Tulsa, Okla. – The Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America (WPCSA) wrapped up their prestigious American National Show last week, where the riders and horses celebrated the show’s 50th anniversary in Tulsa, Okla. From September 26-30, Expo Square at the Tulsa State Fair played host to over 220 ponies and cobs competing in 400 classes and a variety of disciplines. Divisions included halter, driving, hunter, English and Western pleasure, children’s, and more.
These elite equine athletes impressed judges Cecile K. Hetzel Dunn (Weirsdale, Fla.), George M. Maxwell (Colts Neck, N.J.), and Clare Willis-Burton (Masham, United Kingdom) throughout the week, making for a highly competitive fight for the title of champion.
Select performance divisions at the American National were rated as USEF Competition Lite. Points earned in the Competition Lite classes count towards the USEF Horse of the Year (HOTY) awards for the 2018 competition year.
Ten US Equestrian high point champions were crowned at the American National. Driving high point honors went to NiStar Blazing Kansas, Cynthia Bellis-Jones’s 14-year-old stallion, in the small category and Cadlanvalley Advocaat, Jaime Picton and Lisa Conian’s six-year-old stallion, in the medium/large category.
High point champions in the pleasure division included adult pleasure champion Holyoake Copper-field, Kimberly and Matt Boyd’s 15-year-old stallion; junior pleasure champion Helicon Buccaneer, Molly Rinedollar’s 21-year-old gelding; cob pleasure champion Goldhills Ghirardelli Dark, Gerald and Jackie Verkuyl’s eight-year-old stallion; and half-Welsh/part bred champion Sa-Lyn’s Kenley Trademark, Haylee Scandell’s seven-year-old Hanoverian/Welsh stallion.
High point junior hunter honors went to Hershey’s Blue Dixie Danube, Kimberly Brunson’s 13-year-old mare, in the small category and Helicon Buccaneer in the medium/large category. Farmore Rumor Has It, Tammy Burgin-Reitzell’s seven-year-old gelding, earned the adult hunter high point title and Sa-Lyn’s Kenley Trademark won the half-Welsh hunter high point title.
The American National was packed with fun, as well as competition, with special events including an ice cream social, exhibitor’s party, pizza party and games for youth exhibitors, and a silent auction hosted by the Oklahoma-Kansas Welsh Pony Society.
The Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America is a recognized affiliate of US Equestrian. Keep up with the American National Show by following WPCSA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Find out more about Welsh Ponies, Welsh Cobs, and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video. Join the conversation and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.
Photo by: Kellye Bussey Photography