Annual New Forest Breed Show
New Park, Brockenhurst, Hampshire - A ringside seat.
Fingerprint was winner of the Ridden Stallion 13.2hh and over class and Champion ridden stallion.
He is now qualified to compete at the NPS Baileys Ridden Mountain & Moorland class Championship at Olympia.
Photos taken by Sandra.
Stallion Day was held on 25 August , the Breed Show extending over the 26th and 27th of August (bank holiday weekend) at New Park, Brockenhurst, Hampshire.
Image Gallery - Click on an image for a larger preview
The grounds are vast and green, the atmosphere is more like an agricultural show, and hundreds of people attend.
There are four rings and classes are divided between forest run stallions and stud stallions, in excess of 100 colts and stallions attended. In the ring everyone is very relaxed, friendly rivalry with a sense of humour prevails.
Many more men show the ponies and the dress code is sensible and traditional, the exhibitors do not look as though they are about to spend a day at the races.
In total there were 14 stallion and colt classes with 10 to 20 in each class.
Sunday 26th August was Ridden day with 23 classes and Monday 27th, In-hand day with 40 classes.
There were hundreds of ponies, trucks and floats galore, in total 284 exhibitors.
The scale in comparison to Australia is massive. In the yearling filly class alone there were 37 entries the class had to be split.
Forest bred broodmare over 4 years had 19 entries, Gelding 2 years old, 26 entries and so it went on.
Yes there were some magnificent ponies, generally taller than ours with better rear ends, having said that we would have held our own.
The line up at the 2007 APSB Stud Show said it all.
It was good to catch up with Barbara Styles (Fijal Stud), Betty Haycock (Peveril Stud), Avril Darnton (Rodlease Stud) and Mary Bryant (Wayland Stud) to name a few.
As always Kay and Allan were wonderful hosts, the weather was superb, we ate and drank too much and had a great time.