The Welsh Breed
Our Farm and the Welsh Breeds

We have been involved with Welsh ponies since 1992 when we acquired a Section A mare, Madoc May Fete, for our daughters to event and Pony Club. May proved herself to be a wonderful teacher for both our girls and when they outgrew her, she was trained to drive and later bred. She was the first of our herd and today reigns in retirement as our senior mare. Our second Welsh was a Cob, Mary's St. Patrick, whose huge jump and lightening speed made him a dynamite event horse. After retiring from eventing, he competed successfully in combined driving, and today at age 22, still sound, foxhunts with the Brazos Valley Hunt.

What we discovered with May and Paddy were the qualities of great endurance, keen intelligence, and a toughness that has enabled these wonderful ponies to flourish today as they did for centuries in the rough terrain and sparse vegetation of their native Wales. It is those performance qualities, along with quiet, cooperative, child-worthy dispositions, that we seek to produce in our breeding program, which is based on the best of imported and domestic bloodlines.

The original sport pony

The Welsh breeds have long been appreciated in the UK where they are prized as elegant carriage and riding horses and as crosses for quality sport horses. In the United States, purebred Welsh and Welsh crossbreds have long dominated the pony hunter ranks. Today sport pony fanciers are discovering their aptitude for dressage, combined driving and show jumping. In these demanding sports, their athleticism, trainability and intelligence make the Welsh breeds perfect for competitive adults.

The range of Welsh breeds from the smaller mountain ponies to the larger cobs is reflected in the Welsh Pony and Cob Society’s four registration categories or sections:

Section A – The Welsh Mountain Pony may not exceed 12.2hh.

Section B – The Welsh Pony may not exceed 14.2hh.

Section C – The Welsh Pony of Cob Type, which does not exceed 13.2hh.

Section D – The Welsh Cob exceeds 13.2hh, but has no upper limit on height, though most measure between 14 and 15hh.

Today all Welsh Ponies and Welsh Cobs are descended directly and entirely from animals registered with the Welsh Pony and Cob Society in Wales. Their athletic ability and versatile nature have enabled them to do all that is asked of them.

Our ponies and cobs are national winners in hand, under saddle, and in harness. We believe that breeding animals must prove themselves as competition animals in order to pass on the qualities of type, temperament, and performance that we value in this wonderful breed.

For more information about the Welsh breeds, visit the official website of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America: http://www.welshpony.org. Or read any of the following books by Welsh authority Wynne Davis:

    • An Introduction to Welsh Ponies and Cobs
    • Welsh Ponies and Cobs
    • The Welsh Cob
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