The 2006 SA Welsh & Riding Pony Foal Show has now been running for over ten years. Held in the picturesque grounds of Hazelmere Homestead at Echunga in the Adelaide Hills it is always a pleasure to attend.

Foal shows are always great fun for exhibitor and spectators alike – an opportunity to have a ‘sneak preview’ of the year’s up and coming youngsters as well as to give the littlies their first taste of what is to come in their future careers as show ponies.

The 2006 show was destined to be one of the best SA Foal Shows ever – with some of the highest levels of sponsorship and support experienced in the history of the show. Dress rugs made by Rags 4 Nags were presented as prizes to all Champion Foals – thanks to Wesswood Stud, Braefoot Park Stud, Rags 4 Nags, Arinlea Stud, Ridgeview Park Stud, Rubywood Coloured Ponies, Ke-anbree Stud, Horsepoint E-News and Rivington Stud.

Horse Deals also provided enormous support – donating Horse Deals rugby jumpers to all Champions, Horse Deals polo shirts to all Reserve Champions and Horse Deals caps to all class winners.

Kildaire Enterprises provided stunning rosettes for both Supreme Champion Welsh and Supreme Champion Riding Pony Foal and also kindly donated a Filly Slip for Reserve Supreme Welsh Foal.

Kinsbrook Stud imported stunning rosettes from the United Kingdom which were presented to all Champion and Reserve Riding Pony Foals.

Weightlifter kindly donated bags of feed for both Reserve Supreme Foals.

Stunning trophies were donated by Horseland Adelaide and Wynara Stud and who could forget the much admired diamante browbands donated by Winners Circle Browbands – they were presented to the Braefoot Park Summer Cruise and Braefoot Park Songbird – the winners of the Owners Pair.

Other sponsors included Narelle Arbon, Drewlynd Stud, Belron Stud, Allinga Park Stud, Mistwood Stud, Corumbene Stud, Magic 105.9 the Hit Music Station and Classic Hits 5CS 1044

Entries for the show were good – with a very high standard of foals being exhibited. In the Welsh ring, the depth and strength of the Rivington Stud’s breeding program really showed with both the Champion Welsh A and Champion Welsh B foals carrying the Rivington prefix. Not only that, the sire of the Champion and Reserve Welsh A foals was Rivington Spring Rain with the sire of Champion and Reserve Welsh B foals being Rivington Sunmist. The Best Welsh in Hand Foal was Rivington Windchime with Reserve Best Welsh in Hand going to the lovely Welsh D colt Pen-nant Johnny Be Good.

The Riding Pony ring saw some really typey foals strutting their stuff. The Supreme Champion Riding Pony Foal went to the exquisite little bay filly Braefoot Park Songbird. Braefoot Park Songbird is by the beautiful young stallion Royalwood Boy Soprano. I have a suspicion that we will be seeing a lot more of this little filly in the winners circle very soon as she really was all quality! Champion Riding Pony Colt and Reserve Supreme Champion Riding Pony Foal went to the super elegant Langtree Versailles colt Braefoot Park Summer Cruise.

All in all a great day was had by all – I think you would have been hard pressed to find someone who didn’t go home without a prize – a huge thanks again to the sponsors.

photos by Sarah Barker are available for purchase - click here to contact Sarah