Welcome to the October 2023 edition of the Welsh Cob in Sport Newsletter!
Covering the latest news in dressage, combined driving, eventing, stadium jumping, and breeding for Welsh Cob and Welsh Pony of Cob Type.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter and stay with us for the Welsh Cobs in Sport newsletter every month and watch it grow. Feel free to forward this newsletter to your cob loving equestrian friends.
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Quillane Ambition with owner / rider Amy Riley
Amy Riley showed 4 year old section D Gelding Quillane Ambition (Gallod Auryn x Dellas Dancing Duchess) in the 4 year old prospect division, as well as the 4 year old materiale at the NEDA Region 8 Breed Finals. Amy says " 'Byron' hasn't been out to show since we attended this same breed finals with him as a 2 year old. We have been taking our time to let him mature and keeping his work fun and easy since he was backed last fall. He is still pretty green but he is a super good citizen so we "11th hr" entered breed finals. He consistently scored 74+% in his in hand classes, qualified on Saturday (against some very well bred warmbloods!), and came away with reserve champion in the materiale final on Sunday... just .6 pts behind the champion. Just an all around fabulous boy to work with. This was his first ridden show of his career. "
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Winterlake Tristan with rider / owner Amanda Agemak
What does a USDF Silver Bar in Dressage Freestyle, a potbelly pig paddock mate named Arnold, and the theme music from Lion King have in common? The Welsh Section C Winterlake Tristan!
Amanda Agemak and “Oky” (pronounced Okee) have been a team since 2016 but they just started competing in freestyle at the end of the 2022 show season. Even though they are just short of a years experience in freestyle, they are ranked 3rd right now with a 75.6% in the National Dressage Pony Cup standings and were third in the FEI freestyle for their last ride of the season. To be awarded a silver freestyle bar, the horse and rider combination must have four scores of 65% or higher at four different USDF competitions with four different judges in the fourth level freestyle. Earning a silver bar in one season is quite an accomplishment.
The music Amanda and Oky ride to are instrumental Lion King as well as an African medley for the core of their freestyle. The opening and closing of their routine is dramatic, using the lyrical version of ‘Circle of Life.’ Amanda compiled and edited her music and convened with her good friend and coach, Elise Wiggins, for help in designing the choreography. Amanda says, “My favorite part of my 4th level freestyle is the final extended canter down centerline to 'Circle of life' and ending in a halt right in front of the judge at the final big drum beat at the end of the song. It is epic for us to nail it and so rewarding.”
Winterlake Tristan knows "his" music after a few times of practicing to the beats and the rhythm. “He definitely knows and remembers it!” reports Amanda. “Freestyle is absolutely fun for both of us, being creative together, being able to impromptu, and he certainly lights up and is ready to get down the centerline when the music starts playing. He really knows and loves his job.”
I asked Amanda if she felt that the Section C needed a different style music than a larger horse or warmblood? “Absolutely. Let's face it..ponies are cute! Although epic and intense music can really motivate us...it simply just doesn't always match the gaits of a cute moving pony and you wouldn't want your music to overpower your ponies natural presence in the ring.” “Since Winterlake Tristan is a well known family favorite and familiar face at the shows, we like to dance together to music that is both inspiring to others and recognizable to aspiring young riders.”
Oky and Amanda’s last competition this season was Their debut at an I-1 freestyle to Jurassic Park, which was a great hit! Amanda states, “There is nothing better than the bond shared with an amazing and multi talented pony and a stallion at that! It makes me so incredibly happy every year to see more and more ponies chosen as an adults' dressage partners. They are truly incredible and teach you so much. Oky & I consider ourselves advocates for the sport world and our goal is always to have fun and inspire others.”
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Clarwood Mack The Knife with owner / driver Dana Diemer Photo Meghan Benge
The Tryon International Equestrian Center hosted their fall CDE CAI 1* 2* 3* as well as the USEF Intermediate Championships for Combined Driving. Welsh Section C Clarwood Mack the Knife once again showed his pony of cob type brilliance by winning the CDE CAI 3*!
Driver and owner Dana Diemer and Mack led the way in dressage with a 62.6%. They continued their lead in the marathon and cones phases to capture the single pony 3* win.
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Amy Cross driving Wendy O'Brien's Eulenhof Spencer photo Andreas Konig
Oirschot, The Netherlands was the host of the 2023 FEI Combined Driving Pony World Championships. Representing the USA, Amy Cross drove Wendy O’Brien’s chestnut and flaxen Welsh Section C, Eulenhof Spencer, to the best USA dressage score!
Amy started driving in 2006, and is no stranger to Welsh Section C and D. She drove a pair of Section D Welsh Cobs to National Championships in both 2014 and 2015. Working for Wendy O’Brien, Amy met Eulenhof Spencer, who was imported in 2016 from Germany. At the time, “Spencer” was mainly a riding pony with little driving experience. Spencer was soon a part of Wendy O’Brien’s team as the right wheeler. Amy describes Spencer as a beautiful moving pony and part portable garbage disposal who will eat anything from dill potato chips to airhead candy with a special taste for bananas! Paired in September of 2022, Amy and Spencer worked toward qualifying for the Pony Championships in 2023.
Their World Championship competition journey began in the USA with two successful combined tests which led to entering the Windsor Trace CDE in South Carolina. They then contested the 2023 Spring Fling CDE in Florida which was their first FEI 3* show. Now qualified for Oirschot, Amy and Spencer prepared for their journey to Europe to represent the USA. Amy describes, “When we headed over to the Netherlands, we knew we were up against drivers from Europe that had been in several world championships along with ponies that had been driving single for multiple years. Our dressage test was pretty good, but I know that he could have been better. There is a lot that I know we have to work on, but I was actually very pleased with the score. I was hoping to be a bit higher in the rankings after dressage knowing that everybody else was going to be faster than us marathon. We were borrowing carriages over there in Europe, so when it came time to do marathon, the carriage was a bit heavier, but Spencer actually tried his heart out.”
In the marathon phase, hazard 7 was the pair’s best placing. Amy reported, “Hazard 7 was actually a lovely hazard made of a bunch of boxes in rows, and it was just a matter of staying as smooth as possible in order to get in and out of there as quickly as possible. In the end, I was a bit surprised we were as high up in that hazard at the end of marathon, but it goes to show you that sometimes smoother is faster.”
When I asked Amy about the cones course which I thought very technical, a bit intimidating, and not the usual American cones course, she replied, “As for the cones course you are not kidding. It was the toughest course I have ever done. No, it is nothing like anything I've driven in the US, it was very technical and very fast. Watching the other drivers go was almost like watching marathon again. In the past, my cones have been very good but I had two things not going for me. One was Spencer was very tired from marathon and I was driving a carriage that I was not used to. All in all the world Championships was a great experience. The venue was absolutely lovely, the dressage ring was really nice for how much rain we had. All the officials and volunteers were very professional and everything had run very smoothly. It was great working with Jennifer Matheson, our chef d'equipes and Anna Brooks Thomas for the first time, also, all my teammates were supportive and willing to help any time that I needed it. As for traveling with Spencer, he is a pony who has a ton of personality and he is very easy to travel with, so I'm very lucky in that aspect.”
So what’s next now that Amy and Spencer have an international championship under their belts? Team Spencer. consisting of Wendy, Taren "Taz" Lester, and Amy, are in the planning stage on their best move forward. “We would love to try for the National Championships next year and if all goes well try for the US team for 2025 World Pony Championships where we will be bigger and better!”
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Bro A Bryn Heulwen and owner / driver Tish Hodges
Tish Hodges became interested in Welsh Cobs in the ‘90s. So, when she lost her successful Morgan combined driving partner at 29 year of age, it was time to finally get a cob. Enter the chestnut Section D gelding Bro A Bryn Heulwen Llachar! Tish purchased him as a yearling from breeder Glenna Wilder.
“Cooper,” now a 7 year old,recently competed with Tish in the Training Single Horse Division at the North Valley CDE at their first ADS recognized event as a partnership. Despite Tish’s favorite phase being marathon, they had their best showing in the dressage phase and ended up in 2nd place for the division.
This Oregon based 15.2 hand Welsh Cob is by Trefaes Mabon Victor and out of Llanarth Gwenlli x Crugybar Mabon Mai
Wnen asked about their future, Tish said “I hope to support the Welsh Breed shows and continue with Combined Driving. I think he's learning to be a competition horse, seems to like it and is getting quite good. Looking forward to many more years together.”
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Ponies USA Standings 10-10-2023 The three year old Section D, KML Maxiumus (Castleberry's ReFflection x Talywern Lady Chanel x Menai Lord Thomas), is currently in 3rd position in the Ponies USA Young Horse Series with a socre of 8.14. Bred by Monet Lammers and owned by Katharina Huenermann
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New England Dressage Associations USDF Breed Finals Region 8
Amy Riley reported the following from The New England Dressage Associations USDF Region Breed Finals held at Falls Creek Farm in Oneco, CT over what was a dreadfully hot weekend! I convinced both Catie and Michelle (see below) to handle in the the IBC (Individual Breed Class) Welsh as the pro handler was tied up in the other ring, both did a fabulous job and I think the fillies enjoyed the comfort of direction from their persons. Here are their results.
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Quillane Marqui (*Taraco Mourinho x Stonecroft Gold Medallion) scored a 72.075% in her pony yearling class handled by pro Rachel Wengerd (Laufer). Owner Catie Petersen handled her in the Amateur handler class for a 77.4% and the blue ribbon! Catie wanted to do well in the Amateur Class which was her main goal for the weekend. Marqui is affectionately known as "Ki Ki" and resides at Wide Pine Farm, Barrington NH. She will be developed by USDF Gold medalist Zoe Flannery.
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Quillane Avanti (Quillane Authentic x Ayr Hawks Falcon) owned by Michelle Ganno-Sherwood of Sherwood Hill Farm scored a 70.657% in her yearling pony filly class, and a 70.625% in the Welsh/IBC class. She has hopes of developing Avanti as an eventing cob in the future. This was their first ever show together. She was also handled by pro Rachel Wengerd (Laufer).
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Westfalen Inspection 10/15/2023 at Megan Sibigas in Lebanon Oregon
The first photo is of Section C filly, Fine Design by SpringSong (Castleberrys Cadence x Gallod Poppy) who had an overall score of 8 and was awarded Premium foal.
The second photo shows Roses Ruby of SpringSong (Castleberrys Cadence x Welsh Couture by SpringSong) who is also a Section C Filly had an overall score of 7.5.
Gallod Poppy (Nebo Calanog x Marbren Monarch Kayla) was also presented and inspected. Poppy is 17 this year, was approved with a average score of 7.7 and in the Mare book 1.
Super results for breeder Heather Macartney of SpringSong farm!
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