Native Ponies sweep Cuddy qualifiers

The Cuddy in hand supreme championship is widely regarded as one of the most difficult competitions at the Horse of the Year show to qualify for, but Mountain and Moorland ponies are sweeping the in hand Cuddy supreme qualifiers up and down the country, with seven out of twelve qualifiers being awarded to our fabulous natives.

Beginning the phenomenon was HM Queen’s Balmoral Erica. The 5 year Highland mare shone throughout the day at Devon County, even though she had featured in the Jubilee pageant at Royal Windsor a week earlier. Shown by Lizzie Briant, Erica also added to jubilee joy when taking the Highland championship at Royal Windsor. At Midland Counties, the Connemara stallion Skellorn Harrison picked up his return Cuddy ticket, expertly shown by Stuart Mason. This will be his 3rd appearance in the Cuddy supreme final, but he has now been retired from ridden showing, after showing his exuberance at Olympia last December. Midland Counties appears to be his lucky showground, having qualified HOYS as a ridden there last year and taking the Olympia qualifier in 2010.

Continuing the native pony trend was the lovely grey Dartmoor mare, Moortown New Romance. Owned by Nancy Philips and shown by breeder David Jordan, New Romance reigned supreme over nineteen champions at the Royal Cornwall Show and showed her duality by winning the M&M lead rein class the next day. On the same day, at South of England, the beautiful Welsh Section C mare, Synod Ringlet’s Last also took her Cuddy ticket, much to the delight of her handler Jack Bowerman. Welsh ponies have come to the fore in Cuddy qualifiers with the delightful 3 year old Welsh Section D filly, Bryncadno Heledd capturing her ticket at Derbyshire Festival much to the delight of all her connections. Alan Hughes’ Welsh Section C yearling filly, Llandian Welsh Lady, who was the highest priced yearling at this years Gaerwen Sales, secured the elusive ticket at a sunny Cheshire Show – a real achievement for such a young pony. Booking his return ticket at the Royal Highland Show was Llanarth Stud’s big moving Welsh Section B stallion, Boreton White Prince.

With ten qualifying rounds still to go, there are plenty of opportunities for our beloved native breeds to collect their Cuddy ticket. Our three to watch include a Welsh Section A stallion, Stonedge Samuel, who has been reserve in the Cuddy twice this year and will be looking to book another visit to HOYS at the Royal Welsh, where he qualified last year. Gemma Stanford is notorious on the showing scene for her delightful tweed outfit and her stunning, well mannered Highland stallions. This year, she is hoping to qualify Ben Breac of Croila, another pony who has twice been reserve in the Cuddy this year. He will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the father/son combination of Torrin of Croila and Tower Clyde, both of whom Gemma produced to qualify for the Cuddy championship and have both gone on to win either HOYS or Olympia under saddle with Mathew Lawrence. Finally, the smallest of all our breeds, is the attractive Shetland mare, Schivas Kerry. Owned by David Hodge & Julian Walters, Kerry has taken champion on every outing this year and made the top 6 at Royal Cornwall. it is understood that a Shetland has never qualified for the Cuddy before, so surely it’s only a matter of time before this lovely mare makes her debut at HOYS?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cuddy qualifiers 2012

PUK west mids – Romanno Bedriska (Riding horse)

Newark and Notts – Rotherwood Spring Parade (Pony breeding)

Devon county – Balmoral Erica (Highland)

Hambleton – Brindlebrook Prime Suspect (Pony breeding)

Bath & West – Kellythorpe Moulin Rouge (Riding horse)

Midland counties – Skellorn Harrison (Connemara)

Royal Cornwall – Moortown New Romance (Dartmoor)

South of England – Synod Ringlets Last (Welsh C)

Derbyshire – Bryncadno Heledd (Welsh D)

3 Counties – Kings Speech (Hunter breeding)

Cheshire – Llanidan Welsh Lady (Welsh C)

Royal Highland – Boreton White Prince (Welsh B)

Royal Norfolk Show – Princess (Coloured)

Great Yorkshire Show (Cancelled and qualification passed to NPS Area 4) – Glebedale Ding Dong (Welsh Section C)

Kent County Show -Bradmore Faberge (Part bred Arab)

Royal Welsh Show – Llanarth Delilah (Welsh Section B)

Clogher Valley (Ireland) Show –

NPS Summer Championships – Thimbleby Angelique (Part bred Welsh)

Ponies UK Summer Championships – Deauville (Hunter breeding)

Scottish Horse Show – Rendene Regal Charm (Pony breeding)

Bucks County Show – Kellythorpes Don Diamonte (Sport horse breeding)

National Hunter Supreme Championship Show -