Action Pony Day 2008
Threatening low temperatures and rain of the previous day miraculously stayed away for our second Action Day at the Elcho Park grounds at Lara that provide a wide expanse of grass, safe fenced areas and seven!!!
Dressage arenas for our event.
Thanks to all APSB members and non member Open class participants who dramatically increased our attendance figures and provided a wide range of ponies of many different breeds.
All ponies, whatever their breed, were there for one reason – to show what they could do under saddle as performance ponies!!
The variety of classes offers plenty of opportunity for ponies to have a go! And the smiles on faces certainly told us the riders found it good fun too. The Action Day committee would like to apologize for some confusion regarding changes to the dressage ring numbering which caused some consternation early on but fortunately all entrants in dressage tests were accommodated by the close of the dressage arenas. By its nature the Action Day is a busy day with much to fit in but the message is “let the stewards know if you cannot make a class and they will certainly do their utmost to help”.
Seven New Forest ponies and one part bred New Forest entered the 2008 Action Day with many excellent placings to their credit in all phases. The best Performed New Forest pony was won by an unlikely contender Ninebanks Tim Tam whose rider for the Action Day, Jordy Wright, introduced him to jumping in the 3 weeks prior to the event.(just shows you those New Forest’s really do have it when it comes to jumping!) Jordy and Tim Tam blitzed the field winning all three of their dressage tests and their showjumping with creditable performances in working hunter and handymount.
The Native Pony class was also a credit the New Forests with five exceedingly well presented ponies entered. Chis Hartigan judged the ridden section and Scott McGregor (recently returned from judging in the UK) judged the in hand section. The New Forest winner, Lauren Farquhar’s Habafield Cricket, went on the take the Native Pony mare or gelding Championship with the second placegetter Ninebanks Tim Tam taking the Reserve Champion. Yes New Forest ponies took out both titles for mares or geldings against all other breeds on the day. Other breeds participating were Shetland, Dartmoor, Welsh A, Welsh B, Australian, Connemara and Highland.
New Forest ponies were very well represented in the Working Hunter taking advantage of the new Working Hunter course of rustic jumps cleverly constructed by APSB committee person Joy Jones and her husband Ron of Edgewood Pony Stud. Tessa Whitfort had a great time on Kantallis Anson winning two Working Hunter classes. She really looks like she enjoys her jumping with a big smile at each jump.
New to the APSB was Partbred New Forest Shady Creek Maybe ridden by Ellyssia Watts from Bairnsdale whocut her performance teeth on Habafield Pick a Beau now ably ridden and enjoyed by Jaklan Watts who also did well at the ASPR Challenge the following day.
Our dedicated photographer Glenn Crook took some great action shots