Welsh ponies considered of good standard

Press, 9 November 1984, Page 21

Welsh ponies considered of good standard

Miss ' Serena Mills, of Herefordshire, England, who judged the Welsh ponies, was impressed with the stock she saw, particularly the section A ponies. Both the champion and reserve were of especial quality, and Mrs H. M. Gallagher’s Criban Flash Flora “would have been top at home as well,” Miss Mills said.

Although the section B ponies were not strong numerically, they were up to standard, and most of the animals shown were true to type. Ponies generally were well turned out but there were some differences between showing in New Zealand and in England; New Zealand exhibitors cut their ponies’ tails straight,

whereas that did not happen in Britain, Miss Mills said. Over all, the standards were pleasing.

Miss Mills’s parents were judges at the Canterbury A. and P. Show three years ago, and breed Welsh ponies. Handlers had a little more work to do if they were going to get the best out of their stock, Mrs Joan Frost, the judge of the inhand ponies, noted. Mrs Frost, from Albany, Western Australia, said that there were some very beautiful riding ponies in New Zealand, but that some of the handlers should “do more homework.” “I know it is difficult to show young stock, but I felt that some could have been shown to better advantage,”

she said. Over all, the standard of riding ponies in Canterbury was higher than in Western Australia, and the junior champion was particularly nice with good movement. Donkeys were well conditioned and the turnout of a high standard, the judge, Mrs C. D. McGregor, of Gore, noted. On the whole, the quality was good, and the champion, Mrs C. A. Mulligan’s Ohoka Maggie, and the reserve, Lansdown Brian Boru, exhibited by Mrs J. Parsonson, were of a particularly good standard. The quality of harness on driven donkeys was high, and in the ridden classes, the animals were well mannered, Mrs McGregor said.