Despite being the coldest night of the year, people made the journey from as far afield as Chester, Fordingbridge, Swansea and Cornwall to attend the first ridden and in-hand show of the year for The South West Pony Association, held at Heazle EC.
Entries were excellent with some in hand classes having up to 12 competitors for judge Alicia Hill.
Chris Taylor’s home-bred Welsh section A Cristae Midnight Cowboy took the mountain and moorland championship and qualified for the owner-bred championship in September at Crick. The open championship went to M Baker & B Beaver’s Liberty Rose, who won the hack/riding horse and competition horse and pony class, which was the largest class of the day.
C Horton’s Romany River Olivia took the mini championship as a first ridden show hunter/show pony and J Pitman Rothieman Olympus took reserve from the mountain and moorland lead-rein section. The novice section saw placings reversed in the championship with the second-placed pony in the show pony/show hunter pony class, R Clark’s Cosford Chameleon, pulling out all the stops to beat the winner of the same class, C Healey’s Bejowans Candyman.
Judge Karen Hodge said: “I thoroughly enjoyed judging the ridden classes and there were some quality ponies and horses at the show. However, some just suffered from pre-season excitement and exuberance.”
In the open section, Lisa Davey, riding Lexington II, travelled up from Cornwall to win the ridden cobs and then to go on and take the championship. Lisa was delighted to be above “a stunning traditional coloured stallion” — Bashful Bobby Dazzler owned by Denise Kersley-Burks and ridden by a young lady who had travelled from Chester to ride at the show.
The final ridden classes of the day were the mountain and moorland ridden, where the championship went to Katrina Poole riding Brynvane Cadog above J Matthews’s daughter riding Coedpoeth Jessica, with mum winning the large breeds on Brysmith Adonis Spirit.
The junior ridden championship went to Lauren Vanstone riding her show hunter pony, Regal Vision, with reserve going to Georgina Wood (Crimson Fifth Edition). Her mother, Karen Archer said: “We travelled from Swansea for the show. My daughter was very nervous, as it was her first time out with this pony. We had a fantastic day — four firsts, and a second in the ridden and veteran in-hand classes. We have no excuse not to come over the bridge again now!”
SWPA’s next show will be held at Poltimore Equestrian Centre on 1 March 2008. Schedules can be downloaded from the website www.southwestponyassociation.co.uk
Results
SWPA M&M In Hand [Miss A Hill] Yearling Small.— 1, A Dymott Acanthus Of Breamore; 2, A Dymott Adjutant Of Breamore; 3, J Frost Devonhayes Marble. Yearling Large.— 1, J Woodbury Caerdaniel Lady Lara; 2, J Westlake Baytor Kind Of Magic. 2&3yrs Small.— 1 & Ch, C Taylor’s Cristae Midnight Cowboy; 2, S Layard Cwmcoedlan Cymro Aur; 3, T Winn Brynllwyn. 2&3yrs Large.— 1 J Woodbury Kylebeck Custer; 2, J Westlake Baytor Samson 4+ Smalls.— 1& Res Ch, A Brown Browan Prelude; 2, K Poole Brynvane Cadog; 3, Cherrytop Stud’s Skellorn Gold Coin. Gelding -1, K Poole Brynvane Cadog; 2,V Trice Cranbrook Celebration; 3, E Canon Brousmton Fusiler. Owner Bred M&M.— 1, Cristae Midnight Cowboy; 2, Browan Prelude; 3, Acanthus Of Breamore. SWPA Part Bred M&M– 1, K Stutt Mollinahone Helena; 2, K Poole Mysticmerched Mystery Boy Billy; 3, L Lawrence Brynllwyn Quickstep; Pure/Part/Anglo Arab– 1, C Selway’s Suneagle; 2, J Busch Whiteleaze Armarni; 3, N Evans Summerhills Guilt Edged. RP 1, Whiteleaze Armarni; 2, Cwmcoedlan Cymro Aur; 3, N Hutchings Clonageera Eternal Dancer, HP.— 1, Mollinahone Helena; 2, Clonageera Eternal Dancer; 3, Summerhills Guilt Edged. Comp Horse/Pony.— 1 & Ch, M Baker/B Beaver Liberty Rose; 2, C Hood Uppacott Magnanimous; 3, R Shearer Mille. Hack/RH.—1 Liberty Rose; 2, Mille; 3, A Luxton Azers Just In Tyme. Hunter .— 1, J Hood Uppacott Magnum Opus; 2, A Luxton Azers Plan B; 3, J Acheson Wiscombe Holly Berry. Veteran.— 1 Sunegeale; 2, K Archer Crimson Fifth Edition. SWPA Coloured .— 1& R Ch, D Kerskey-Burks Bashful Bobby Dazzler; 2, D Kerskey-Burks Tommy Pocket; 3, D Commins Sameon Amber Eclipse. Owner Bred (excluding M&M) 1, Azers Plan B; 2, Tommy Pocket; 3, Azers Just In Tyme. SWPA Handler (Miss H Woolley) (4 – 8 years)– 1, J Leworthy Kahaya Louisiana. (8 – 12 years).— 1 & R Champ, J Matthews Coedpoeth Jessica ; 2, Danielle Balsdon Skywood Springboc; 3, B Rae Samber Speculation (12 – 18 years).— 1 & Ch B Rae Brockville Merry Meg. 2, Katrina Poole Mysticmerched Mystery Boy Billy; 3, Charlotte Sutherland Bircheoak Tybalt. SWPA Mini Ridden SP/SH LR (Mrs K Hodge).— 1 Cherrytop Stud Cherrytop Blaze Of Glory; 2, C Healey Bejowans Candyman; 3, J Dyer Drakelands Porsche. SP/HP FR.— 1 & Ch, C Horton Romany River Olivia; 2, Bejowans Candyman; 3, H Saunders Cristoline Gingerbread Man. M&M LR.— 1& Res Ch, J Pitman Rothieman Olympus; 2, Drakelands Porsche; 3, Cherrytop Blaze of Glory. M&M FR.— 1 K Andrews Newoak Special Edition; 2, Skywood Springboc; 3, J Matthews Gangsdown Troubadour. SWPA Nov Ridden Nov M&M.— 1, Newoak Special Edition; 2, E Vincent Oaklands Snow On The Mountain; 3, Skellorn Gold Coin. Nov SP/SHP -1 & Res Ch, Bejowans Candyman; 2, & Ch R Clark Cosford Chameleon. SWPA Open Ridden Pure/Part/Anglo Arab.— 1 Crimson Fifth Edition; 2, L Wilson Solstice Sunrise; 3, V Trice Luck Of Love. PB M&M .— 1, Crimson Fifth Edition; 2, T Budd Chinook Cameo; 3, Cosford Chameleon. SP/ SHP.— 1, Crimson Fifth Edition; 2, Mrs Vanstone Regal Vision; 3, Cosford Chamelion.Veteran -1, Crimson Fifth Edition; 2, C&T Squire Big Beautiful Ben.Cob.—1 & Ch, L Davey Lexington II; 2, Big Beautiful Ben; 3, J Mathews Brysmith Adonis Spirit. Coloured -1 & Res Ch Bashful Bobby Dazzler; 2, J Busch Thunderstruck; 3, B Rae Samber Speculation. RH/Hack – 1, Simmons’s Creephole Late Arival; 2, Simmons’s Éclair. Competition.— 1, Chinook Cameo, 2, Thunderstruck; 3, Bejowans Candyman. Senior Riders .— 1, Lexington II; 2, Brysmith Adonis Spirit; 3, Skellorn Gold Coin. Junior Open Ridden.— 1 & Ch, Regal Vision; 2 & Res Ch, Crimson Fifth Edition; 3, L Wilson’s Solstice Sunrise; Junior M&M.— 1, Skywood Springbox; 2, Y Budd Sunnyhill Chris; 3, Brynvane Cadog; M&M Small Breeds.— 1 & Ch, Brynvane Cadog, 2 & Res Ch, Coedpoeth Jessica; 3, Sunnyhill Chris; M&M Large Breeds.— 1, J Matthews’s Brysmith Adonis Spirit.
