographer, Sian Broderick, last year, a close friend of mine, Amelia Parry, decided to have a photo shoot with her daughter on the Frenni Fach. I’ve always been intrigued and charmed by the Preseli Mountains and the photographs taken by Sian were just incredible. One photograph of little Abigail and Magic stood out. I was totally inspired by it and the idea of my new novel came from there.

TNP: The book is illustrated by fellow native enthusiast, Chris Latter. How did that come about?

Chris has been a friend and rock in my life for many years.

She’s a fount of knowledge when it comes to ponies, and both Chris and her daughter, India, have always supported Soffia with her riding. I’m also an avid supporter of her pottery work; my house is full of Gwili Pottery and I knew we’d get along great. Her illustrations are exactly what I wanted – sharp and relevant – and when she agreed to come on board, I was overjoyed.

TNP: This isn’t the first time that a Shetland pony has been at the heart of your fiction, though…

Oh no … the ‘Siani the Shetland Pony’ series has been a huge hit since it was first published some 20-or-so years ago

by Gomer Press. She is inspired by a living, breathing pony of ours, Blossom of Crafton. There are six novels based on Siani through the medium of Welsh, my mother-tongue.

I’ve also recently adapted the first novel to English, published

by Parthian. We then created a CD of songs, composed by my very musical mother and went onto to design ‘Siani’

merchandise of rulers, rubbers, key rings and pencils.

TNP: It seems that you used ‘lockdown’ to be especially productive, because between the two Shetlands, Siani and Magic, there was also Diesel the Donkey and his trilogy of adventures?

Oh Diesel! He is an absolute star! I decided to write about a donkey with the longest ears in Wales. We held a competition to find a suitable cover star and once we found our Diesel.

He was then named in a competition by Leo Bowen. Diesel blossomed and I’m currently writing the fourth novel in the Diesel series.

I’m surprised how popular donkeys actually are and the novels flew off the shelves with signed copies being posted around the world, especially to America.

I was fortunate enough during lockdown to spend time writing. Being creative allows me to escape into my own little bubble and visit a world where no one else can access.

So, I’d translate all day for the Faculty of Medicine and Social Sciences with Swansea University before starting to write my stories.

Having the children home also meant that they did a lot of the cooking, learning new skills whilst I carried on writing.

People often ask me where do I get the time to write, and it’s usually around midnight. I get inspired by the way people walk and talk and it’s surprising how I get inspired by what people say, dialects and conversations at shows and events.

Some people come out with cracking comments!

TNP: As well as having Shetlands in starring roles in your novels, you keep and breed your own Shetlands. How and where did that begin?

I adore my Shetland Ponies. They are a breath of fresh air.

48 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

When I was three years old, I had my first Shetland and then when I turned 16, I purchased a filly bred locally from the Jackson family of the Crafton Stud as a companion pony. Little did I know that Blossom of Crafton would be an international star and an icon that is Siani. She was also very successful in the show ring and has bred Royal Welsh winners. Siani is now 26 years old, still lives with us and is very much loved by us all.

I’m also a panel judge for the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society and have made long life friends up and down the country.

We’ve bred a few foals over the years, but I’m very selective what we breed and breed Shetland Ponies for performance purposes. I adore the Crafton, Marshwood and Knock lines and Soffia is very fortunate that she’s only around five foot and can still compete them!

We established the Serenteifi Stud and from time to time will breed a foal or two but not on a huge scale by any means.

TNP: Your daughter, Soffia, is a keen competitor in working hunter pony classes and showjumping, meaning that you have now dabbled in keeping more native breeds than Shetlands alone. Tell us more.

By chance, we came across a working hunter judge at a local show who took Soffia under her wing and trained her.

Pembrokeshire based Sharon Owen introduced us to the WHP world and we haven’t looked back. Our first working

hunter pony was the very kind, gentlemanly pony, that was Welsh section B, Milford Fair Honey Bear. He is currently on lease with the Osborne Family. We then bought Moin na Guise Paddy, a gorgeous Connemara, and competed him in the workers, British Showjumping and arena eventing. We currently have a novice 143 cm section D, Gorfelyn Persian Gold, and a 153 cm Welsh part-bred called Cwmmeudwy Springtime. Our lovely friends Beth Bevan and Kate Canton also have two of our ponies. Beth has our 133 cm section C working hunter pony and Kate has our coloured Shetland, Just William of Crafton. So, between us all, we have a very busy season ahead of us! We are excited to see what next season brings as we are fortunate enough to have the friendship and expertise of Team Davies Equestrian behind us.

TNP: Can we expect to see more books featuring our wonderful natives in the future?

Indeed, we can. I’m currently adapting and translating the Siani the Shetland series from Welsh to English; Diesel stories 3 and 4 will be published soon. They are illustrated

by Mandie Davies, another equestrian enthusiast from Pembrokeshire. Finally, Abigail’s Magic and the Snow Party will be published next year. Other novels in the pipeline include Seren the Sausage Dog, Mati and Pati the Witches from Cardigan Castle, and I’ve been asked to write a novel based on a mischievous pet sheep from mid Wales!

TNP: Where can readers get their hands on a copy of their own?

Currently, novels can be purchased, signed and personally wrapped through my email – anwen.francis@btinternet. com. Kindle books can also be downloaded from Amazon, or hard copies through Etsy. Still, even with all this technology, it’s surprising how many call in at the house to get a copy and to meet the star ponies in person!

You can also purchase Chris Latter’s pottery by searching Gwili Pottery and following the link to her online shop or via her Facebook page.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 49

OUT AND ABOUT

Marbeth Milwr Bach

2. Peronne Nostalgia

4. Hillam The Hobo

3. Millwood Chico 1. Dycott Sparkling Lady

Leaping into spring!

1. Gemma Pallet and her section C mare, Dycott Sparkling Lady have been busy arena

eventing over the winter. “She’s not built for speed, but we have a great time anyway!”

2. Maggie Simons has been busy with her 2022 novice working hunter ponies, Welsh section Cs, Joyton Kingfisher and homebred Marbeth Jimmy Wilde, and Sharon Owen’s New Forest, Peronne Nostalgia.

3. Lisa Marie Lake’s Welsh section B, Millwood Chico, ridden by daughter, Evie. “Chico 5. Menai The Chandle

has already secured his qualifications for Scope, the Steppingstones British novice second rounds and the 11-years-old and under final. He is currently sitting at third in 2. Joyton Kingfisher the ‘bronze league’ for the West Midlands, but most importantly, he is huge personality and my daughter’s best friend”.

4. Amy Sibley and her four-year-old Welsh section D, Hillam the Hobo. He has only been in work a few months but is taking everything in his stride.

5. Menai The Chandler, a seven-year-old 50 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Welsh section C, ridden by Layla Pallas.

We’ve loved seeing what you have all been up to on social media, and our request to hear from you left us inundated with responses – far too many to include in just one issue. If we’ve not included a photo of you this time, don’t worry, because our pages are updated every six weeks. Keep going out and having fun with your ponies, and keep our breed representatives or ourselves in the loop!

Out and about in the dressage arena!

1. Jessica Allen and Hendrewen Deserts Lady [Maddie], eight-year-old Welsh section D “Having worked long hours during the start of the pandemic, I decided I needed a distraction! I hadn’t ridden for eight years since retiring my HOYS and Royal Welsh winner, Ashow Brenin, but in the autumn of 2020, I bought Maddie. She was six years old but had done very little, so had no idea how to carry herself or canter.

We took it very slowly at first, attending some training sessions, clinics and some unaffiliated introductory dressage competitions to build her confidence, get her used to travelling and learn how to be an active member of the family. We don’t have an arena at home so beyond clinics, we were limited to hacking and use of a Welsh hill farm field! Maddie would get flustered when being asked to do something new, and thanks to my riding hiatus, I was very rusty.

Therefore, at the end of the spring of 2021, I enlisted the help of the amazing Vikki Pengilly, a dressage rider who specialises in young Welsh cobs. With her help and guidance, we discovered canter, a gait that initially didn’t come naturally to Maddie. Vikki helped me to understand how to ‘gel’ with Maddie, to improve as one unit and build on our progress in between the training sessions.

In the summer of 2021, we took a leap of faith and joined British Dressage. Our aim was to try and score some points in the Prelim section, meaning we would need to ‘nail’ the canter…… in public!

The first competition arrived; it was a glorious Saturday morning in July. As we were entering the arena down the centre line, the sun was shining on the white boards at C and…… well I’m sure you can guess what happened next. The white board ‘monsters’ were out to get us but we completed the test with two clean canter transitions for good measure. And that was it, we were hooked!

Never did I think I’d be happy to forego showing for dressage but it happened.

Six months later we are still enjoying it. We haven’t campaigned hard as Maddie is still young and in need of time between events to process things. However, she now has 47 BD points. In addition, she qualified for the British Dressage Elite Equine Associated Championships in the Native section. We travelled to Bury Farm Equestrian Village in November 2021, Maddie’s first sleepover show! She rose to the occasion and despite the long journey and 2. Wyken Sweet Silhouette

1. Handrewen Deserts Lady

unknown stablemates, flicked her toes into third place overall, only being beaten by two natives that we far older and more experienced. In fact, she was only 1% behind the class champion!

I hope she has a bright future as we continue to develop our partnership. She has qualified for the British Dressage Area Festivals in the Spring 2022 as well as the British Riding Clubs Winter Novice Finals as part of the dressage team for Riders 2000 Riding Club. She has had a winter break with no shows, so we can’t wait to get back out competing to test what we have learned in training and hope to keep learning for a long time to come.”

- Jessica 2. Rachael Dilcock Thomas’ section C, Wyken Sweet Silhouette [Lou Lou] Annie Thomas.

“My daughter Annie, and Lou Lou have been trying their hand at some dressage. They also attended a bd youth assessment with Nina Boex who was so encouraging and this has made Annie more determined to try and be selected to represent Wales at the inter-regionals in the summer.”

- Rachael 3. Victoria Wharton’s Dartmoor gelding, Pumphill Pincup [Rossi], and Jasmine, 12 “My daughter, Jasmine, has started competing in dressage with one of her Dartmoor ponies, Pumphill Pincup over Christmas.

Competing against the seniors, they had a second place in the intro test, and then first place in the preliminary test, with fantastic comments from both judges and both scores over 70%. We were delighted as this was something very new to them both. Since then, Jasmine and Rossi have now affiliated to British Dressage for 2022 where we look forward to flying the flag for the native pony.”

- Victoria 3. Pumpkin Pincup

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 51

4. Fiona Tiley’s daughter, Beatrice, 9, and her tenyear-old Dartmoor, Meering Samphire “Beatrice and Samphire have been competing at riding club Intro level with her pony Meering Samphire this year.

The combination were junior reserve champions at the Aire Valley Riding Club summer dressage series and junior champions at the Calderdale Saddle Club winter dressage series.”

- Fiona

4. Meering Samphire

5. Amy Boaler’s Connemara, Tyan Razzmatazz (Mac Cloonisle x Ballymore Mitizi) Amy and Razzmatazz have been out competing at prelim level and in their last outing at Cobham Manor, they scored 69.61% to win the Prelim 14 and gain their NPS and BCPS dressage championships qualification.

5. Tyan Razzmatazz

6. Samantha Bowman’s Welsh section D, Penstrumbly Maid Me Smile

6. Penstrumbly Maid Me Smile

“I bought Smiley from the WPCS Autumn sales in October 2021. I’d seen her advertised for a while and never thought I’d be in a position to own her. However, by the time of the sales, everything had aligned and I was very fortunate to secure her. Smiley has previously enjoyed a very successful show career, but dressage is more my thing and so having got myself an instructor, Lili Brooksby-Dalby, we decided to get booked-in and do a test. We entered Solihull Riding Club’s dressage at the end of January where we contested two prelim classes and she finished second and first with 69.5 and 71% respectively. Not too shabby at all considering she hadn’t done any dressage and I hadn’t been in the dressage arena for almost nine years! I then got us registered with British Dressage and on January 13th we went off to Vale View to do another two prelim classes where she finished in second and in fourth. We are planning for our next BD outing to be at the end of January at Hargate.

I would love to qualify for the PetPlan finals within the next twelve months with Smiley, and then look at trying for the Regionals. Smiley is such a lovely mare. She always gives 110% and is an absolute credit to Rebecca Lamb who rode and produced her for the show ring, and to her breeder, Kath Hall. I feel very privileged to own such a great mare – a lot of people seem to know her and sing her praises – and I hope that we will make it to Advanced and be able to wear tails. That is the ultimate goal.”

- Samantha

7. Samantha Reid and Welsh section D, Llanarth Dinah “My son, Ollie, has five-year-old Dinah on lease from the Bigley family.

After breaking her in at four year old, he started showing her and was doing well, but due to his school work, I have lately taken over the reins to try my hand at a little dressage in preparation for the over 50s performance award. Dressage isn’t something I’d normally do, and I feel very proud to have won our first three events and have only just found out we are sixth on the league table at our local equestrian venue, Vale View.”

- Samantha

52 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

7. Llanarth Dinah

8. Liz Handford on her five-year-old Fell, Midtown Black Knight [Kevin] “We started doing online dressage with e-riders and have just completed our first Intro open league, coming 7th out of 71. I’m very proud of him, considering he was only backed at the end of July. This was the last time out. He did two tests for the first time with two different judges and was second in both.”

- Liz 8. Midtown Black Knight

9. Elin Harries, 15 , and her seven-year-old Welsh section D, Cwmfedwen Awel Mai [Awel] “Awel and I have had a great 2021! In early July, we won our first ever Petplan Area Festivals together in the Novice Bronze class with over 73%! I was the highest placed youth rider and gained 4% higher than second placed! We had a successful few days at the Petplan National Finals in October were I gained 67%+ and was overall 15th place out of 40 riders. I was beyond proud of our result and was so thankful of everyone who helped us get to that point.

Earlier in August, we were selected for the BD Youth Home International at the David Broome Event Centre for Team Wales. In the warm-up test we had 71%, finishing 7th out of 39 competitors, and in the team tests, we were overall 15th place. As Awel is just seven years old and I’m only 15, we only began British dressage together in May, making our achievements even more special to us.

9. Cwmfedwen Awel Mai

Since then, we’ve recently won a competition with 70% in the Novice Silver and Elementary Bronze. We’ve gone from strength to strength gaining 70%+ at BD Elementarys and are working hard at Medium level at home. I’m so, so proud of my homebred Welsh cob! We have big plans and high hopes for this year with even more targets and objectives!”

- Elin

10. Jamie Knight’s Dartmoor, Collstone Cavetina [Dixie] ridden

by Charlotte Knight, 5 “On the ninth of August 2021, we made a decision to drive a six hour round trip to collect a well-recommended pony who wasn’t advertised for our daughter, Charlotte, who was four at the time. We were looking for our next super-star. We tried Dixie and she came home. We’re not really a showing family; we have an eventing and show jumping background so we were entering the unknown. We are a very active member of the Worcestershire Hunt PC and Alvechurch RC. Dixie was soon put the test and we were amazed how versatile the breed is. Dixie looked after our tiny little girl in every discipline. Within a month of collecting her, we were champions and we have never looked back. Since then they have won the winter dressage series at Alvechurch RC and on their last time out, Dixie and Charlotte won both classes, with lovely comments from the judges.”

- Jamie

10. Collstone Cavetina

11. Jo Filmer’s Welsh section B, Longhalves Renoir [Levi], ridden by Samantha Roberts.

Levi has qualified for area festivals at novice and elementary levels.

Samantha has also campaigned Welsh section B, Moelview Prince Consort, and Welsh section A, Lledrith Nemesis in dressage over the winter.

“At the BD Native Pony Championship, Moelview Prince Consort was second in the medium final and Lledrith Nemesis was third in the novice final with over 72%. Moelview Prince Consort scored +68 at Sparsholt and has qualified for the elementary music. regional class and the area festivals at medium level. Nemesis has also qualified for both the area festival and the regionals.”

11. Longhalves Renior

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 53

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

CONNEMARA ROUNDUP

Compiled by Julia Spacey and Cherry Caddy

Native Pony Dressage Gala The Native Pony Dressage Gala is due to be held at Fenning Farm, Cambs on May 2nd 2022 open to all natives and part-breds. There will be a host of NPS and BCPS qualifiers with “Have-a-go” Elementary and Dressage to Music classes. Keep an eye out for schedules on Facebook.

Susie’s Trec Success

by Lynette Marsh

My Girl Susie, by Westonhouse Straboe Bobby out of Clonlea Lady by Rathcoona Cove.

I just set eyes on Susie as a three-year-old, standing in the ring at the Clifden Sales. I wasn’t there to buy a pony, but I was so surprised that only one person had bid for her, that I put my hand up and she was mine. ‘Well,’ I thought, ‘I had better go and check out this mare’. I needed to see what was wrong with her, thinking that ‘she must be wild at the very least’! I needn’t have worried, Susie is the kindest, most intelligent pony, and I’m very proud on her.

I broke her in at four years old and she has always responded well to anything asked of her. She loves to jump which is one small but important part of Trec.

To be obedient and willing to tackle anything asked is the key. We must negotiate all sorts: water, a bridge, a ditch, scary obstacles, canter, halt, rein back and immobility to name but a few examples. I think she enjoys it as much as I do.

We have had many wins and good placings through the winter series last season, with her gaining three championships, intermediate, open intermediate and open.

Full Trec has been on hold for quite a while due to covid, I’m but hoping to get back out orienteering and map reading in 2022.

Lynette Marsh

SARACEN CONNEMARA EVENTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2021 Swalcliffe Park Equestrian near Banbury in Oxfordshire Competitors prepared to travelled the length and breadth of the country, from Cornwall, the Orkney Isles for the Connemara Eventing Championships.

There were three finals on the Saturday with nearly 70 Connemara finalists entered; in fact the 80cm Final proved so popular that HorseEvents had to split the section after entries closed.

HorseEvents had organised for the BCPS to have their own championship dressage arenas slightly apart from the other arenas. The show-jumping phase was a straightforward course on grass and caused little problems and then it was on to the cross country. The course was a fair test with two water complexes and the undulating ground really testing the ponies’ fitness; some came back looking weary and time faults affected many placings.

Anya Hill, 80cm Final Winner

BCPS council member, Debbie Nickson won the 70cm Final and Best British Bred sash riding Innellan Woody who was given to Debbie by his breeder John Beeley as a yearling. Debbie broke Woody in as a three-year-old. Together they

54 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

have hunted with the Cranwell Bloodhounds and Southwold Foxhounds and were side saddle supreme champions at Leicester County Show.

Woody has already qualified for the 2022 Saracen Connemara Eventing Championships by winning the BCPS performance day and overall ODE at Blackwater Farm. Debbie, 61 said: “I am so lucky to have such a lovely boy who loves to do anything that is asked of him. The British Connemara Pony Society Eventing Championships 70cm is so good for the youngsters and for oldies like me! I have no ambitions to jump higher than 70cm and hope to continue for many years at a level that I am comfortable with”.

The Under 16 section was won by Pippa Reid riding her mother’s Tuckmill Galloon Myke [Mykey]. The eight-year-old, 15.2 Connemara, was bought when he was rising six and had just come over from Ireland.

Pippa said: “we instantly fell in love with his massive jump and heavily opinionated personality! Our first winter together was spent training, introducing him to the world and competing in schools eventer challenges.

Gortmore Whos Dun It

I then evented him towards the end of the 2020 season and couldn’t wait to get cracking on with him in 2021. He was great, winning our qualifier at Swalcliffe to qualify for the Saracen Connemara Eventing Championships. At the championships, Mykey was just amazing; he held his own around an incredible course for a quick double clear to win the U16’s. Next year I’d like to keep eventing him and see where it takes us; he is a super talented horse but mainly I just want to enjoy him and have a fun 2022 season”. The best British bred sash went to Holnest Fionnuala ridden by Amelie HuntingtonWhiteley.

The 80cm final was won by Anya Hitt riding her elevenyear-old, Cnoc an Noinin Clover, who kept her lead after the dressage with a double clear inside the time. Anya has been riding ‘Dumpy’ since she was eleven years old and he had just turned five years old. They started off doing some unaffiliated dressage before becoming affiliated with great success, including being asked to ride for England at the Pony Club Home International Dressage at Royal Windsor. Anya said: “the Connemara championships was a really special win for me because it was my last competition on Dumpy to date.

I am now at the University of Birmingham reading law whilst Dumpy is still at home, being ridden by my instructor, Pru

Debbie Nickson and Innellan Woody

McNulty. Dumpy adores jumping and is super at eventing; last summer we also came individually second at the Pony Club National Championships in the Novice Eventing, over a course that caused carnage! He’s very clever with his feet and can usually find a way to help us get out of tricky situations if they arise”. The best British bred award in this section went to Carolyn Day’s Greycroft Ronan ridden by her daughter, Nicky Day. Sunday was the turn of the 90cm and 100cm finals. The winner of the 90cm final was Josie Spring, 16, riding her 15.2 bay 13-year-old Connemara gelding, Ferodo. Josie and Ferodo pulled off the best dressage of the day and maintained their lead with a double clear in the time. Josie is a former British trampolinist. She left the British team three years ago due to ill health and took up riding alongside her sister just two years ago. As she progressed so quickly, it was decided to buy Ferodo a year ago and they started to compete at BE90. Following her success at the Saracen Connemara Champs she completed her first BE100 the following weekend and will hopefully be back to contest the 100cm final in 2022.

The last final of the weekend was the 100cm: a small but competitive class. The final was won by the stunning dun, Gortmore Whos Dun It [Archie], owned by Tracey Whittle and ridden beautifully

by Bethany Humphries who has taken over the ride from Tracey’s daughter whilst she is abroad. Nine-year-old Archie is by Templebready Fear Bui out of thoroughbred mare, Fire Godess.

He was bred by Meike Beigel and has been owned by Tracey since he was a five-year-old. Bethany Humphries, 23, has been riding Archie since May this year and has evented Archie up to BE Novice

level with the goal being 2* next season after a winter of dressage and show jumping. They have had a fantastic short first season together including standing part-bred champion, dressage champion and performance champion at the Connemara breed show. The best British bred sash went to Charlotte Walters riding homebred partbred Connemara, Holnest Finnegan.

Plans are underway or the 2022 Saracen Connemara Eventing Championships to be held back at Swalcliffe Park EC on the weekend of the 10th &11th September so keep an eye out on the BCPS and HorseEvents websites for more information about the finals and how to qualify. fitness; some came back looking weary and time faults affected many placings.

BCPS council member, Debbie Nickson won the 70cm Final and Best British Bred sash riding Innellan Woody who was given to Debbie by his breeder John Beeley as a yearling. Debbie broke Woody in as a three-year-old. Together they have hunted with the Cranwell Bloodhounds and Southwold Foxhounds and were side saddle supreme champions at Leicester County Show. Woody has already qualified for the 2022 Saracen Connemara Eventing Championships by winning the BCPS performance day and overall ODE at Blackwater Farm. Debbie, 61 said: “I am so lucky to have such a lovely boy who loves to do anything that is asked of him.

The British Connemara Pony Society Eventing Championships 70cm is so good for the youngsters and for oldies like me! I have no ambitions to jump higher than 70cm and hope to continue for many years at a level that I am comfortable with”.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 55

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

CONNEMARA ROUNDUP

A CONNEMARA JOURNEY

By Kieran O’Brien, Climsland Connemara Ponies The cancellation of the 2021 Clifden Pony Show presented me with a dilemma. Do I cancel my visit to Connemara to visit many of the breeders and pony friends I have with a similar interest to me: Connies bred to jump - or do I just go anyway? I didn’t take long to decide.

As always, I first drove to visit Padraic Cafferty - owner of the Grade A stallion Ross Fear Bui. “You must see this foal,” he said as we wandered to a nearby field. It’s a beautiful colt by Pumkins Pondi out of a Grade A mare by I Love You Melody. It truly is a cracker.

He was reserve champion in the showjumping section of the HSI Foal Championships and has been sold to a breeder in Kerry where he will be kept as a future stallion.Then it was on to Joanne Coleman to see her classy youngstock, including an eye-catching Conn x ISH (now in Cornwall), before heading to the west coast to stay overnight.

The following morning it was time to visit the Diamond family, where I was greeted warmly by Priscilla Diamond. Steeped in the breed and latterly specialising in ‘performance’ ponies, her grandfather produced the supreme champion stallion Kimble, sire of Abbeyleix Owen. She showed me her illustrious jumping stallions, including her new arrival Poetic Kelly. Sea Storm is in a nearby field, on whom Priscilla’s daughter Talitha won the Clifden puissance in two successive years.

Later, I drove to Clifden and lunch with Padraic Heanue at E J. King’s pub. Padraic has developed a successful business sourcing and exporting ponies to Europe, and he gives me some tips on marketing ponies. I visit the showground and am saddened by its emptiness. It

is a place I remember as a bustling, gleaming pony-Mecca.

After three days exploring the area, I visited Johnny Conneally in Ballyconneely, where pony mares populate most fields within sight of the seashore. Johnny tells me how his father took four loads of turf (peat) to Clifden daily in a pony and cart, to fuel the fires of its citizens, cantering back with the empty cart to finish the fourth load.

Conor Curtin near Moycullen showed me the dam of three foals I had previously bought. She was in foal again has become one of my broodmare band. Conor then organised one the highlights of my trip – a visit to Fernville Stud, the home of stallions Fernville Danny and I Love You Melody, and their legendary owner, Jimmy Canavan.

Jimmy first saw Melody whilst judging in France in 1999 and brought him to Ireland. He is a pre-eminent sire of jumping Connemaras, being sire of 18 grade A jumping ponies in Ireland alone. He was turned out in his paddock, and I marvelled at how beautifully he moved and carried his 25 years.

Then to Leitir Mór, part of the Irish-speaking Connemara Gaeltacht where I visited Tomás Flaherty. Tomás’ five-year-old daughter Clíodhna greeted me in Irish, causing me to rummage in my distant past for the correct reply. Tomás’ partner, Edel, helps my faltering attempts to translate a video I saved of Róisin Gannon describing her stallion Doohulla Lad in the Irish language. It’s a welcome reconnection with my Irish heritage.

As Tomás guided me through Leitir Mór, we passed a dun pony peering over a dry-stone wall: the gorgeous Trá Bháin Céilóg (‘white strand dun’). There were ponies everywhere – mares, foals and youngstock, thriving happily in the raw Atlantic coastal landscape.

And then, too soon, it’s time to farewell with the breathtakingly beautiful Connemara, where warm smiles, kindness, friendship, laughter and tea are freely dispensed. I’ll be back soon.

Dr Kieran O’Brien is an Irish horse vet working on the Devon/Cornwall border. For the last decade he has been breeding and importing Connemara pony youngstock from Ireland. He specialises in ponies bred to ‘perform’ from proven jumping lines. Follow his Facebook page, Climsland Connemara Sports Ponies.

56 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

The author with Melody and Jimmy Canavan

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

DALES

ROUNDUP Compiled by Grace Snowdon

Dales Pony Society Foal Show Although a reasonably small show, this year the Foal Show was held on November 13th at the Barnard Castle Auction Mart and saw a new class for part-bred Dales ponies. Mr D. Lovegreen kindly judged and found his Champion in Mrs H Robinson’s filly, Pennybrook Rose, by Tarbarl Geoffrey, with reserve being awarded to R and F Longstaff’s colt, Lowhouses Tonto Star by Pennybrook Falcon.

Pennybrook Rose

Westwick Fawn

by Tracey Langton I’m new to Dales ownership, having had plaited TBcross types all my life, from lead rein show ponies to show hacks. As the children are growing up and I reached a milestone birthday, I decided we needed a change of type to a more universal and sensible pony.

Enter Winnie, a Dales filly foal, Westwick Fawn, bought two months ago at weaning, aged four months. She’s proved a popular family project. When you scratch her, she grooms you as if you are a pony. We call it ‘Dales therapy’ and thought it may become a ‘thing’, but apparently amongst Dales owners it already is! We are very grateful to David Eccles at Westwick Dales Ponies for letting us have our very first Dales.

Westwick Fawn

Anneli Daniels’ Tarbarl April Showers After a successful 2021 showing season, which saw her placed in both her classes at HOYS with Lauren Brill’s team, Tarbarl April Showers has returned home to start the next step of her ridden career. Competing locally in both showjumping and arena eventing classes, this versatile little mare certainly loves her jumping and has been placed every time out with her rider, Lucy Butler. In the coming season she will be aiming to compete in working hunter classes before potentially going in foal for the first time. Photo by kid permission of Sophy Sones Photography.

Anneli Daniels’ and Tarbarl April Showers, image Sophy Sones

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 57

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

DARTMOOR ROUNDUP

Compiled by Beth Simons and Lucinda Dargavel It was fantastic to see breed representatives at The London International Horse Show. There were three Dartmoor’s in the final of the British Show Pony Society Le Mieux Heritage final.

The trio each gave an excellent account of themselves. Felicity Thompson’s homebred Salcombe Starehole Bay, the reigning RIHS supreme mountain and moorland, secured the best of breed award, standing second and reserve champion with his rider,

Katy Marriott-Payne. Well done to ‘Special Cecil’ and all his connections. Further congratulations must also go to Wendy Dunn and Jennifer Cowan with Reckilf Mr Montagu and Laura Oughton-Auker with Springwater Guillot. Your ponies did you and the breed proud. Turn back to the front of for another opportunity to swoon at photos from the show…

Westown Winners Enormous congratulations to Sarah Weston on the news that she is to receive the Duntarvie Stud Small Stud Owner Breeder award for the highest placed small breed that is owned and bred by the same person at HOYS 2021. Sarah’s homebred stallion Westown Wild Fire won the class for Dartmoors, Exmoors and Shetlands under his producer, Sarah Parker. She will be presented with her award at the NPS AGM later this spring and we look forward to seeing her receive it.

Newoak Prosper, a 19 years-young Dartmoor Super Premium Stallion, by Jacky Newbery Prosper is known at home as Ben. There were two of them, Prosper and former RIHS winner N. Jester, so they became Bill and Ben. Ben is an easy-going chap who, like most Dartmoor ponies, likes his food and, again, like all other stallions, likes his ladies! He has a good routine living with his herd in the summer months and a gelding friend the rest of the time.

As a youngster, Ben had two foals before starting his ridden career where he competed at RIHS and HOYS. Newoak Star Edition, who qualified for HOYS multiple times, has proven to be a true child’s pony and has taken the smallest of jockeys safely around the ring. Newoak Designer Edition, who competed as a lead rein to finish second at HOYS under his three-year-old rider before winning as a first ridden in both his and his rider’s first full season off the lead.

Through no fault of his own, Ben’s stock have mainly been aimed at the ridden sector. They have competed to the highest level under saddle from showing in mountain and moorland, show hunter ponies and working hunter ponies, to PC activities

Westown Wild Fire

and hunting and being children’s best friends. One of our best riding school ponies is by him and is a firm favourite, loved by everyone and teaching many children to ride at grass-roots level.

Ben has been awarded Premium Stallion status this year by the Dartmoor Pony Society for the success of his offspring in inhand classes at DPS Star Shows. Newoak St Paul has proved a chip of the old block in 2021, taking everything in his stride and standing top of the line at all major shows. He is going to be an exciting riding pony. This is another feather in the illustrious cap for this multi-talented and unassuming stallion.

We are lucky enough to have some wonderful young stallions by him to hopefully carry on his legacy; one of whom, Newoak Wild Edric, is already proving himself as a stock getter.

Meanwhile Newoak Rhythm and Blues will contend the ridden classes before starting his stud duties.

Lucinda Dargavel’s Collstone Cascadian finished the season full of the Christmas spirit.

Elvis as he is known, won both of his classes at Glamorgan WPCA’s Christmas Show and repeated this, also taking the overall in-hand championship, at Sunnybank Equestrian Centre’s Christmas Show.

Santos at the Christmas Show

Following an exceptional in-hand season in 2021, Lucinda’s charismatic four-year-old stallion, Newoak St Paul, by Newoak Prosper and out of Hisley Souvenir, is currently being broken in

by Jessica Talbot and has taken to his new job with a smile on his face. He will contest some novice classes as well as Price in-hand qualifiers this year.

58 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

FELL

ROUNDUP Compiled by Clare Simpson

The Fell Pony Society NW Area Support Group Foal & Youngstock Show The Fell Pony Society NW Area Support Group Foal and Youngstock Show was held at Inglewood Equestrian Centre near Penrith on October 7th.

Competitors and spectators alike were pleased to have the opportunity to use the indoor arena to escape the bitter wind, although some of the hill-bred foals found the prospect of being indoors a little daunting and some didn’t show themselves as well as they might have done as a result. Once all the entrants for the first class were settled inside the day began with the judging of the filly foals and judge Debbie Chadwick chose Gilly Chippendale’s Lammerside Hazel (s. Heltondale Prince V x d. Stockleylane Annie) as her winner. Although only five months old this lovely youngster caught the eye with her sparky presence as she entered the ring.

The largest class of the day with eight entries, was for colt foals and was won by John Cockbain with his very typey youngster

Lammerside Eclipse and Lammerside Hazel

Carrock Duke

Beybeck Antonio

Supreme champion Carrock Duke & Reserve Bybeck Angelo

Carrock Duke (s. Carrock Stride the Nite x d. Carrock Elsa).

David and Katherine Wilkinson took second place with Bybeck Antonio. The judge commented that both ponies had an abundance of good Fell pony characteristics, including very good bone and feather; the quality of the ponies in this class was further evidenced by the fact that these two colt foals went on to take the foal championship and reserve; and then the overall supreme championship and reserve at the end of the day.

There were fewer entries forward in the youngstock classes, but the winner of the yearling class was Gilly Chippendale with Lammerside Eclipse, a full sister of her winning fill foal; again a very typey pony and a previous winner at the Fell Pony Breed Show. The class for two-year-olds and the youngstock championship was taken by John Cockbain with Carrock Daenerys, another sired by Carrock Stride The Night, dam Carrock Sugar. Second in the class for two-year-olds was Mrs Lamb who also took the youngstock reserve championship with Fellsides Cheap as Chips, bred by Amanda Batey.

Many thanks to the judge, organisers, competitors; and all the spectators, who all appeared to be enjoying a good catch up and contribute to making this such an enjoyable event.

Class 1. Filly Foal 1st Lammerside Hazel, FP7059, Owner & Breeder Mrs G Chippendale 2nd Greenholme Promise, FP7083, Owner Mr R Relph-Briggs, Breeder Misses R J & B K Potter 3rd Halstone Tiger-Lily, FP7103, Owner & Breeder Mr D Atkinson Class 2. Colt Foal 1st Carrock Duke, FP73396C, Owner & Breeder Mr J W Cockbain 2nd Bybeck Angelo, FP73364C, Owner Mr & Mrs D Wilkinson, Breeder Mr C Roberts 3rd Setmabanning Poldark, FP73448C, Owner & Breeder Mr M Fearon Class 3. Yearling 1st Lammerside Eclipse, FP6907, Owner & Breeder Mrs G Chippendale 2nd Bracklinn Lockdown, FP73299C, Owner Miss H Reynolds, Breeder Mr A Smith 3rd Greenholme OMG, FP6971, Owner Miss E Wilson, Breeder Mr W S Potter Class 4. Two Year Old 1st Carrock Daenerys, FP6736, Owner & Breeder, Mr J W Cockbain 2nd Fellsides Cheap as Chips, FP6772, Owner Mrs S J Lamb, Breeder Mrs A J Batey 3rd Deepghyll Dealer, FP73163G, Owner Miss J Harvey, Breeder Miss C Savage

Foal Champion Carrock Duke Reserve Bybeck Angelo Youngstock Champion Carrock Daenerys Reserve Fellsides Cheap as Chips Supreme Champion Carrock Duke Reserve Bybeck Angelo Highest Placed Hill Bred Foal Bybeck Angelo

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 59

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

HIGHLAND ROUNDUP Compiled by Chris Grant

The foal show season got underway on Saturday 27th November with the Native Pony Winter Fair, which took place at Lanark Agricultural Centre as part of the Live Scot event. The market atmosphere was buzzing and Jean Connell of the Achnacarry Stud was tasked with judging the Highland Pony section. Her champion came from the yearling class with Andrew Baird’s Whitefield Lady Catriona coming out on top. The dun filly by Glenmuir Buzzard was bred by Andew’s father, Alan, and this was her first championship win. Settling for reserve was John and Kate Dykes filly foal, Ptarmigan II of Mendick, a grey filly

by Marksman of Mendick. Ptarmigan was also awarded the Best Foal Award. John and Kate stood second in the filly foal class with Amber Rose of Carlung.

Regular winter fair exhibitors, Willie and Jean Ralston stood top of the two-year-old filly class with their homebred, Moss-side Crathie, a daughter of the late Balmoral Lord. The three-year-old filly class was also headed by a homebred pony with Aileen Curle topping the three year old fillies with the Glenbanchor Macgillie Dubh daughter, Avongar Lady Morvern. The final class was the two or three-year-old Colt/Gelding class and this was won by Glenmuir Harrier with his owner Alison Baxter. The two-year-old

Duchess of Whitefield

gelding is by Burnside Ben Nevis and bred by the late Willie Nelson.

Heading to Forfar Mart one week later to the Tayside Foal Show, cataloguer Highland Ponies and exhibitors were aplenty for young judge, Louise Cushnie. The champion was Duchess of Whitefield, owned by Andrew Baird and bred by Messrs GM Baird. Duchess is

by Whitefield Prince Platinum, a the 2016 Royal Highland Show Champion and she won the filly foal class before going on to take the foal championship and overall tri-colour.

In reserve was Andrew Baird again, this time with the Winter Fair Champion, Whitefield Lady Catriona.

Alan Baird won the two-year-old filly class to score a Hattrick for Whitefield, this time with Bonnie Lass of Whitefield, another daughter of Whitefield Prince Platinum.

Whitefield Lady Catriona

The final class at Tayside was won by Maisie of Millfield owned by Willie Allan and his daughters Jennifer and Kathryn. The three-yearold filly is by Glenvale Guardsman and homebred by the Fife based Allan Family.

Heading north the final foal show for the winter was the Grampian Foal Show held at the beginning of December in Aberdeenshire.

Officiating over the Highland Ponies was Andrew Baird. Sarah Jane Forbes secured the championship with her three-year-old, McGregor of Millfield, another bred by the Allan Family.

Reserve Champion came from the two-year-old class in the form of Prince William O’Noth for Anna Cowie. The gelding is by Red Rock Dunain. Sarah McIntosh enjoyed a double of wins, firstly with the yearling filly, Roisin of Strathmore, by Strathmore Clova. She then won the filly foal class with homebred Redley’s Gypsy Rose,

by Ruwenzori Ferdinand. Lynn MacDonald’s Mortlich of Coynach was given the nod in the colt foal class and secured the overall foal championship and best foal bred in Grampian awards. Homebred he is by the 2020 Grampian Show Champion, Islay Malt of Coynach.

McGregor or Millfield

Eva Warburton won the class for Young Handlers.

60 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

SHETLAND ROUNDUP

Compiled by Kate Hampton

Liadan Holly may not have been the right breed to compete in the New Forest Point to Point, but this didn’t stop 4yr old Jessica Lawrence from taking part in her own way.

With a life time of hunting, mounted games and Pony Club, Holly was happy to turn her hand to helping sell the programmes at the boxing day event and the festive girls’ photograph even made the Guardian newspaper.

Photo Credit - Suzanne Kempe

Lidan Holly

The first foal of the season is here.

Elsonway Enchanted Lady ( Elsonway Dark Storm x Elsonway Lady Guinivere) is believed to be the first Shetland foal of the year, and although mum chose to foal outside in the frost, ‘Erin’ is a thriving winter foal. Congratulations to all her connections!

First foal of the season

Roselyn Fraser, from Shetland who began her two year term on 1st January 2022, was honoured to be chosen to follow Lady Anne De La Warr as the next President of the Shetland Pony Stud Book Society. Roselyn said, “I have some big shoes to fill as President but I am committed to doing my best for the Society and the breed. The Shetland Pony is an incredibly intelligent, tenacious and unique equine and I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone!”

Roselyn has owned and produced Shetland ponies for 34 years and, along with her family and their Skaw prefix, have bred a few ponies over the past 17 years.

Having 4 daughters who all rode Shetland ponies led to many fantastic adventures over the years and as they grew so did the need for larger ponies so along with the Shetland Ponies the family now also includes a Welsh D, Dales and Highland pony.

“You can’t beat a native pony,” added Roselyn.

Mr Julian Walters from Devon who breeds under the Sharptor prefix has commenced his two year term as Vice President and will follow Roselyn as President from 2024.

Roselyn Fraser

IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Monday 21st February, Shetland Performance Fun Clinic & Display Team Trials, Hilton Park, Wolverhampton Saturday 12th March, Shetland Performance Fun Clinic & Display Team Trials, East Soley, Wiltshire Sunday 20th March, Driven Awards Scheme - Driving Training Day (open to non-members), Watt Meadow Equestrian, Wolverhampton 9th - 10th July, Shetland Performance Show, Three Counties Showground Sunday 28th August, Shetland Breed Show and AGM, Royal Welsh Showground Friday 7th October, Lerwick Sales, Monday 10th October, Aberdeen (Thainstone) Sales, Tuesday 18th October: Worcester Sales

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 61

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

EXMOOR

ROUNDUP Compiled by Sue Burger

After celebrating its centenary with some very successful events last year, the EPS is now looking forward to the next 100 years.

We are starting with some changes to the first major event of the year, the stallion parade and AGM. Having been held on the first Wednesday in May, with a few exceptions, since time immemorial, this year for the first time the AGM will be held on a Saturday followed by the stallion parade and a show on the Sunday.

The AGM and presentations will take place on the afternoon of Saturday May 7th and will be preceded in the morning by a presentation on Exmoor Ponies and Conservation Grazing. There will be a members dinner in the evening and the stallion parade and show will be held on Sunday 8th May. We are hoping people will make a weekend of it and it will encourage more people to attend the AGM and parade their stallions.

The annual breed show will, as usual, be on Wednesday August 10th at Exford.

Last year Michael Dewhurst’s Darshill Exmoors very generously

sponsored a series of medal rosettes to be awarded at Area breed shows or nominated shows where applicable.

The first recipients were: Northern Exmoor Show: Cosmic Quenisset - Gail Whetter & Lizzie Raspin South Eastern Exmoor Show: Blackthorn Poem - Portly French Midland Exmoor Show: Darshill Falcon -Michael Dewhust & Liam Priestley Devon County Show: Dunkery Godwit - Jenna Payne Sandringham Fell, Dales & Exmoor Show: Threeshires Edgar – Susannah Muir Susannah Muir has very kindly taken over as Show affiliation Secretary. Susannah is the eastern Area Rep for the EPS. She is also currently working with the Trustees to augment the Exmoor Pony of the Year competition and there will be some exciting new innovations being announced in the near future.

Susannah can be contacted at zannawebb@hotmail.com or on 07730943277.

Davinia Johnson’s Stowbrook Red Kite “After HOYS and the Hertiage championships, Kite had some ‘down-time’ where he spent most of his time hacking or in the field. We did venture out at the start of December to Yorkshire EC for the showcross and what an amazing arena, set in a quarry! Out of a class of twenty, we finished fifth which we were pleased with.

After Christmas and New Year, I booked Kite in to attend Blueberry Events Working Hunter Show on a very cold – and I mean freezing, foggy – morning.

We headed off to Askham Bryan and jumped a mega round in the 75cm to win and qualify for the Northern Lights Masters Championship Show to be held in July. Next we are aiming to qualify for the NPS Eventers Challenge and then for the RIHS and HOYS.”

Darshill Falcon

Maureen Richardson’s Dunkery Wigeon made his fourth visit to the London International Horse Show in December. Maureen was “thrilled” that he finished Exmoor best of breed, “as there were three other top Exmoors there”. He first qualified for the London final in 2014 when Kate Brown rode him to qualify at the Heritage Championships as Hayley was away on holiday. In 2016, Wigeon gave Frankie Currell her “first taste of competing at Olympia”, before returning with Hayley in 2017 to be best of breed and ninth overall. “Wigeon has been best of breed on the four occasions he has been there and so we decided that 2021 would be his last time; he loves the show but time to bow out at the top”.

Stowbrook Red Kite

Dunkery Wigeon

62 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Sarah Burnley on her longdistance ride: ‘Intrepid 100 2021’ The challenge was to organise a 100-mile ride on Exmoor ponies to celebrate the centenary year of the Exmoor Pony Society.

My personal challenge was to ride on Exmoor, across the same moorlands that my two Herd 23 ponies had been born and bred on.

I have organised many other long-distance rides, but they all have two things in common, either they were well known official routes, like the famous Mary Towneley Loop, or covered my local areas, the Peak District, and this was neither!

My plan was to try and find accommodation for ponies and riders on Exmoor – always the hardest element – in order to work out which bridleways I needed to include and which ones to avoid, and to find like-minded people to join me. So, in February 2021, I joined a Facebook group, Horse B&B and Long Distance Routes. I also contacted local Exmoor bridleway groups and posted on the Exmoor Pony Owners and Riders Facebook group to drum up some interest.

There was such an overwhelming response to the idea, that Intrepid 100 2021 was born, and rapidly became 3 separate adventures: 100 miles on Exmoor, 100 miles along St Cuthbert’s Way in the Borders and 100 virtual miles that anyone could join in by simply recording their own mileage.

My research had led me to a wonderful lady who was critical in planning the Exmoor route. She was very qualified to the task having been the route planner for the famous EGB Golden Horseshoe competitive ride for many years! Once she had recovered from the fact that we were planning on doing an average of fifteen miles per day and not per hour, we spent many happy days pouring over maps and joining up the overnight stops, and our circular route covering approximately 100 miles over six days gradually emerged.

The last bit of the organisational jigsaw was finding local ground support to help move riders to and from the human accommodation at the end of each day we were unable to stay with the ponies. The power of Facebook and the lovely people in the Exmoor pony community came to our rescue and one huge spreadsheet later, we were ready!

Exmoor Centenary ride

Getting our ponies fit enough to complete the ride was also a challenge, not helped by the fact my own pony went lame in May and I had to start again with a lovely pony that I was lent by a very kind friend, but she hadn’t been ridden since the previous year!

We all concentrated on getting as much hill-work as we could in preparation, and I recorded each ride and monitored the altitude climbed as well as the distance and speed.

The start date loomed, and ponies were loaded onto trailers and the adventure began.

We were blessed with gorgeous late-summer sunshine that often comes with September; the first two days were almost too hot for riding! We had a core of two riders but were joined on many days by local riders, who helped enormously with their local knowledge and company. The terrain was just incredible: miles of bridleways on springy turf over open moorland, or leafy forest tracks through woods filled with pheasants, and occasional challenging sections of stony river crossings and steep scrambles, both up and down.

We came to love the blue-tipped wooden signposts denoting a bridleway. We rode among the free-living herds of Exmoor ponies, saw the sea and the coast of Wales, and we picnicked by streams and cantered over the moors. Heaven.

It wasn’t all perfect! The main complication we had to overcome was lack of mobile phone coverage. Unless you were on the EE network, mobile phones didn’t work!

I think EE stands for ‘Exclusive to Exmoor’. It meant that we couldn’t get messages through to the ground support to say when we would be arriving, or where we were, and we didn’t have the ability to plan ahead.

The adventure ended with a meal in the aptly named ‘Rest and be Thankful’ with many of the people who had helped us over the previous few days. We met so many lovely people and made so many friends, it made all the many hours of planning and preparation even more worthwhile.

I now have a new, unbacked riding partner to work with, and already find myself thinking of future long-distance rides we can do together!

Dropping down to Horner

Exmoor friends at Horner info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 63

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

WELSH

ROUNDUP Compiled by the Welsh Pony and Cob Society (WPCS)

As the Society moves into its 121st year we look back on a year of noteworthy achievements by the breed and the Society.

In December the 100th edition of the Welsh Stud book was published in a commemorative gold linen cover. All members received a gold lapel badge to celebrate the Society’s 120th year and the new festive range of Society merchandise, a range of eight new colours ties, and a Children’s colouring book meant that many stockings were stuffed with WPCS goodies this year!

The breed once again took the title at BSPS Heritage Final. This time it was the turn of the Welsh Pony Cob type section C - Lynuck the Showman 86795, ridden by Rebecca Penny and owned and bred by Lynn Scott. Sired

by Caerneudd Hywel 59123, his dam is Llanidan Miss World 142108 who is by Parvadean Reload 41202.

The Society sends them all its warmest congratulations along with all other the Welsh breeds who qualified.

Lynuck The Showman

The best of breed awards went to: Section A • HOEKHORST EXAMPLE - Hayley Grota

Section B • CLANMILL LETEIKA MIRACLE - Katy MarriottPayne

Section C • LYNUCK THE SHOWMAN - Lynn Scott

Section D • MENAI EUROSTAR - Karen Johnson

Phillipa Hughes from the Dyffryn Tywi Equine Clinic receives the Kentchurch Award for Welfare from President, Roger Davies.

Photo by Ember Photography

Sadly, as we reflect on last year we remember those members, breeders and breed devotees whom we have lost.

At the recent AGM held in Llandrindod Wells, members stood in silent tribute. President C.R Davies of the Hafdre stud chaired the meeting and welcomed members from all parts of the country.

The meeting centred around updating the Society’s Articles of Association with 11 of the 16 Special Resolutions put forward accepted.

Six new members were elected or re-elected to serve as trustees on the WPCS Council for the period 2021 -2024;Mr Steve Everitt, Mr Ed Gummery, Mr Wyn Jones, Mr Dilwyn Roberts, Mr Martin Waters and Mr Cemaes Evans.

The Society’s highest honour the Brodrick trophy was bestowed upon Mr Charles Arch of the Fflur stud primarily for his life’s work as a commentator at the Royal Welsh Show.

The Society’s lifetime achievement award recognised the efforts of an individual who has unstintingly helped so many breeders over the years and encouraged and trained so many young handlers, Mr Bobi Roberts from Rhydymain in Dolgellau.

The Society’s Kentchurch award recognising great work in the field of equine welfare was awarded to vets Phillipa Hughes and Lisa Durham whose Dyffryn Tywi Equine Clinic have served the inner-city horses and ponies of Swansea and worked tirelessly with the Lluest Recue Centre.

64 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Sky Whittle, was awarded the Society’s Young Achiever award for her showing prowess exhibiting the family’s Brynithon Cobs.

The Society awarded a special award to Mrs Karly Howard-Wilkinson for her tireless effort to raise money for Cancer charities with the Bucks Counties Spectacular shows.

President Roger Davies in his address to the members shared his wishes that in these difficult times, every breeder should ‘be faithful’ to the Society and its objectives. He also welcomed the increasing use of Welsh Mountain ponies in conservation grazing schemes. Retiring Chairman of the WPCS Council Colin Thomas thanked the outgoing President for his commitment to the Society.

The incoming President, Mr Stewart Franklin of the Sarum stud shared with members that his first contact with Welsh ponies was at the Shalbourne stud of Miss De Beaumont, where he had the honour of looking after the legendary Coed Coch Glyndwr.

The Brodrick Award winner, Charles Arch (Fflur Stud) with Society President Roger Davies ‘Hafdre’. Photo by Ember Photography

In his inaugural speech, Mr Dennis Price of the Afan stud paid homage to his mother when accepting the honour of Society President-elect for 2023, as she encouraged him to develop his interest in the ponies which has led to a lifelong involvement with the breed.

The new Chairman of Council is Mr Daniel Morgan.

Joining the Society in 1976, Daniel has been a serving member of Council at different times since 2002. He follows in the footsteps of his father, Mr Sam Morgan, and grandfather, Mr D.O Morgan who were both past Presidents of the Society. The family have bred Welsh Ponies of Cob Type and Welsh Cobs under the Parc and Ormond prefixes since 1919.

The new Vice Chair of Council is Mrs Sharon Charlton.

Sharon – originally from County Durham – has been a member since 1980 and has bred sections A, B, C and D but is best known for her Joyton section C’s. Based in Carmarthenshire, she has recently retired from her duties as an NHS Theatre nurse.

Honorary Life Memberships were bestowed upon the following members in recognition of their work as breeders and supporters of the Society:

• Mr John Hendy – Cledwyn Stud • Mr Brian Davies – Briolen Stud • The late Jeff Parry – Talponciau Stud

Daniel Morgan

Looking to the season ahead of us there are two rules which all exhibitors of the Welsh breed should be particularly aware of; following the FEI ruling regarding the trimming of whiskers, the Society has decreed across all five Sections, in line with other native breed societies that from January 1st, 2022, it is not permissible for whiskers to be trimmed on welfare grounds.

The banging of tails on Welsh Ponies and Cobs for Native ridden classes is also to be penalised. It is optional for Welsh Part-breds.

We wish a happy and successful season to all exhibitors and most of all a ‘sporting’ season!

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 65

NEW FOREST ROUNDUP

Got news? Want to see your pony in print?

Make sure that you contact your breed representative to tell them all about it, or drop us an email at beth.simons@showingworldonline.co.uk.

Compiled by Diane Hawden

2021 has been quite a year for New Forest ponies, who have been demonstrating their versatility as show, competition and family ponies, far and wide across the country.

London International Horse Show 2021 The sole New Forest representative in the BSPS Supreme Heritage Ridden Final was Penny Sutton and Peter Rowe’ ten-year-old stallion, Lovelyhill Folklore (Applewitch Pure Magic x Yewtree On-High) bred by Alex Humble and Kerry Dovey-Whiting, and ridden by producer, Vikki Smith. He qualified at the Heritage Championships, adding this ticket to an impressive list of 2021 achievements.

Folklore won the 143 cm WHP class at Royal Windsor, qualifying for the RIHS, was fourth in the 143cm WHP final at HOYS and second in the ridden New Forest class.

He combined his busy season with stud duties, covering mares at the Ribble View Stud and Rehabilitation Centre where he will stand again in 2022.

Willoway Free Spirit, credit Stephanie Bateman

New Forest Ponies at the Horse of the Year Show The New Forest breed was well represented at HOYS. Laura Avery’s evergreen winner of the 143 cm whp and reserve champion, Willoway Free Spirit (Peveril Peter Piper x Mercury Amy), bred by Mr and Mrs C. A Large. It was a 12th visit for the talented nineteen-year-old stallion. He formerly won the Badminton Mitsubishi Grass Roots final in 2016 (the only pony to have achieved this to date). Laura has no plans to retire Spirit from jumping yet and plans to defend his title next term.

The New Forest Ridden pony of the year title went to Ellena Thomas and Hilltop Ned (Brookshill Mustang x Hilltop Daisy), bred by Lucinda Lang. She and Karyn Thomas have owned the eight-year-old stallion for three years. Lovelyhill Folklore stood second, with Peter Butler’s Doorage Olympic Boy (Dorrigdge Tom Boy x Brock Bazanty) and Amy Smith in third place. Olympic Boy was bred by Emma Collis.

Lovelyhill Folklore

In the Price Family Supreme in-hand final, the breed was represented by Hayley Reynolds’ Peronne The Navigator, a two-year-old colt (Moortown Nobby x Dorridge Little Beauty), bred on the Isle of White by Nick Williams. He qualified at Royal Cheshire County Show, handled by Tom Pearson. Navigator finished a creditable fifth and highest placed youngster in the final.

Mary Bryant’s veteran stallion Wayland Cranberry (Kateric Capers x Esdaile Holly Berry) headed the New Forest sire rankings, based on the number of ponies qualified for HOYS 2021 and Kerry Dovey - Whiting’s Lovelyhill Stud took the New Forest Breeder of the Year Award.

66 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

Peronne The Navigator

The NPS Great British In-Hand Show

The Breed Show 2021

There was a strong consignment of New Forest ponies at the

Despite COVID, the Breed Show attracted good entries with quality ponies forward.

NPS’s Great British In-Hand Show. The first Championship of the day went to the Highfox Stud’s four-year-old mare Highfox Heaven Sent (Luckington Sportaide x Highfox Evensong), who won the New Forest mare and gelding class and then the New Forest Breed Championship over Sandra Kilford’s stallion, Furzley To Be Faire, (Ridgemount Dancer x Furzley Serenaide), shown by Kirstie Wright. Interestingly both these ponies were conceived by AI posthumously and are related; Heaven Sent is by Luckington Sportaide who is Be Faire’s Grandsire.

The Breed Show Supreme Championship went to Carla Fall’s Sway Mr Darcy (Farriers Fingerprint x Moonrakers Mist), who has enjoyed a fantastic 2021 season notching up supremes at the South Eastern Welsh Pony and Cob Spring Show and The New Forest Enthusiasts Show. He was also champion in-hand New Forest Pony at the NPS Summer Championships and also qualified for the NPS HOYS M&M Ridden Pony of the Year. Reserve Supreme was Paul Davies’ Furzley Colonnaide (Luckington Sportaide x Sophia), piloted

by Kirstie Wright. The Forest Bred Championship went to Glenbeach Crystal (Smiler of Sheepwash x Glenbeech Sweetie) who also won the Sungold Countess Cup for owners Mandy and Pete Pidgley. A new trophy was awarded this year to the Best Stud Bred pony. The trophy incorporated timber from a gate post formerly on land at the Willoway Stud and was presented by Caroline Smith in memory of her late mother and co-founder of the Willoway Stud, Marie Large. It was fitting that the first recipient was Sway Mister Darcy, as he is a grandson of the Large’s foundation stallion, Peveril Peter Piper.

Never Give Up! Sarah Pressler’s pony Haywards Pride and Joy (Long Copse Elton x Haywards Ebony and Ivory) has been instrumental in helping her to transition from a wheelchair to riding and competing again. This lovely gentle mare always tries her best and Sarah’s aim is to compete with her in dressage competitions in the near future.

Sway Mr Darcy

Sunnyside Skylark Photo Katie Luker

Beaulieu Road Online Auction Thursday 25th November 2021 Due to the cancellation of both the planned New Forest Livestock Society sales, Southern Counties Auctioneers ran an online auction in conjunction with the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society.

The auction was open to all registered New Forest ponies and part-breds registered with the NFPBCS plus other breeds that had been de-pastured on the open forest by commoners.

A good entry of 135 lots were put forward with 90 being fully registered New Forest ponies. Entries in the fully registered New Forest section varied from both ‘Forest Bred’ (sired and born on the open New Forest) and stud foals; a strong selection of yearlings / two and three old youngsters to several older animals. It was a good mix of fillies, colts and geldings, buyers had a good selection to choose from.

The top prices for the fully registered New Forest section include: • Sunnyside Skylark by Lucky Lane Rollo, owned and bred

by Katie Luker reached £3150. A strong Forest Bred sixyear-old grey gelding broken to ride.

• Kate Ingram’s Hollyhatch Duchess II, a home bred bay three-year-old filly by Hollyhatch Huntsman fetched £2100.

Roxanna Thomas’ Lovelyhill Peaky Blinder, a grey threeyear-old gelding by Willoway Dancing Gold at £3000.

• Samantha Reece’s Longslade Juniper Berry, a black twoyear-old gelding by Walhampton Scholars Farewell and Martine Harding’s Rushmoor Huntsman, a bay two-year-old

by Rushmoor Dalesman both sold for £3000 each.

Sway Saint Tropez Photo Luke Blomfield

• Luke Blomfield’s Sway Saint Tropez, a home bred bay yearling filly by Sway Supernova £2500 and Diana Kitcher’s home bred Buckherd Rocking Around by Lovelyhill Hendrix, black yearling gelding £1150.

• Sabine Andree-Parsons’ home bred Sabina’s Nightingale, a bay Filly Foal by Sabina’s Gold Sovereign, topped the bill at £1500 and Alan Ingram’s Rowhill River Dance by Fidleywood Falcolner, a home bred buckskin Forest Bred colt foal reaching £1050.

• The proceeds from the sale of Rowhill Patience (£580), owned and bred by Alan Ingram, have been donated to the charity ‘Naomi’s House’. A generous donation to a very good cause.

The New Forest pony has an amenable temperament, versatility to multiple disciplines, hardiness, strength, and sure-footedness and the auction proved to be popular with prices reflecting the demand for the New Forest pony.

The New Forest Livestock Society is currently working with the Southern Counties Auctioneers to confirm 2022 sale dates to be held at the Beaulieu Road sale yard and will be published once confirmed.

info@showingworldonline.co.uk | February 2022 Issue | The Native Pony | 67

Whatever your discipline SEIB are here to help Talk to one of the team, they will help you choose the insurance cover you need – we may even be able to save you money!

I am proud to be sponsored by SEIB Insurance Brokers and trust them to protect me, my yard, business and horses. Whether I am riding show horses, eventers or racehorses they are always there to help.

HANNAH HORTON SEIB Brand Ambassador

Eventing images courtesy of Ultimate Images - Equestrian Photographers, Showing image courtesy of Equinational Photography

Call 01708 850000 www.seib.co.uk

HORSE & PONY · HORSEBOX & TRAILER · LIVERY YARDS · BUSINESS · HOME · PETS · RIDING SCHOOL & MUCH MORE 68 | The Native Pony | February 2022 Issue | info@showingworldonline.co.uk

M1243

Terms & Conditions apply. South Essex House, North Road, South Ockendon Essex RM15 5BE. SEIB Insurance Brokers Ltd are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. (local call charges apply)