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

The Welsh National Championship Show 2009

Shropshire and West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury.
1st August 2009.

The Welsh Pony and Cob National Championship Show consists of two separate Shows rolled into one; in the morning there are 102 Silver Medal classes for in-hand, ridden, driven, working hunter and dressage.

The National Supreme championships of 12 classes each of £250, £125, £75, £25, £25 prizemoney and 4 performance classes of £125, £75, £50, £25 and £25 prizemoney are held in the afternoon. The National In-hand classes are sponsored by Brightwells Auctioneers, the ridden classes by Brynseion Stud, the Welsh part-bred ridden class by Bedlay Stud and the performance classes by NFU Mutual. To compete in the National Championships, the animals must have qualified by being champion or reserve at one of the 73 Silver Medal or Area Association Shows.

Wyn Jones’ brood mare Nerwyn Letitia was the Brightwells section A silver medal champion having been also champion at the RASE Show this year. This is the third time in four years for the progeny of Nerwyn Cadno to claim this championship and Letitia’s dam Nerwyn Leila is back in foal to the 30-year-old Cadno again. The section A reserve champion also came from the brood mare class, this was Friars Stud’s 2nd prizewinner Friars Golden Wedding whose dam, Friars Dreams of Glory is full-sister to the 2004 Royal Welsh champion Friars Goldilocks.

Brightwells National Section A Champion Nerwyn Letitia
with owner Mr Wyn Jones and Judge Mr Sandy Anderson and sponsor Mr Terry Court (Brightwells)

Richard Miller and Meirion Davies’ twelve-year-old brood mare Eyarth Windflower was section B silver medal champion; she has won at the Royal Welsh six times and been three times champion. Windflower won the HOYS Cuddy in-Hand ticket at the RASE Show this year. Reserve section B champion was John and Anne James’ barren mare Sianwood Amelia who won her class of 31 entries at the Royal Welsh where she was also placed in the HOYS ridden M&M qualifier.

Owen Jones’ twelve-year-old brood mare Nebo Rachel was section C champion; she was the HOYS Cuddy qualifier at the 2006 NPS Show. Reserve champion was Roger Davies’ two-year-old filly Hywi Pollyanna who was also youngstock champion here last year. These two exceptional animals were female champion and reserve at this year’s Royal Welsh Show from 368 entries.

(left) Mr Owen Jones with Nebo Rachel and
(right) Reserve Mr Roger Davies with Hywi Pollyanna
Judge Mr John Llewellyn James and sponsor Miss Catryn Bigley (Brightwells)

Two of this year’s star Royal Welsh cob mares travelled to Shrewsbury to be champion and reserve. Champion was the seventeen-year-old true-type barren mare Anfil Vidal, daughter of the 1993 Royal Welsh champion Horeb Euros and owned by the Show honorary farrier Gareth Holt from Rossendale in Lancashire. Reserve champion was Gwyneth Griffiths’ elegant six-year-old brood mare Dyffryngwy Briallen, winner of her class from 29 entries at this year’s Royal Welsh and youngstock champion from 261 entries in 2006.

Brightwells Silver Medal Section D Champion Anfil Vidal
with Mr Terry Court (Brightwells) & Judge Mr John Llewellyn-James

Champion of the Silver Medal Welsh part-breds was the chestnut four-year-old gelding Romany River Foxtrot and reserve the two-year-old chestnut filly Derw Daydream both from the under-138 cm category. The over-148 cm winners included Cyrano by Maesmynach Cymro Coch (D) and Bwlch Herald by Tireinon Diplomat(D). Marshbrook Honeysuckle (148 cm) won the WPB ridden championship with Basford Romeo (128 cm) reserve.

Champion of the driving section sponsored by NFU Mutual was Lucy Giles driving her good-moving eight-year-old section C stallion Leyeswick The Hustler to a show wagon and Lady Harper-Adams won the Concours D’Elegance driving her palomino section B Doylan Golden Beekeeper who was also a prize-winner in the WHP section. Eleven-year-old Rhian Ralphs drove Meilen Tornado to win the non-show wagon class and junior whip award; this was her first time in a showring.

Leyeswick The Hustler
Champion of the Driving Section. Driven by Lucy Giles

Lady Harper-Adams driving Doylan Golden Beekeeper
Winner of Concours D'Elegance

Rhian Ralph driving Meilen Tornado
Winner of the Private Driving class & Junior Whip

The biggest of the WHP entries, the section D gelding Eifl Trysor won the championship with the smallest, the section A Waitwith Westwind reserve. The preliminary dressage winners were Bureside Autumn Mist (B), Waxwing Rigmarole (C), Pentrefelin Sorento (D) and Heathway Fair Maid (WPB) and the novice winners were Greenbarrow Princess Royal (B), Carless Mayday (C), Morlyn Welsh Joy (D + champion, WPCS Performance medal) and Roliswood Nureyev (WPB). H Ellis-Jones won the Young Handler (6 – 7 yrs), A Trodd-Bohin (8 – 10 yrs), Lowri Reed (11 – 14 yrs) and Catrin Reed (15 – 18 yrs and champion) with second-placed Eleanor Ingram (15 – 18 yrs) reserve champion.

There were some famous ponies competing in the Colne Mini Ridden classes where the champion was the lead-rein winner Highland Joli with the first-ridden Pendock Pennyworth reserve. At the 2008 HOYS, Joli was placed in the Colne Lead-rein Pony of the Year after qualifying at NPS Area 25 and Pennyworth was reserve Brineton First-ridden champion to Waxwing Thumbs Up.

Champion of the Novice ridden classes was Hannah Horler’s Rivervalley Rosie Rogers (section C) ridden by Heidi Bennett; bred by Hannah’s father-in-law George Cooper, Rosie was given to Hannah on her 21st birthday last year. Reserve champion was the section A stallion Hoekhorst Eclipse ridden by Joanna Clowes for his Dutch owners, the Hoeke family.

For the open ridden classes, Eleri Marshalsay riding Nebo Julie Ann (D) was champion with Poppy Eastwood riding Hilin Tahiti (B) reserve. Builth Wells PE school-teacher Eleri leased Julie Ann from her owner/breeders last year and broke her to saddle and travels home to Llanrhystud every night to see to her and exercise her.

Brynseion National Ridden Section D Champion Nebo Julie Ann ridden by Eleri Marshalsay
with sponsor Mrs Ceri Fell and Judge Mrs Helen Nedahl Wight

Julie Ann has come within a hairs-breadth to getting her HOYS ticket three times; let’s hope her turn will come soon. Hilin Tahiti is sired by Eyarth Tayma from the same family as Eleri’s other HOYS hopeful, the dun stallion Eyarth Troy, 3rd out of 46 entries in the HOYS class at the Royal Welsh and 3rd here in the Brynseion National championships.

Nerwyn Letitia reappeared in the afternoon to capture the Brightwells National section A championship purse of £250 from the Three Counties HOYS Cuddy qualifier Heniarth Yipee Aye Yeah and last year’s winner Caerheulog Lady Jane.

While most section B’s have travelled the country to qualify for the Brightwells National, Ian Lamb’s winning six-year-old stallion Boreton White Prince only competed at one Show, Stafford County where he was champion and also placed in the HOYS ridden qualifier. The second-placed seven-year-old stallion Moelgarnedd Derwyn was also second here last year, beaten by his full-brother Moelgarnedd Calypso. John and Maggie Carter of Millcroft were 3rd with their ten-year-old mare Millcroft Geisha, full-sister to their last year’s Royal Welsh Tom and Sprightly supreme Millcroft Dahlia.

Boreton White Prince
with Judge Mrs Jane Edwards & Mr Ian Lamb

Brightwells Sales purchases were Brightwells National champions of section C and section D. Champion section C was Gwen Heppenstall’s eight-year-old palomino mare Henfynwy Mattie, a bargain at £1,800 on the 2003 Sale. Mattie has been champion at NPS, supreme at East Anglian and produced four foals, one of which Glynwyn Peaches was a Royal Welsh prizewinner in 2008. The morning’s champion Nebo Rachel was 2nd and the three-year-old filly Telaid Carys by Polaris Red Rock was 3rd. The section D champion, the ten-year-old Menai Golden Star cost £3,600 as a foal on the Brightwells Sale but she has lived up to expectations and won her senior brood mare class of 41 entries at last year’s Royal Welsh. Golden Star’s dam, the dun Elonwy Shooting Star was Royal Welsh female champion in 2000.

Brightwells National Section C Champion Henfynyw Mattie
with Mr Frank Morgan (Brightwells)

Brightwells National Section D Champion Menai Golden Star
with Mr Terry Court, Mr Frank Morgan (Brightwells) and Mr Gwyn Jones (Judge)

The sixteen-year-old Rotherdale Magic Princess belied her age and moved as well as ever to capture 2nd prize, she was the foal when her dam Tydfil Magic Princess was Royal Welsh female champion in 1993. At this year’s Royal Welsh, Rotherdale Magic Princess was 2nd out of 67 entries. Haydn Hudson’s eleven-year-old brood mare Maesyfelin Harlequin was 3rd; she is another of the top mares of Wales, Royal Welsh 3rd out of 41 in 2008 and 5th out of 50 in 2009. John James showed the three-year-old filly Highmead Maybe Forever for Jane Mabbett to be Brightwells National WPB champion; she will represent the Royal Welsh in this year’s HOYS Cuddy competition. Mrs Grimshaw’s home-bred gelding Molluccas Perfect Peppercorn was 2nd and 3rd was Mrs Parr’s home-bred gelding Oxton Top Of The Pops sired by Beckside Top Notch who also sired the morning’s champion Romanyriver Foxtrot. The consistent Deanhills Sweet Rhapsody won the Bedlay £250 WPB Ridden National championship from the lead-rein Cwmllanwenarth Melody and Marshbrook Honeysuckle ridden by Jessica Charles.

Brightwells National WPB Champion Highmead Maybe Forever
with Mr John James, Mrs Ann Fowler (Judge) and Mr Terry Court (Brightwells)

Mrs Jane Edwards (Judge) with Brightwells Silver Medal Champion
Romanyriver Foxtrot

Deanhills Sweet Rhapsody
with Mrs Anne Fowler (Judge) and Mrs Lottie Geddes

Three stallions headed the Brynseion Ridden section A championship for £250, £125 and £75. The 2007 Brightwells Fayre Oaks Sale purchase Bengad Rumex won for Jessica Nevin; he was 2nd ridden A or B at the 2008 HOYS. Alice Barr’s Waitwith Westwind, reserve champion WHP in the morning, winner here last year and HOYS Cuddy supreme in 2006 was 2nd beating sister Isabel on Friars Osbek, a stallion which mother Debbie bought back from Holland. Jonathon Stevens rode Rhoson Shem for breeders John and Glenys Davies to claim the Brynseion section B championship; he also won here last year and was 4th at HOYS. Thistledown Fairy Lustre, son the 2007 Royal Welsh champion Paddock Northern Lustre was 2nd for the James family from Hallow, Worcestershire with the afore-mentioned Eyarth Troy 3rd. Gwen Heppenstall collected another £250 with her section C Glynwyn Penny Sweet who was champion ridden novice here last year. Amy Ravenscroft’s Lychfields Scrumpy Jack, Olympia qualifier and reserve supreme champion at Northleach was 2nd and Richard Holt’s Winmark Maisie was 3rd. Nebo Julie Ann was triumphant again in the Brynseion National section D championship from the palomino stallion Janton Philanderer and Beth Simons’ Haighmoor Gwenllian, overall champion at the Royal Welsh the previous week. Hywel and Yvonne Davies won the Brynseion National lead-rein championship with the Dutch-bred Ysselviedt’s Nanique ridden by their grand-daughter Leah Mathias; last year Nanique was mini champion at the Royal Welsh and winner at the NPS championships and Pretty Polly BSPS summer championships.

Bengad Rumex ridden by Jessica Nevin with
(left) Reserve Alice Barr riding Waitwith Westwind
with sponsor Mrs Ceri Fell and Judge Miss Kerry Wainwright

Glynwyn Penny Sweet
Brynseion National Section C Ridden Champion

Pendock Pennyworth, reserve mini champion in the morning claimed the Brynseion first-ridden championship in the afternoon.

There is no overall championship for the national NFU Mutual Performance champions, the winners being Lady Harper-Adams’ Wian Ultra (A), M Dunnigan’s Carrwood Xanthus (B), F Powell’s Trixies Rosebud (C) and A Evans’ Eifl Trysor (D).

Lady Harper-Adams' Wian Ultra

Peasedown Mr Muddle

Mrs Smith's Reedgate Jasper
Senior Gelding Champion

Caerddaniel Freedom
Junior Gelding Champion with Judge Mr Daniel Hughes

Report by Dr Wynne Davies
Photographs by Dr Wynne Davies & Mili Peel

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