Thanks to the vision of the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC), children in Hong Kong are enjoying the love and companionship of two very special Shetland Ponies. The ponies, FMF Imagination and PC Karmel Kid, were donated in the summer of 2008 as a way to salute Hong Kong’s efforts in hosting the 2008 Equestrian Olympics.

“Karmel Kid is doing really well. He has been given the stable name of Bear and is loved by all. He has been fabulous with the lead rein kids and has also enjoyed a little jumping and dressage work with the other more advanced kids,” reports Nicky Loiterton of the Clearwater Bay Equestrian Center.

Johnny Robb, Marketing Director for the ASCP, is thrilled that the Shetland Ponies are happy and have become welcomed ambassadors of the breed. “It is exciting to hear six months later that both ponies have adjusted, are doing well and loved by so many. It couldn’t have worked out more perfectly.”

The second pony, Imagination, lives at the Lo Wu Saddle Club where he already has a fan club. “The children are very taken with him and fight over who can ride him, but we only put special people on him once or twice a week at the moment,” said Pippa Hattan.

Hattan went on to say that recently a few of their riders competed in a dressage show with a Pink Class Preliminary in aid of the Hong Kong Breast Foundation. “We couldn't resist that one, and entered Imagination with one of our young progeny riders, Louvinia Wong. Imagination was impeccably behaved, didn't bat an eye at the flowers that billowed over his head, huge arena, big ex-racehorses whizzing past his ears...nothing fazed him. And he gave Louvinia, for whom it was her very first competition ever, a lovely ride,” Hattan said.

The ponies flew from the United States to Hong Kong in June of 2008, and were greeted with open arms by the people of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation. In fact, Simon Ip, President of the HKEF, was delighted with the response the ponies created in Hong Kong. “These beautiful ponies will be stabled in public riding schools so that they can be enjoyed by all members of the Hong Kong public,” he said at the time.

While the ponies may have originated from the United States, they were treated to new Chinese names upon their arrival. Their names were chosen through a contest and among the hundreds of entries the suggested two winning names were three Chinese characters meaning “precious,” implying that FMF Imagination will be much treasured and loved by the people of China. The second set of three Chinese characters meant “remarkable,” implying that PC Karmel Kid is the outstanding pony of Hong Kong.

The fact that the ponies are “precious” and “remarkable” isn’t a surprise to anyone familiar with the Shetland Pony breed. “Whether in Hong Kong, the United States, in a show barn or in a backyard, Shetland Ponies are definitely precious, remarkable and the perfect pint-size equine,” Robb said.

For more information about American Shetland Ponies, visit www.shetlandminiature.com.