The Annual Breed Show held at New Park Brockenhurst over the Bank Holiday weekend started the show with the Stallion day on the Saturday. Full credit must be given to the contractors at New Park who had done a brilliant job in restoring the ground following the quagmire of the New Forest Show some 5 weeks earlier.

Class 1 for New Forest run stallions judged by Susan Shaw saw an unprecedented 1st, 2nd & 3rd for Lovelyhill Stud with Lovelyhill Gliding High taken top honours from his half brothers, Lovelyhill Cranbourne Heights 2nd and Lovelyhill High Jack 3rd. All 3 stallions are out of the same Dam Yewtree On High. Class 2 was won by Heidi Whetren's  Bay 6yo Brookshill Royal. Messrs. R & J Stride took the 2 & 3 yo class with Rushmoor Huntley an attractive black stallion by Furzey Lodge Zennica. In the Championship Susan Shaw had Lovelyhill Gliding High Champion with Brookshill Royal Reserve. It is always a pleasure to see the forest run stallions looking so well considering that they have spent most of the spring and summer out in the open forest covering mares and most would not look out of place in the stud stallion classes.

Lovelyhill Gliding High Winner of Class 1 New Forest Run Stallions

The stud stallion classes were judged by Mr David Sykes and as usual were full of some quality ponies. Mr Sykes chose Mr & Mrs Large's Dark Brown stallion Willoway Minstral ahead of Sabina's Gold Soveriegn in the stud stallion 4yo old and over. Willoway Minstral went on to claim the stud stallion championship. John & Wendy Adams and a poignant win in the yearling colt class with Hollybrooke Rambler, a delightful bay colt having lost his young sire Burley Traveller earlier this year in a freak accident. Hollybrooke Rambler went on to take the Youngstock Championship ahead of Nick Williams’s Bay Colt Woodrow Easter who won the 2 & 3 yo colt class.

Hollybrooke Rambler Yearling Colt winner of the Youngstock Championship

This year saw a new class for the show; Veteran Stallions (14 years and over )which was won by Sandra Kilford's 20 year old Stallion Luckington Sportaide who looked wonderful with  his coat gleaming in the sunshine. Sportaide has produced some quality offspring over the years for the Furzley Stud. One of his sons Furzley Charaide took the Novice Stallion Championship for his delighted rider Cath Harrison and on the Monday his daughter Brakenhurst Shooting Star owned by Sally Wiggins won the yearling filly class.

Farriers Finger Print Winner of Class 11b - Open Ridden Stallions exceeding 138cms

The ridden stallion classes were judged by Pat Campbell. In the forest bred and Forest run Ridden class she chose Mandy & Pete Pidgley black stallion Longcopse Elton above Lovelyhill Cranborne Heights, who collected the Mockbeggar Cup for the 4th year running ridden by Lynden Barrow as he was the higest placed forest run stallion ahead of James & Trudi Nineham’s Brock Buckingham in 3rd. Longcopse Elton went on to stand Champion Forest Bred Ridden. Elton has had a successful season and won the Forest Bred Championship at the New Forest show and has just achieved his level 3 dressage grade.

In the small stallions ridden section Woodrow Portman ridden by Lucy Booth gave their trademark ground covering gallop to clinch the section ahead of Longcopse Elton. In the 13.2 over section the eyecatching grey stallion Farriers Finger print owned & bred by Shirley & Simon Young took top spot ahead of Sabina's Gold Sovereign. Finger Print went on to take the Ridden Stallion Championship with Sabinas Gold Sovereign in reserve

With an inviting WHP course for the novice stallion classes, Peveril Pendragon made the most of the space with a hunting like pace to clinch the novice workers class, despite a wrong lead in his show ahead of Lovelyhill Cranborne Heights in 2nd & 3rd placed Wayland Mulberry.

The WHP Championship judged by Cindy Sims was won by Sabina’s Gold Nugget owned and bred by Sabine Andree-Parsons and ridden by Gail Meaker. Gold Nugget is a son of the famous Peveril Peterbourough and is certainly demonstrating his father’s aptitude for jumping. Wayland Loganberry was reserve, owned and bred by Mary Bryant and ridden by Caroline Saker. Caroline has produced this pony from a 4yo and regularly competes in affiliated eventing and dressage.

Sunday – Ridden Day

With huge entries forward in the Novice Ridden Classes they were split into 3 sections. Following, Judge Mrs Kerry Humble's initial line up in the large novice section, there was a reshuffle after it was realised the winning pony, Crawlands Snap Dragon, was in the wrong section to award first place to Canford Cavalier owned by Kate & Donna Croucher with Kay Bailey’s Applewitch Clairvoyant in second place. Crawlands Snap Dragon, ridden by Grace Harvey, after a foot perfect show clinched section b of the Large Novices. In the 13.2 & Under Novice ridden, the winner was the  Willoway stud’s  Willoway Memory, a charming bay mare by Woodrow Prince Harry who defied her 4 years by giving a balanced and free moving individual show more akin to an open pony. After a gallop which would put a good hunter to shame, Willoway Memory clinched the Novice ridden Championship ahead of Trudi Nineham’s & James Young’s Trenley Tabatha.

With 48 entries in the forest bred ridden the class was split and Nick Williams chose Rushmoor Peterpod, owned and ridden by Lynn Hughes as the winner of the small section. This black gelding was bought by Lynn at the Beaulieu Road Sales as an unbroken entire. Moorcorner Minstrel II won the 13.2 & over section. Moorcorner Minstrel bred by Sue Niccols and owned by Mrs Pound and Mrs Parker, also bought from Beaulieu Road Sales, has won this class for 5 consecutive years. On the Monday Minstrell added the forest bred 4yo & over In hand class to his tally of wins.

Rushmoor Peter Pod Winner of Class 39a - Forest Bred Ridden not exceeding 138cms

Jade Palmer produced a lovely individual show, proving her showmanship to defy her 11 years to claim the First Ridden Class on her own Purkiss Summer Breeze.

During a quick break in the WHP rings and a light hearted moment from the seriousness of showing, President of the NFPB&CS Susan Shaw was given the unenviable task of judging the Fancy Dress which evidently by looking at some of the elaborate costumes had meant late nights of sewing for most mothers of the entrants. All were worthy of the first place rosette but Foxhills Mini Me dressed as a race horse ‘Dusty Rag’ “Never to have been Beaten” and ridden by her 19 mth old Jockey Honor Humble with, fellow jockeys, supporting race farrier Jack Reeves 7 years, team trainer Shirley Young & race mascot Crumb the Jack Russell puppy (9 weeks), took first place closely followed by Fiona King from the Greencottage Stud  as Winnie the pooh and accompanying Tigger & eyeore.

It was nice to see 6 Driving entries for the Private Driving & Marathon driving which was won by Pauline Black with her own Burley Rumour and acting whip Ben Orchard (16yrs). Their were some fresh faces to the driving class with Brian and Angie Wilson driving their forest run stallion Bakeburn Benny to an exercise trap on their debut in driven classes.

Sunnydale Marmaduke Winner of Class 26 - Novice Jumping Top Score

Rodlease Jubilation made a successful first attempt at Working Hunters by winning the Novice Championship and Lucy Booth made the long trip from Cornwall worthwhile when partnering her Willoway Harrison to win the open WHP Championship.

Rodlease Jubilation Winner of Class 19 - Novice Working Hunter Pony not exceeding 138cms Photo by Horsepower Photography

Later in the afternoon Harrison won the 138cm & over section b of the Open ridden. With some quality ponies forward in the Ridden Championship, everyone eagerly awaited Judge Pat Campbell’s decision for the coverted Olympia ticket which was awarded to the ridden stallion champion from Saturday, Farriers Fingerprint much to the delight of his rider/owner/breeder Shirley Young and all their supporters. This will be the stallions first visit to the prestigious London Show held in December but the stallion is on good form having clinched the NFU Mountain & Moorland Championship at NPS some 3 weeks earlier. Farriers Fingerprint was also awarded the Owner/ Rider Championship and NPS Silver Medal. Reserve to Farriers Fingerprint was Willoway Memory.

In Hand Day Monday

On the third and final day of the show and probably the busiest day,  beautiful New Forest Ponies filled each ring and it was a tough decision to know which classes to watch.

As ever the gelding classes were well filled leaving Judge Lyn Belcher all morning to judge the 5 classes. Longcopse Elton was the sire of  the winner of the yearling gelding, Picket Post Pickled Pete owned by Rohays Gray and Mr & Mrs Pidgley’s Haywards Enigma winner of the 3yo class.  Mrs M Dewdney’s eyecatching pure white grey Merrie Monksilver won the 138cm & over Gelding class and went on to take the Gelding Championship to claim the Fijal Trophy.

On her first judging appointment at the breed show Mrs Beckman from Sweden was asked, along with Miss Dionis Macnair to judge the filly classes. As always these classes hosted the crème of New Forest fillies giving visitors from home and abroad the chance to see the very best mares and fillies in all their show splendour. It was interesting to note that many of the winners of the filly classes were forest bred beating their stud counterparts. Spotlight, owned by Robert Maton by Lovelyhill Uplift claimed the 3yo filly class, Vipersvale Bezique a bay 2yo filly by Buckland Dragonslayer winner of the 2yo class and Jimmy Haynes’s Glenbeech Rusty Girl winner of the yearling section, by Lovelyhill Hometouch all these fillies were forest bred. Glenbeech Rusty Girl went on to take the overall Filly Championship ahead of  Amy Howell’s stud bred filly by Applewitch Pure Magic, Ramnor Magic Lady in reserve. Glenbeech Rusty Girl’s winning streak continued in the afternoon when she won the forest bred yearlings class and took the Youngstock Championship winning the Weirs Cup.

It was nice to see the Small Pony classes well supported with quality entries forward for Mrs Adams to Judge.  Highfox Hermione by Wanstead Tarquin Moon owned by young Miss Phillipa Hadwin from Yorkshire, shown by her mother Dianne won the potential leading rein class ahead of Burley Hollyberry with Burley Petal 3rd. Both fillies are by Gill Wright’s stallion Burley Showman, who made his ridden breed show debut on the Saturday. Proving small is beautiful Gill Wrights Tiptoe Holly a bay roan mare standing just under 12 hands won the Novice Broodmare Class beating Trudi & James Youngs Brock Baccarat into 2nd place who went on to win the forest bred broodmare class.

Tiptoe Holly Winner of Class 75 - Novice Broodmare not exceeding 138cms

The Open broodmares not exceeding 138cms had 7 entered but only one forward which was disappointing. Mallards Wood Goddess owned and bred by Robert maton collected the first rosette. This forest bred mare by Monkshorn Trooper had a much admired Dun filly foal at foot by Burley Dunedin and went on to claim the Filly Foal Class.

Her mother Goddess, not to be out beaten by her daughter took the overall Forest Bred Championship ahead of Lovelyhill Gliding-High, the owner breeder championship again ahead of Gliding - High and stood reserve Supreme of Show to Ashley Corriander.

Mallards Wood Delphi Winner of Class 81 - Filly Foal

Mallards wood Goddess was reserve supreme in 2004, perhaps next year the supreme is hers but for this year the day belonged to Miss Emma Collis’s Ashley Corriander shown by her father Arthur Collis. Corriander won the large broodmare class ahead of June Withams Woodrow delights Double to claim her place in the mare Championship which she won and went on to take the Supreme Champion of Show judged by Mrs J Macinnes. This wonderful stamp of a new forest pony broodmare with a leg at each corner and a lovely deep girth was bred by Mr & Mrs W O Dibden and is by Katric Capers out of Ashley Elena. Corriander has been having a good season having taken the Royal Show Championship earlier in July and winning at the National Pony Society Championship show. Her colt foal at foot by Dorridge Top Button also won the Colt foal class and went on to take the foal championship so it was definitely time to celebrate in the Collis family camp.

Photos by Kerry Humble