The Old Dominion Horse Show in Manakin Sabot, VA, was the site for the inaugural competition for ponies nominated to the North American Pony Futurity (NAPF) Registry incentive program. A parade of lovely young ponies competed in hand, divided by ages and genders. USEF “R” Hunter Breeding judges Joe Dotoli (of Vermont) and Beth Neilsen (of Colorado) evaluated the youngsters at the walk and trot prior to standing for conformation. Amateur and pro handlers were equally represented with Tim Foster of Twin Cedars Farm winning the Glenhaven Farm Junior/Amateur Handler Trophy for the day. Twin Cedars had a big day taking home the Joan Barland Memorial Best Young Pony Award, as well as the Three-Year-Old Performance Championship (ridden by Brooke Kemper) with their lovely small gray gelding Picturesque Bow Tie (Picturesque Formal Attire). Reserve Best Young Pony was Oliver Brown’s I’m Talking, by Land’s End Adagio.
“This was Bow Tie’s first time jumping a little course, and he couldn’t have been better,” enthused Foster. “The NAPF is such a great way to get these babies started when we don’t have to have juniors ride them in their first competitions. And the prize money is nice too! Now he can go back out to the field and continue growing up. I couldn’t be happier.” Both judges were wowed by the young gelding and felt that he will go on to a great performance future.
The “Touch Me Not” Trophy for the Grand Champion Four- and Five-Year-Old Performance Division was won by Dan Short’s Glenhaven Audrey. Audrey, a five-year-old 14.1-hand mare by Downland Rembrandt was shown to the victory by Taylor Brown of Palmyra, VA. “I had never even seen Dan’s pony before, but she was really fun to ride, a great jumper and just as easy as he said she would be. I am glad he didn’t come all this way for nothing! She is ready for a young rider to go out and win with.”
Consistency paid off for Terian Farm’s Land’s End Colonel’s First William to win the Pony Futurity Leading Sire award, a beautiful bronze donated by Mike Elmore of New Mexico. “We just kept coming up second a lot!’ laughed owner/breeder Terry Daugherty of Tennessee. “He is a young stallion by Land’s End The Colonel’s Fox that we have only bred to our own mares with great results. They are all just so quiet that they made our job very easy. We can’t wait to come back here next year. We had so much fun at this show!”
A luncheon reception was held for the first annual Lifetime Achievement Pony Breeder Award. The award will be named in honor of the foundation stallion Farnley Lustre who stood at the Farnley Farm in White Post, VA. Owned by Mrs. Joan Dunning, it was fitting that she should be the first recipient. The award, a beautiful painting called “Tribute to Lustre” by artist Cheryl Hight (www.cherylhightartist.com) of North Carolina was accepted by her daughter, Mrs. Hetty Abeles of Washington, DC. Each year a brass plate with the new honoree’s name will be placed on the frame.
2010 will offer a new $1,000 award to the Leading Sire and $500 to the reserve winner in addition to the regular prize money. The group has also offered a “stimulus” discounted nominating fee for all stallions for the upcoming year. For more information on how you can be part of this innovative incentive fund program open to all breeders and owners in North America, visit www.ponyfuturity.org or (434) 242-8937.