There's much more to annual stud show than just the classes
GOING to the Victorian Stud Show is like going to a school reunion. Go away for 20 years and come back and the same familiar faces are showing the descendants of their original ponies. There’s laughter and familiarity among the older people, while their kids and grandkids run the ponies out or show them in hand.
The Saturday night dinner at the Geelong Showgrounds was filled with “remember when” stories and – apart from the serious business of showing stud ponies – the children’s classes were well supported and the kids had a ball.
Lady Creswick may have passed on but her stud name continued with the lovely mares Nattai River Magic and Nattai Rivet Telstar (owned and shown by Andrew Cocker, Meagan Jones and Darrell Owen) named as champion and reserve champion Welsh Mountain fillies.
The Supreme Welsh in hand and Supreme Ridden APSB Exhibit was Scarlett and Ashley Porter’s Section C mare, Yarrandale Airlee. The Welsh C and D are really making their names under saddle, especially for dressage. Bamborough Jeremiah owned by sue Ellen Latham and Debbie Dykes was champion Welsh pony gelding, with the Bamborough prefix being another long time name in breeding Welsh.
The supreme Connemara was the Howe family’s imported Irish stallion Castle Caesar. The five-year-old grey made his first Australian showing debut at the show and he is simply beautiful.
All the Connemara on show were well up to their breed standard. The reserve champion was Dianne Collins’ nine-month-old colt Capell Park Johnnie Boy, another with a really big future.
Karen Parrish’s supreme Dartmoor mare, Outlook Rejoice, is a breed not seen much in Australia, but she is a dainty, perfect type of pony for a child. Capably shown by Jahnae Parrish she also won the foal futurity.
Supreme New Forest was the stallion Habafield Debonaire, which also won the championship for Ridden New Forest Pony.
The supreme third generation Australian pony and supreme Native Pony was the classic Koora-Lynn Aladdin owned by the Robinson family and Joy O’Hagen.
The Robinsons had another win with Canyon Wisteria as the best Australian pony filly, a pony they share with one of the best loved people of the show ring, Margie Whyte.
Vanoca Park Lou Lou owned by Vanoca Park was champion led Welsh pony filly and champion led native pony filly. Julie and Rodney Hewat’s Mirinda Miss Mink is so typical of the Keston Royal occasion line and was named supreme led APSB Riding Pony.
Shetlands were light in numbers, possibly due to the All Shetland show only run a couple of weeks prior, but the supreme Shetland, Dunavon Rochelle owned by Shane Diamond, was a lovely, well- balanced pony. Lee Purchase’ showed the champion Shetland gelding Glen Arden Tulloch.
The Supreme coloured exhibit was John Suters’ colt Learmme Bailey.
Supreme APSB partbred, supreme led show hunter and supreme ridden show hunter all went to Shae Wishart’s Porscha.
In the ridden section, the committee worked hard to give competitors more than just one class.
Apart from breed classes there were show hunters, newcomers and home-produced as well as open.
Champion leading rein/first ridden was Scarlet and Ashley Porter’s Vanoca Park Thyme Out and supreme ridden APSB registry exhibit was Gracie Humphreys’s Karlana Royal Chatter.
ABOVE:
1. The Cameron family’s Asham Hazy Fletch was champion Show hunter gelding, champion newcomer and champion ridden Connemara.
2. Champion Shetland Pony stallion Donna Irvine’s Otway View Haakon.
3. Shae Wishart’s Porcha was supreme ridden show hunter (Gary Hartigan Memorial Trophy)
4. Jane Gerber’s Falconhurst Showpiece was champion ridden Shetland and Chesapeake Park Highlander was champion ridden native stallion.
ALL IMAGES by TONI McLUSKEY OF EQUINE PROMOTIONS AUSTRALIA
GALLERY
(Click any image to expand)
Stories on The Regional’s website are free to read and always will be.
If you enjoyed this article you can show your support by joining our mailing list (either by filling out the form below or sending us a message).
We'd also get very excited if you put a "like" on our Facebook page.
Comments