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 The Welsh Pony & Cob (Section C and D)Height Up to 13.2hh for Section Cs, Section Ds are over 13.2hh with no upper height limit. Colour Any colour except skewbald, piebald and spotted. Build Body should be strong and muscular, with good heart room and well sprung ribs. Back and loins should be strong and well coupled. Shoulders should be strong and well sloped. Neck should be lengthy and well carried. Head should be ponylike, with good breadth across the forehead and neat inwardly curving ears. Legs should have a good length of forearm, cannons should be short with plenty of dense flat bone. A moderate amount of silky feather at the fetlock. Hooves should be well shaped and dense. Movement Free, true and active with ample knee action, the foreleg should be extended straight from the shoulder and as far forward as possible in the trot. Hocks should be flexed well under under the body. Trimming rules for showing Manes and tails must not be plaited, with the exception of a single plait behind the ear. Working ponies may be body clipped only. History A Section C is a Welsh Mountain Pony of Cob Type, and Section D is the Welsh Cob. The main difference between the two is size as detailed above. The Welsh Pony of Cob Type resulted from a crossbreeding between the Welsh Mountain Pony and the Welsh Cob. The Welsh Cob was probably the result of a crossbreeding between the Welsh Mountain Pony and the horses brought by the Romans to Britain. Other breeds thought to have cob breeding were the Norfolk Roadster, the Hackney and and Yorkshire Coach Horse. Welsh ponies have run wild on the hills, valleys and mountains of Wales for centuries; over the years the Welsh ponies developed into several different types. Farmers and shepherds who needed a fast mount that could easily traverse the rough terrain favoured the larger ponies, the smaller ponies were used extensively in the coalmines in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is said the Welsh Cobs earliest domestic duty would have been as a mount for knights, fighting alongside the mighty warhorses known as destriers. A good trot was essential; the cobs would have had to match the destriers stride for stride on the battlefield. In 1485, Henry Tudor came to the throne of England; with the aid of the Welsh Militia, mounted on their swift and hardy Welsh Cobs. In the aftermath of the industrial revolution, the Welsh Cob was a popular form of transport for those who had to travel for business. From there a whole industry emerged, with trotting races a popular method of selecting the best bloodlines when breeding ponies for transport. In South Wales, a 35 mile uphill route was used, many ponies would complete the race in under three hours. It is thought that the most popular type of cob of today emerged form Cardiganshire, South Wales. This type of cob was less of a leaner riding type, having descended from the type more suited to haulage work. This latter type of cob was of large build, with ample strength; they also had hair on their fetlocks. The first stud book was produced in 1902, the Welsh registry listed the Welsh Pony of Cob Type as Section B (12:2hh to 13:2hh), and the Welsh Cob Section C (13:2hh to 14:2hh) and Section D (14:2hh to 15:2hh). In 1907, the upper height limit for the Section D was removed. In 1931, all Sections of Cobs were combined and labeled C, to include all sizes of Cob. In 1949, the Cob Sections were again changed, to the current standards. The Welsh ponies athletic build, ample strength and stamina, see them as a popular choice of pony for many spheres; showjumping, eventing, endurance and dressage. With their impressive presence and legendary high stepping trot, they make very popular driving ponies. Welsh ponies have gained such worldwide popularity, that there are Welsh pony breed societies in twelve different countries. Welsh ponies were being imported to America as early as the 1880's. Breed Society http://www.wpcs.uk.com/ Did you know? One important stallion in the breed since the 1900s was Dyoll Starlight. Machno Carwyn, Individual gold medal winner for Switzerland at the European show jumping championships in 2000, is by the Welsh section D, Carregcoch Bleddyn, and out of a part-section B mare. Successful eventing pony, Millbrook Ifor, five times member of the British team is out of a Welsh section C mare. In 1960, as an experiment, several premium stallions were judged in public at Glanusk Park. This proved so popular that from the following year all premium stallions were judged there. By 1969 the show had expanded so much that it moved to permanent showgrounds at Builth Wells. Influential Welsh section B stallion, Keston Royal Occaison, has sired many successful pure bred Welsh and Riding Ponies. His progeny include, Sandbourne Royal Ensign, Brockwell Prince Charming, and Rotherwood State Occasion. Time line 1901 - Welsh Pony & Cob Society founded. 1950 - Welsh Partbred Register was approved. 1907 - Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America was established as a breed registry. 1979 - Canadian welsh Pony & Cob Society formed. |
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