Brown’s Valley, CA: Wildwych Eclipse (Glenormiston Flurry Knox X Wildwych Dreamtime) and his young rider, Amanda Volle, of Auburn, CA recently teamed up to place second at Training Level at the Summer Moon Horse Trials at Eventful Acres in Oregon House. Owner Lisa Martin-Gerdes says “ Eclipse was the only pony out of 11 equines competing at Training Level. I was ringside for the stadium and heard one person exclaim ‘I thought they would lower the fences for the pony!’ It made me laugh.” Lisa also reports that, “Eclipse also took the Stallion Championship and Reserve Supreme Champion at our WCCS Region X breed show (Twin Rivers Ranch, Paso Robles). Then, he had a fantastic fifth place finish at our California Dressage Society Regional AA Championships at Web Ranch in Menlo Park. Eclipse was the only pony to qualify and compete at 1st Level Championships and went on to win and place at Second Level Test 4 with qualifying Scores under Thomas Poulin. In between competitions he also participated in the Jimmy Wofford at Training Level Clinic where "The Pony" was most definitely class pet. Eclipse is also still actively breeding and has successfully contributed to the production of his first ever frozen embryo, a purebred Connemara in Aiken, NC.”

Middlebury, VT: Katie Reuther and Catskill Keiran (Bantry Bay's Dillon x Cobweb Allison) were first at their second three - phase event together. The event was held at The Eddy Farm School for Horse and Rider.

Katie and Keiran had a good dressage test, scoring a 32.1, and clear Cross-Country and Stadium rounds.

Katie says, “Keiran was attentive and ready to take on even the scariest of fences.”

Champion M&M Pony at the Region IV show

Grass Valley, CA: NPS America, the first international chapter of the UK’s NPS (National Pony Society) has opened up the summer competitive season with a bang! Last year, NPS America worked with two venues to offer mixed Mountain & Moorland (M&M) pony classes. In this its second year, there are over ten (and counting!) events that have or will be offering Mixed M & M classes. Mixed M&M classes can include the nine traditional Mountain & Moorland Breeds – British Shetland, Connemara, Dales, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Fell, Highland, New Forest and all sections of Welsh. The venue hosting the mixed M&M classes, will determine the breeds eligible to compete at that particular event – in the spirit of providing a place for M&M ponies to compete where they may not have their own individual breed classes. For example, at Welsh shows hosting M&M classes, the Welsh are not eligible to compete in M&M classes.

Dartmoor ponies at the Region IV show

At a Connemara show, the Connemaras are not eligible to compete but the other eight breeds are eligible. Two ACPS Regions hosted very successful M&M classes so far this year. Region IV in Georgia hosted a contingent of 13 Dartmoor ponies and Region III in Virginia hosted 15 ponies representing the Fell, Highland, Dartmoor, Dales, and Welsh breeds. M&M classes are another great opportunity for Connemara owners to show their ponies both inhand and under saddle. Further events in August and September will be held in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, California and North Carolina with additional events pending for the Fall. The current four events in August and September are Welsh events and it is hoped that the Connemaras will come out and compete with their M&M brethren! Additional information on NPS America and a full calendar of events, can be found at www.NPSAmerica.org or by contacting Chairman Kathryn Rayner Freeman at Kathryn@NPSAmerica.org.