From Cornwall to South Shields and from the Isle of Wight to Scotland, New Forest ponies and their riders were out and about during 2007, competing in disciplines ranging from driving to Le Trec, and side-saddle to BE Intro eventing, gathering points for the annual Ringwood Brewery New Forest Performance Pony Competition. Dressage was a particularly strong category this year.

The winner was a familiar face, the doyenne of this competition, Lucy Booth from Cornwall, with yet another win, this year riding Willoway Harrison. They won the Golden Gorse cup for most points gained, the Merrie Cup for the Owner Ridden, and the WHP Tankard, befitting for a pony which was WHP champion at the Breed Show. Lucy somehow also found the time to compete the novice Woodrow Liberty and rode her into third place, gaining the 2nd Novice rosette and the Lomondside Trophy for the best Owner Bred.

Splitting Lucy's two rides was the very promising 12-year-old junior rider Claudia Claydon on Chyvounder Rock n Roll in their first attempt at this competition. This pony was bred and based in Cornwall, when in October 2006 Mrs Claydon was the first prospective buyer to spot him on an internet sales site. She immediately flew down to view him, bought him on the spot and he was delivered a few days later to his new home in Scotland. Claudia and 'Rocky' quickly established themselves as a formidable partnership in their first competitive season in 2007. A member of the Duke of Buccleuch branch of the Pony Club, they also compete side-saddle and displayed a talent for dressage. They joined BYRDS and were selected for the Scottish team at the Home International where they earned a 4th individual placing. They have been awarded the 1st Novice rosette, the Junior Prize, the Dressage Tankard, and Toby Versatility Tankard.

The next three positions were taken by previous rosette winners in this competition. Alicia Stay and Merrie Magnusson must compete in just about every equestrian event held on the Isle of Wight and then go off to the P(UK) championships for their summer holidays, and have been rewarded with the Show Jumping Cup for their efforts. The stallion Wayland Loganberry ridden by Caroline Saker, last year's winner, slipped down the order this year, but only because he now competes as an individual at such a high level in eventing and dressage and so did not compete on the Enthusiasts' teams. Mother and daughter Shirley Young and Martine Reeves shared the ride on another stallion Farriers Fingerprint in showing and dressage, and devoted a huge amount of time to the Enthusiasts Club's Quadrille.

Another northern-based junior rider to do very well in her first attempt at this competition was Christine Kelly from Tyne and Wear with Brookshill Morning Glory, who took the Woody Woodpecker Trophy for the best Forest-bred pony. It was good to have two 'specialist' ponies also having a go, the driving pony Burley Rumour and our top Trec competitor Rhinefield Impulse, who also does some endurance. Neither pony has the time to compete across a wider range of disciplines that would push them up the placings, but Burley Rumour takes the Out of Town Trophy for the best Driving pony, with Junior Whip Ben Orchard helped by Pauline Black. We are most pleased to have our first entry in the new section of this competition for part-bred ponies, with Isle of Wight-based Jennifer Attrill scoring very well on Stafford Angelus, to win the Stafford Tankard, kindly presented by the Hon Mrs P C Baillie, who bred Angelus!