As always Royal Welsh was very interesting to visit this year, and we met up with some great friends that we have not seen for a while. This is the absolute toughest show of the year with amazing ponies from the leading studs – as well as the world’s biggest Welsh show – so with that in mind we had some phenomenal results!
- Stellar Vaiana (2 yo sec A filly) was in a big group of around 30 very beautiful ponies, where she was in the first line as #10. She moved like a dream, and we truly enjoyed her dancing in the show ring. We are very proud of her, as she has matured into a lovely filly who will make an even better adult. Big congratulations to her owners!
It was really a WOW-moment that was captured on film when she entered the ring with her handler Gareth:
- Eyarth Alonso (yearling sec B colt) was not having his best day this season even though he was shown by Gareth and became an honorable #4. There were gorgeous ponies in his class as well!
We are actually deciding to let Alonso go to summer camp in the fields after RW. It is important for us to make those decisions if we see that a youngster is not 100% enjoying the showring at the moment, and we are very proud that he did his best. Alonso has grown so much this summer, and it is time for him to play with friends and get used to his new body as he grows!
- Laithehill Goddess (yearling sec B filly) was not quite the judge’s cup of tea as he liked bigger Welsh pony mares, and she was #9 in a big class with a completely new handler that she was not used to, so we are very proud of her. There were amazing ponies in her class as well!
We may have a few more shows planned before she is going to the field as well and be able to play with friends in her own age.
- Smokeycott Shezam (2 yo sec B filly) also got an honorable #4 after she was moved from #3 even though she also suddenly had a new and different handler that she was not used to, with who she unfortunately did not go well with at all… She is a horse that choose’s her handler, not the other way around, which made it a bit unfortunate for a change of handler at such a big show. Taking that into consideration she did a very good job and we are of course very proud of her! (We absolutely adore the winner of the class, Eyarth Vienna, who we said would win even before they entered the show ring! The others in the class were also gorgeous!)
Shezam has had a fantastic show career so far, and we are actually choosing to let her also have a break now and go to summer camp with friends. It is so important to let them have those breaks as youngsters, so that they don’t get bored of working.
With this we also want to thank Gareth Lapping and Ceri Powell for taking excellent care of our horses this last year as they started with our big star Shezam in the summer of 2022, and after that had the other’s from weaning. They have always had fantastic glimmering coats, and looked their best!
With that said, we are now moving our ponies closer to our second home in Glastonbury where our other UK based ponies are and where we can go and visit them more easily. At the end of the day, we see our horses as beloved family members and all of these are going to be ponies for our little daughter to enjoy. Shows are just for fun, and it is important for us to be able to kiss and hug the ponies when we are in the UK. It is going to make life a lot easier for us to have them at the same place! <3
Big congratulations to everyone having a successful week at Royal Welsh!