Glanusk Welsh Stallion Show

The Glanusk Show is where premiums are allocated to Welsh mountain pony stallions to run out on 22 mountains and moorlands within the Principality, and this is combined with 32 classes for stallions and youngstock of the four Sections of the Welsh Stud Book. The 2003 Show was held on the Royal Welsh showground on 3 May and attracted 553 showing entries and 40 stallions competing for premiums.

Line-up of Super Premium Stallions

An innovation this year was the introduction of a ridden class for Sections A and B stallions; unfortunately only two stallions put in an appearance but the winner, Heniarth Stud's Heniarth Quip, ridden by 13-year-old India Latter, has won major ridden awards in strong competition throughout Britain. For the ridden championship Quip beat the Sections C and D winner, Ochrdewi Tywysog, owned by Glanteifi Stud but leased to his rider Jane Dennys, from Bookham, Surrey.

Overall champion yearling, Dyfed Cherry (Section A), with owner Mrs Diana Thomas and show president Mr Emyr Edwards; reserve champion Oakmill Llywelyn (Section C) stands behind

The Show also caters for Section A yearlings sired by premium stallions, where again entries were low compared with the 42 and 47 yearling fillies entered in the open Sections A and D classes. Tyllwyn Pedr, the winning yearling colt sired by a premium stallion (Dyfed Playwrite), was bought by Mr Degnam of Yorkshire for £1,000 at the Brightwells Hay-on-Wye sale. Playwrite was also the sire of the winning yearling filly, Diana Thomas's home-bred Dyfed Cherry, who later, with championship judge Mr Emyr Edwards of Fronbach Stud, won the overall yearling championship from all Sections. Another Playwrite daughter, Dyfed Hosanna, which her breeder had sold to Gareth Price of Llandefalle, won the open yearling filly class (in which Cherry did not compete) under judge Mr Tim Prichard of Castellau.

Kevin Davies with Eppynt Skyline, Champion Section A and Supreme Champion

Mr Edwards also awarded the Show supreme championship to a Section A; this was the stallion Eppynt Skyline, owned by former WPCS president Mr Elwyn Davies and his grandsons Kevin and Christopher. Skyline was Section A champion at the 1998 Royal Welsh Show, but has been shown very little since, having been running out on the Eppynt mountains. His son Eppynt Quicksilver won the trophy for the best three-year-old premium stallion, and will spend the summer on Llynyfan mountain, Gwynfe, Carmarthenshire. Reserve Section A champion was the chestnut three-year-old colt Hirganfach Stroller, sired by Wilcrick Stroller and owned by Mr John Evans of Tredegar. Mr Evans bought Wilcrick Stroller as a foal in 1987 and kept him for fourteen years, and now regrets selling him on the 2001 Fayre Oaks Sale, but at least he still has the son.

Champion Section D and reserve supreme champion Danaway Flashjack, with owner Mr Mat Attrell and judge Mr John Batt

The Royal Welsh site is always a successful battle ground for Mr Mat Attrell's popular dun Section D stallion Danaway Flashjack, and this time again proved no exception when he won the championship under judge Mr John Batt, of Abergavenny Stud, and reserve supreme from Mr Edwards.

Overall Champion Filly and Youngstock Champion Fronarth Falmai, with handler Nerys Davies and judge Mr John Batt

Reserve Section D champion meant more ribbons for Kath and Angelo Panayiotou's two-year-old filly, Fronarth Falmai, fresh from her Lampeter supreme accolade. Falmai also won the overall best filly and best youngstock trophies, and Fronarth Stud's own Fronarth Zeta Jones (also sired by Calerux Telynor) won the enormous yearling filly class.

Fronarth Showman, Champion Section C, with Mr Gwyn Jones

Fronarth Stud came up trumps again in Section C, when Mr Dewi Jones awarded the tricolour to the six-year-old stallion Fronarth Showman, who bore a very close resemblance to his late sire Gwelfro Tywysog, who was RW champion in 1989.

Annod St Bert (two-year-old colt), Section C youngstock champion and overall youngstock reserve champion, with judge Mr Dewi Jones and producer Mr Huw Reed

Mr Bob Fenech's chestnut two-year-old colt Annod St Bert, who was reserve champion and reserve overall youngstock champion, is sired by the 1998 RW winner Tyas Eiddwyn, who is also the sire of the 2002 RW harness winner, Donys Llawen. The chestnut three-year-old filly Lidgett Angel was reserve youngstock champion and reserve overall filly, which rewarded her owners Kevin and Madeline Hopkins for coming all the way from Lancashire. The same owners also won a very good novice class of Section D stallions with Lidgett Danny Boy.

Champion Section B, Moelgarnedd Myrddin, with owner Mr David Williams, show president Mr Emyr Edwards and judge Mr Paul Wilding-Davies

Section B exhibits are sometimes a bit "thin on the ground" at Glanusk; however, this time they turned up in strength and judge Mr Paul Wilding-Davies was very impressed with their high standard throughout. He was particularly complimentary about his champion, David and Eirian Williams's three-year-old chestnut colt Moelgarnedd Myrddin. Myrddin is grandson of Paddock Myth, which they bought as a foal on the 1979 Fayre Oaks Sale along with her dam, Weston Madeleine, to start the Moelgarnedd Stud; and on a recent visit to Australia they also bought Weston Park Musk Rose, who is of the same Weston Madeleine bloodlines. The winning stallion and reserve champion is also of Weston breeding: this was Telynau Stud's Laithehill Allegro, son of Weston Anita, which, despite his fourteen years, has only been shown very little. Having leased him for 2001 and 2002, Geraint Thomas and David Jones of Telynau were so impressed by his offspring that they have now bought him. Weston Anita is now in Denmark and Moelgarnedd Dewin, sire of Myrddin, is in Sweden!

Champion Premium Stallion, Gleiniant Cossack, with owner Mrs Pauline Lloyd and lessee Mr Alan Owens (Llandefalle)

Mrs Pauline Lloyd's Gleiniant Snaffles, having spent 2002 as a premium stallion at Llanafan and Llanwrthwl, was recently Section A champion at Lampeter but, much to her surprise and delight, it was her other stallion, Gleiniant Cossack, leased to Llandefalle, who was overall champion of the premium stallions, judged by WPCS chairman Miss Rosemary Philipson-Stow and Mr Elwyn Davies.

The WPCS Exhibition Unit, with its manager, Mrs Vashti Hasdell (left), Young Ambassador Adrian Bowen Pearce, and WPCS President Miss Laura Hutchins (right)

Report and photos by Dr Wynne Davies