Welsh Ponies Step Into The Limelight

This article is from the February 2020 Horse Deals magazine.

Australian Welsh and Part Welsh Ridden Championships November 2019

Over many years in Australia enthusiasts have made much of our homebred and imported show ponies, but the fact is they simply would not exist if it were not for the Welsh Pony breed. Riding Ponies would not exist as almost, if not 100% of them, are part if not fully Welsh.

In late November 2019, the breed stepped out of the shadows and showcased the best of the breed in Australia at the 20th International Welsh Show, a show that travels the world and was given this year to Australia in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of Australia. But there is more. Kathryn Mitchell headed a group of Welsh Pony supporters and breeders who put up, for the large part, their own money to establish the inaugural Australian Welsh and Part Welsh Ridden Championships. The final for this prestigious event; it was worth $5,000 to the Champion Ridden Welsh and the same to the Champion Ridden Part Welsh, was conducted in the SIEC indoor the day before the International Show. And so they came, the Welsh in Sections A, B, C and D and the Part Welsh from N.E 12.2hh to over 14.2hh, all under the eye of imported judges, Jocelyn Filmer from Longhalves Stud UK and Sandy Anderson from Bryndefaid Stud UK. The winners of each section and height group came back for final judging at the end of the day.

This brief expose here concerns the two big money winners and what, in brief, the judges had to say about them and the ponies they judged.

Welsh Supreme Ridden

Cherrington Skylark

George Hillas-Howe, an active member of the Welsh Pony and Cob breeding Howe family of Nawarrah Park, was on her way to a judging assignment in Queensland when she came across Molly the pony by accident. Cherrington Skylark (Bamborough Ambassador/Glenmore Songbird) was bred by influential and successful Welsh Section B breeder, John While at his Cherrington Stud at Bathurst in NSW. Molly was sold as a weanling to the Newton family in Parkes as a future farm pony for their daughters Ainsley and Grace, who told us “She was selected by Pop (John Davis) as a surprise pony for Ainsley’s seventh birthday present.”

“She was nine years old and had spent her life on the farm doing various ‘farm pony’ duties from rounding up cattle, being ridden by Pop and the kids, was a floating buddy to train Pop’s yearling Thoroughbred racehorses, and she was broken to harness as well,” says George.

“She had a wonderful life and is a happy and willing pony. In 2016 she spent a few weeks in training with Marie Cooper and Natasha Larsen, attending the local Parkes show, she was declared Reserve Champion Led Welsh and then returned to the farm. I went to the Peppertree Stud to look at a Connemara and happened upon Molly that was advertised for sale because the girls had grown out of her. It was winter and she was in woolly paddock condition, but I thought she was a beautiful pony. My husband instantly liked her personality which helped my cause to purchase her. I bought her without riding her; I just saw a short video of Pop riding her, going kindly on a loose rein and I could see she was a star.

“She came home to Tarrawingee and I had the inaugural Australian Ridden Welsh Championships in mind for her. I really enjoy the Section Bs, I’ve had a lot of success with them and had been looking for one to show under saddle again. I bought her in August 2018 and her first show for me and her second show ever was the Victorian All Welsh Show in December 2018. She was declared Champion Senior Welsh B Led and Champion Ridden Section B under UK Judge Fiona Leadbitter and qualified for the 2019 Australian Ridden Championships the same weekend. We were hit by severe floods in December 2018 and Molly did not go to another show until Euroa Agricultural Show in October 2019.

“I had an idea of what I wanted the presentation to be for the Australian Ridden Championships, and for that I needed a child rider. I wanted the picture to look like they were competing in the Mountain and Moorland Final at Olympia. My good friend, Rebecca Farran said her 12-year-old daughter Molly would like to ride her. So we had Molly the pony and Molly the rider. Molly the rider had not done a lot of showing, as she was more involved with dressage and eventing. Rebecca got to work putting together Molly’s new riding outfit and showing her videos of the ponies competing at Olympia while I prepared the pony and tack.

“Molly and Molly had their first and only ride as a test run a few weeks before Sydney at Euroa. We got the look and way of going we were after and Molly and Molly won their ridden qualifier for the 2020 Final and went Runner-Up Overall under UK judge Mr Kevin Hopkins. We were all excited this combination clicked, I told Molly if she wins the $5,000 I will buy her a custom KEP Helmet!

“The final in Sydney was Molly’s fourth ever show attended as a ten-year-old pony and she coped amazingly well with all the razzle-dazzle of the occasion. She had never been in an indoor etc, but she is an obliging pony that had been taught to go confidently forward and that is what she did. Molly the rider coped very well too, as she also was not used to all the showing commotion. I chose to leave her in a snaffle bridle, as that is what she went well in and I think it is a shame here in Australia that we feel it necessary to show a pony in open competition in a double bridle, as if they are in a snaffle, they are thought to be green. It is a look rather than a practical necessity.”

“Winning the Australian Champion Ridden Welsh was such a thrill for all connected with Molly, it was a day we won’t forget. She has a wonderful personality and amazing temperament which is a credit to her breeder, John While and the Newton family who gave her such a wonderful upbringing and education on the farm. We just love her. For now, I will keep riding and enjoying her, I hope to compete her in some open saddle competition. With some encouragement from our friend and major support crew member Peter Harkness, we could even end up expanding her showing career into harness before she ultimately joins the broodmares at Nawarrah Park.

What the judges said...

“As soon as she walked into the ring,” says Jo Filmer, “the way she walked, the way she carried herself, she could be nothing other than a Section B. She was very feminine, she was being ridden by a child in a snaffle bridle, going sweetly forward with free-flowing paces, coming through from behind up into the bridle; she was just fabulous. I felt a huge responsibility because this was the first event of its kind and we had the task as judges to pick the very best animal of its type and way of going as we possibly could do and we were in total agreement with our Supreme.”

“In a competition like this, you should be looking for the same things in an animal that you would be looking for in an in-hand animal,” adds Sandy Anderson. “Breed type and conformation should be the same if you are showing in hand or under saddle. And we were fortunate across the board and especially with the Supreme to be able to choose a good example of each type, and that for us was really enjoyable.

“The quality of the ponies is comparable to that in the UK, especially the As and Bs and the Partbreds. The Cobs perhaps aren’t quite at the same level, however there were some very nice Cobs, but they didn’t have the depth of the other sections. But in years to come when people realise that there are classes for ridden Cobs, especially this prestigious class, there will be more emphasis on breeding and the number and quality will improve.

“Since the popularity of Ridden Welsh classes has grown at home, the popularity of Cobs has grown with it. They are an animal that an adult can ride and this gives more opportunity to show them. The Cobs tick so many boxes, they are suitable to a broad section of riders; they can jump, go cross country and hold their own in dressage.”

Part Welsh Supreme Ridden

Gentry Park Take Note

Gentry Park Take Note is another pony that has not been showing long. The five-year-old started his career in January 2019 and has certainly made the most of it since. The small show hunter galloway was bred by Christine Chafer in Gippsland, Victoria and is by Lyrics that is by Strinesdale Matador out of Glyndebourne Scuzi Me. Owned by Sara Osaulenko and Kerry Avramidis, Note was broken in by Greg Andrews and then sent to J and R Equestrian to be produced for the show ring. “He’s a lovely horse to look at,” says Jess Stones, “and he has an even better attitude to work and that makes training him a breeze.” With Jess in the saddle, Note quickly got amongst the major prizes and was declared Best Novice Galloway at Adelaide Royal last August. At the Welsh Championship, he won the class for Part Welsh Mare, Gelding or Stallion 13.2-14.2hh and went on to claim the Supreme from an impressive line-up of experienced and successful ponies. Note continued on from the Welsh Show to be declared National Champion Small Show Hunter Galloway at Werribee in December.

Sara Osaulenko was thrilled with the award saying; “the inaugural Australian Welsh and Part Welsh Ridden Championships was one of my and Kerry’s biggest highlights from 2019. The atmosphere was electrifying when the judges announced the winners and the line-up of quality ponies made the win extra special.

“When I heard my number called out and realised we had won $5,000, I had to take a moment to catch my breath. I have a very special, once in a lifetime horse that has exceeded all my expectations. I would like to thank the Welsh Society for creating this prestigious show and also thank you to the judges who travelled across the world for it. Also congratulations to all the competitors for making it such a memorable show.”

What the judges said...

“I wanted to see something that was quality, covered the ground and had that look-at-me quality,” said Jo Filmer. “The Champion was beautifully produced and beautifully ridden and oozed show ring quality. That is what is needed for a class like this, the production and presentation need to be of the highest standard, a standard to which potential competitors aspire.

“For me, a number of the animals were let down because of the standard of riding. Also for me, the bitting was a real issue. A lot of them were not comfortable or settled in the double bridle being used and were not going into a contact. I want something to go forward into a contact and carry itself forward. The winner went beautifully into the contact, but I was also so delighted with the Section B going so sweetly in a snaffle bridle. She was neither above the bit nor behind the bit, but sitting on the bit and comfortable with the contact. So many came into the ring, too short in the neck and not tracking up from behind, shuffling along and not able to use themselves from behind. Their paces are being ruined and both Sandy and I were in agreement about that. So many were over bitted. The double bridle is a sophisticated system of bitting and some riders don’t know what to do with it. It is designed to encourage Grand Prix collection and that is not what we were looking for here. We were looking for something going in a lovely rhythm, in a natural outline and nothing too forced. Also if I was going to be very critical, some went too fast when asked to gallop. This caused the odd mistake and it is a ridden class. All I want is a lowering and lengthening, not a mad gallop, hauling it back at the end to get control.”
“Most of the Part Welsh ponies we saw today were show ponies rather than hunter ponies,” adds Sandy Anderson. “At home in the UK, a good percentage of the large Part Welsh tend to be Part Cob and we weren’t really seeing any of those coming through. In that over 14.2hh class, we would expect to see some part Cobs as a stronger hunter pony.”

Both judges felt honoured to judge this inaugural Championship and both were delighted with their Supremes, feeling that they were the very epitome of a ridden Welsh and Part Welsh pony. From the outside looking in both Jo and Sandy felt free to give constructive criticism as they saw it and they were not suggesting that similar issues do not arise in the UK. Both are experienced breeders and judges and both were impressed with the ponies they judged.

Article by Anna Sharply

---

Sign up to our newsletter