The Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America held its 2012 Annual General Meeting over the weekend of February 24-26, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Society members from across the United States enjoyed wonderful accommodations and excellent service at the Embassy Suites in this beautiful area. A packed-full agenda began on Thursday of that week and included such events as Society Board, business and committee meetings, informative clinics for all ages, award banquets and presentations, a field trip to a local farm for a driving clinic, great food, and plenty of discussion and camaraderie. This weekend allowed Society members to come together to celebrate the past year and to plan together to enjoy our beloved breed in the years ahead.

WPCSA 2012 Achievement Awards.
To resounding applause from the membership, Dr. Ruth Wilburn, WPCSA President, presented Society Achievement Awards to acknowledge photographer/members Kathryn Southard of Welcome, Maryland, Janice Thompson of Berwyn, Pennsylvania, and Arthur Thomson of Heth, Arkansas. Each of this year’s recipients has generously shared their photographic talents with the Society for years. Their photos have been used extensively to document and advertise the Welsh breed as animals of beauty and talent, both at home, at play and in competition. The WPCSA extends a heartfelt thank you and congratulations to these three deserving members for sharing their talents for the benefit of all WPCSA members.

WPCSA Junior Awards.
This year’s All-Around High Point Youth Awards were presented at Saturday’s awards luncheon to Miss Sydney MacWhorter in the 13-17 age group and to Miss Kaitlin Hofer in the 12 & Under age group. Congratulations to both of these girls for all their hard work and success showing their animals at WPCSA rated shows.

WPCSA is also pleased to announce the presentation of the first ever Junior Merit Program awards at this year’s annual meeting. The WPCSA Junior Merit Program, initiated in 2010, is designed to recognize and encourage juniors to enjoy, compete, work with and learn about their Welsh. The Society was pleased to present its first Junior Merit Awards this year to four very deserving juniors, Joelle Hubbard, Kaitlin Hofer, Clara Mankowski and Will Sommer. Elizabeth Lemke, Chair of the WPCSA Youth Committee, encourages WPCSA juniors to sign up and participate in this self-paced program in the year ahead so they can receive their awards at next year’s annual meeting. Details about the WPCSA Junior Merit Program can be found under the Youth tab at www.welshpony.org.

WPCSA Lifetime Awards – Order of the Dragon.
The Society is excited to recognize 2011 as a milestone – it is the twenty fifth anniversary of its lifetime awards program. In keeping with that landmark, the WPCSA is pleased to announce a record number of recipients of the Order of the Dragon Award this year. The Order of the Dragon Award is the Society’s highest award and is reserved for purebred ponies or cobs who have excelled through their own ring performance and for those whose offspring have excelled in such a way as to have allowed the sire or dam to have a significant and lasting impact on the breed.

Sire Order of the Dragon Awards were presented at this year’s Saturday night awards banquet to the following three stallions:

*Ceulan Lwcus, a Section A stallion, owned by David & Carol Maurer of Gaslight Welsh Ponies in Roseburg, Oregon;

*Okedon Taffy, a Section D stallion, owned by Gerald & Jackie Verkuyl of Goldhills Welsh Ponies in Herald, California; and

*Sleight of Hand, a Section B stallion, owned by Arthur & Gail Thomson of Gayfields Welsh Ponies in Heth, Arkansas.

Dam Order of the Dragon Awards this year were presented to the following three mares, all of which are owned by Jackie & Gerald Verkuyl of Goldhills Welsh Ponies in Herald, California.

Goldhills Mystique, a Section B mare; Mary’s Melody, a Section B; and*Okeden Honeysuckle, a Section D mare.
 
Goldhills Mystique has had a very successful career and was also awarded an Individual Order of the Dragon this year in addition to her Dam Order of the Dragon as well as a Dam Award of Excellence. Congratulations to the Verkuyls of Goldhills Welsh and to all of our Order of the Dragon recipients!

Other WPCSA Lifetime Awards.
The Society is also pleased to present Awards of Excellence to the following purebred animals:

Sire Awards: *Wedderlie Mardi Gras LOM/AOE owned by Family Partners and Liseter Cadet LOM/AOE owned by Guy and Helen Clardy.

Dam Awards: CC Serenade LOM/AOE owned by Rollingwoods Farm and Goldhills Mystique LOM/AOE/OD owned by Jackie and Gerald Verkuyl.

Individual Awards of Excellence went to Goldhills Hot Mocha LOM/AOE owned by the Verkuyls, Goldhills Master Bronze LOM/AOE owned by Carrie MacWhorter, Goldhills Maverick LOM/AOE owned by Kimberly Boyd and North Forks Lady Violet LOM/AOE owned by Cindy DiBrino.

Posh Oh, You Beautiful Doll! AOH owned by Cindy DiBrino received an individual Award of Honour as did Winter Hill Wish You Were Here owned by Mary Dahlin. *Friars Sion AOH owned by Spur Run Farm, Inc. was awarded a Sire Award of Honour.

In addition to the above lifetime awards, a record number of twenty three purebred animals were awarded Legions of Merit. Congratulations to these well-deserving animals and owners! Further information about these awards and the recipients can be found at www.welshpony.org.

WPCSA holds Successful Fund Raising Auctions.
Fundraising at this year’s annual meeting reached a new level, due to the energy of WPCSA members. The annual Live and Silent auctions were both great successes, raising well over $3,000 due to generous donors and bidders. Auction coordinator, Martha Stover, reports, “I am always amazed at the generosity of our members. Most of our members want to be part of helping the Society in some way and we are grateful that we have seen this through an increase in the number of donations over the last few years.” WPCSA member Gretchen Aiken of Family Partners Welsh Ponies in Riddle, Oregon spearheaded and managed a wildly successful on-line Stallion Auction which raised an unprecedented amount - over $12,000 - for the Society. More than 40 Welsh stallion breedings were listed and bid on through the web during the auction’s week-long duration. Gretchen stayed up well past midnight on the closing date to finalize and calculate all of the results. Once again, member generosity reigned supreme, and we thank Gretchen as well as all of the stallion owners and bidders for participating in this worthwhile effort for the Society.

2013 Annual Meeting Location Announced.
The Society encourages its members and anyone interested in Welsh ponies or cobs to make plans to attend the next annual meeting in Portland, Oregon during February, 2013.