Summit Welsh

2004 Western Canadian Classic All Breed Pony Show

Braveheart - Supreme Champion
2004 All Breed Pony Show (Canada)

Since I last updated my Farm News, I have been working away from my home and my beloved ponies for over a year. I have been close enough to be able to return home for short weekends unless I was working the 10 hour six days a week shifts. At least the foals (and lambs) were all courteous enough to be born when I was home. I have been incredibly fortunate to have found reliable help throughout this year. Especially when the person who excelled in caring for my ponies turned out to be my significant other, Mark, who moved in this past summer and took over the reins .

I missed my WHOLE pony show season last year. The only event I was able to attend was a juding clinic put on in Okotoks, Canada. Les Partridge of Rosedale Stud and Edwin Prosser of the Mintfield Stud came over from Britain and I REALLY did not want to miss the opportunity to visit with them AND to have them see some of my ponies. This was a follow up to a visit the previous fall from Lorraine Partridge while she visited Pat Clay. I truly value what they all had to say and appreciated the pictures they brought with them. Not to mention all the laughs we had. The ponies that I took to the clinic to be evaluated did quite nicely, so the stressful trip was well worth it on that end too.

Okay, I cannot lie. I did attend one more event last year-the local Mane Event Equine Expo. My ponies did a good job of representing the Section B Welsh. I took a mare and foal, a 2 year old and 2 stallions! I rode Shimmer in a "starting over fences" demonstration with Morgan Carr and also in the Breed presentation. Braveheart was used in a demonstration with Chris Irwin. People still come up to me and ask me about the ponies they saw at the Expo. It is great exposure for the Welsh breed in this area.

One of the blessings that I received in 2005 was getting to work/play with Linnea Hoaglund of Poetry and Motion photography. She took the stunning pictures of Shimmer in western tack and she became enamored with Welsh ponies (who wouldn't). We took descriptive photos of my ponies, but my favorite shots are the ones she took that show my ponies in their honest (not posed) magnificence and the story of my relationship with them. I had no idea how happy I look when I am around my ponies. I guess they really do feed my soul. And that is what I feel Linnea captured-the essense of me and my ponies. Her work is throughout this website and I can't thank her enough for opening my eyes in yet another way to see my ponies.

So now what? Well, to say that I have a strong reaction to not being able to show last year is an understatement. My intentions are to show at every s how this year within a relatively decent distance. I'll do some open showing locally as well. I am looking forward to showing some ponies that missed out last year.

Wait, what about work-you know, the stuff that lets me afford to go to these shows. I will be finishing my electrical apprenticeship at the end of May and will take my journeyman's test at that time. After that, there is quite a bit of local work for me to take part in. Of course, there is nothing quite as unique as the Level 4 Biohazard Lab that I have been helping on since last June.

Even though I was not home much, my ponies proved that there does not have to be too much intervention in the breeding barn. We ar e expecting 5 foals in 2006-many of which are quite special. Delight is expecting Shimmer's last foal from before his gelding. And I tried my hand for the first time at AI breeding. Thank GOD for some local professional help and Amy Schwartz's relationship with Cornell University. When it was all said and done, Cassie is indeed in foal to Dollhouse Moonshadow. I also had Star ultrasounded at approximately 60 days so we got to give sex determination a try. Looks like a boy! There will be foals starting in early April and happening until the end of July. At least that gives me time to play with the babies individually for a bit between foalings.

There is so much I can think of to add to this page, but I expect people will have more interest in my ponies than in my ramblings. So onward and upward, for now. I hope you enjoy my ponies and my website. Thank you for your time! YATES

Links

All Welsh Enthusiasts
Elkhorn Farms
Helicon Sport Ponies
Lascaux Welsh
Pajon Ponies
Wilde - R Farm

Website Maintenance by Two Hugz DZines.

FastCounter by bCentral

Read my Dreambook!
Sign my Dreambook!

Welsh Pony and Cob WebRing
[Prev] [Next] random [List Sites] Webring provided by Willow Gate Farm