The Welsh Pony and Cob Society
Cymdeithas y Merlod a'r Cobiau Cymreig

Horse of the Year Show 2007

3^rd - 7^th October, 2007

Wednesday 3^rd October

The 2007 Show got under way with record first day crowds and a fantastic day for the Welsh Breeds. Top of the six open ridden mountain and moorland classes was the Menai Stud’s home produced 8 year old stallion, Menai Sparkling Imperial. Ridden for the Jones’ family by Gemma Paxford, the bay stallion by Menai Sparkling Image was Henrietta Knight and Ann Overton-Ablitt’s choice for the coveted Simpson Refractory’s Mountain and Moorland Pony of the Year title.

In the Brineton Colne Mountain and Moorland of the Year Championship for lead rein and first ridden ponies, the Welsh went one stage further and gained the overall and the reserve titles. Leading on this occasion was the five year old grey first ridden gelding, Waxwing Thumbs Up ridden for the Shuttleworth family by Charlotte Dent and produced by Katie Carter. Like last year’s HOYS mini champion, Thumbs Up is by the prolific sire, Waxwing Hurricane. The reserve champion came from the lead rein section and it was also Scottish bred by John and Lindsay Milligan. This was the eight year old Roseisle Titchy-Witch shown ridden by Holly Lynch.

In the mini section, a staggering 16 out of 23 entries in both the first ridden section and lead rein classes were registered Welsh ponies – a claim that no other breed society can make.

Thursday 4^th October

The second day at HOYS was very much a case of the Welsh breeds picking up where they left off the day before when Mrs Pearl Underwood’s Halnaker Marten lifted the Balanced Horse Feeds Mountain and Moorland Working Hunter Pony Championship amidst strong competition from the other native breeds. Bred by the Deacon Family in West Sussex, the nine year old chestnut section A gelding was ridden to victory by Lucy Loughton. Welsh ponies dominated the small height class occupying seven of the top nine places and fourteen of the seventeen qualifying places. The section C ponies were not to be outdone and they too had their hour of glory when in the middle height class another chestnut gelding, Springfield Park Razzle, claimed the first rosette.

The Cuddy In Hand Championship always attracts considerable interest and rightly claims to be the most prestigious in hand championship on the show circuit. This year, the Welsh were represented by four section A ponies, one section B, one Welsh cob and two welsh part bred and it was the Royal Welsh champion that not only led the Welsh but also took the pony title before standing reserve overall. This was the Pearce Family’s mountain pony mare Glyncoch Hyfryd shown by Adrian Pearce from his Carmarthenshire stud. Third in the pony section was Idyllic Fonteyn followed in fifth place by stable mate Idyllic Entrepreneur.

Friday 5^th October

The British Riding Pony is world renowned and has evolved through carefully selected breeding policies which had included a strong infusion of Welsh blood over many years. In the Charlotte Morgan Riding Pony of the Year Welsh part bred ponies won two classes before going on to take the overall title. Champion, was the five year old 148cms winner, Roseberry Highland Fling by Duntarvie Catamount and ridden for her owner/breeder Mrs Hinchcliffe by Charlotte Thompson. Former Ridden Pony of the Year, Colbeach Salaman, now an eleven year old, provided his breeder Renita White with further endorsement to her successful breeding policy when he took the 128cm section.

Saturday 6^th October

The Bewly Homes Show Hunter Pony of the Year held centre stage on Saturday culminating with the championship in the International Arena and it was the 122cm Welsh part bred Wingland Make Believe that eventually stood reserve. The nine year old chestnut gelding had similar bloodlines to Colbeach Salaman on his dam’s side and traces back through the prolific part bred sire Whalton Drummer Boy to Ceulan Minuet. In front of the capacity Saturday night audience, he went foot perfect in the large arena for his little jockey Danielle Burnip.

Earlier in the day competition took place for the Oggy Oggy Intermediate Show Riding Type of the Year with the 153cm title and reserve overall Intermediate going to the part bred Radway All Talk; the eight year old brown gelding is no stranger to the HOYS podium having been the winning 148cm show pony in 2006.

Sunday 7^th October

Welsh part bred ponies dominated the mini show pony classes where the vast majority of the qualifying places were taken by ponies tracing their origins to the Welsh Stud Book. It was the lead rein winner Hightopps Dancing Bee that eventually stood forward to collect the Sandal-BMW Mini Pony of the Year; still only a four year old, she was a late qualifier at Bakewell and combines the very best of Barkway and Twylands breeding. The winning first ridden pony, Tidesbrook Roger Rabbit by Mybella Statesman and out of Colbeach Amethyst was yet another young pony to show the value of the Welsh temperament.

The Harness Champion of the Year had a quality field and this year combined the previous pony and horse classes. Emerging champion from the fourteen qualifiers was the cob gelding Trehewyd Brenin Arthur driven by Nigel Fuller; the ten year old was a qualifier at the South of England show and is by one of the most prolific sires of all time, Nebo Brenin. Runner up also found its origins in the Welsh Studbook; this was the very spectacular moving part bred gelding, Brookeborough Duke driven by Andrew Hamilton Rhodes.

As the show concluded with the £1000 Pony Supreme it was Wednesday’s Mountain and Moorland mini champion, Waxwing Thumbs Up, which was called forward to take the 2007 title. So concluded one of the most memorable shows for the Welsh breeds, substantiating further the general recognition that they are undoubtedly the most versatile of our native ponies.

Ridden Section A & B
1 Barkla Royal Heir
2 Rhoson Shem
3 Waxwing Paintbox

Ridden Section C
1 Tawelfan Red Robin
2 Ffrethi Flash Back
3 Starcrest Discovery

Ridden Section D
1 Menai Sparkling Imperial
2 Tybanadl Gwilym
3 Broughton Royal Pride

First Ridden
1 Waxwing Thumbs Up
3 Roseisle Something Blue

Lead Rein
1 Roseisle Titchy-Witch

Mountain & Moorland Working Hunter Pony
122cms
1 Halnaker Marten
138cms
1 Springfield Park Razzle

Cuddy In Hand Championship
Pony Section
1 Glyncoch Hyfryd
3 Idyllic Fonteyn

Qualifiers:
Gartconnel Shooting Star
Glyncoch Hyfryd
Idyllic Entrepreneur
Idyllic Fonteyn
Llanarth Camilla
Nebo Miss Maple
Strinesdale Rhapsody
Wayward Silhouette

Charlotte Morgan Children’s Pony of the Year Championship
Champion
Roseberry Highland Fling
128cm
Colbeach Salaman

Bewley Homes Show Hunter Pony of the Year
Reserve Champion
Wingland Make Believe

Oggy Oggy Intermediate Show Riding Type of the Year
153cm and Reserve Champion
Radway All Talk

Sandal-BMW Mini Show Pony of the Year
Lead Rein & Champion
Hightops Dancing Bee
First Ridden
Tidesbrook Roger Rabbit

Xerox Harness Champion of the Year
Trehewyd Brenin Arthur

Supreme Pony of the Year
Waxwing Thumbs Up

Home - The Society - Ponies & Cobs - Studs Directory - Adverts - Shop