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All three photos by Ann Daum Kustar<br />
G erman R<br />
Daz<br />
the Hunt<br />
Elegant and balanced Mini-Me’s to their larger<br />
Warmblood cousins, <strong>German</strong> <strong>Riding</strong> P<strong>on</strong>ies are<br />
bred to compete in the Olympic disciplines,<br />
and they often have horse-sized talent over<br />
fences trapped in those adorable 14.2 hand (or<br />
less) bodies. Developed over forty years ago in <strong>German</strong>y,<br />
these p<strong>on</strong>ies were originally crosses of the British riding<br />
p<strong>on</strong>y breeds such as the Welsh B, with Anglo-Arab, Arab,<br />
Thoroughbred, small <str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g> and native p<strong>on</strong>ies. What<br />
they are now is a phenomenally successful shrink-wrapped<br />
versi<strong>on</strong> of the designer label <str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g>, with the added<br />
b<strong>on</strong>us of p<strong>on</strong>y toughness, soundness and good character.<br />
Competitive in the Hunters<br />
The challenge for the hunter world has been in seeing<br />
past the big, uphill, Bundeschampi<strong>on</strong>ate-winning gaits<br />
these p<strong>on</strong>ies show off as youngsters in <strong>German</strong>y. The<br />
versatility of the <strong>German</strong> <strong>Riding</strong> P<strong>on</strong>y seems to showcase<br />
itself here. The same p<strong>on</strong>ies that power around the ring<br />
with free shoulders and powerful hind legs working well<br />
under their bodies can show up as winning hunter p<strong>on</strong>ies<br />
in the U.S. a year or so later.<br />
Take top large p<strong>on</strong>y hunter For the Laughter, as an<br />
example. While his USEF registrati<strong>on</strong> lists him as a Welshcross,<br />
his papers are those of a Weser-Ems p<strong>on</strong>y bred in<br />
<strong>German</strong>y. He was sired by the important foundati<strong>on</strong> stalli<strong>on</strong><br />
Brillant and out of M<strong>on</strong> Cheri, who descends from Black Boy—<br />
Black Grannus, the direct p<strong>on</strong>y-line of the great Hanoverian<br />
stalli<strong>on</strong> Grannus. For the Laughter, born Bubble Gum, was<br />
licensed as a stalli<strong>on</strong> by the Weser-Ems and Hanoverians,<br />
and sired <strong>on</strong>e foal in <strong>German</strong>y before being discovered and<br />
imported by Scott Stewart of New Jersey. Now a gelding,<br />
“Bubbles” clinched his fourth c<strong>on</strong>secutive large p<strong>on</strong>y hunter<br />
champi<strong>on</strong> title at the p<strong>on</strong>y finals this year, ridden by Maddie<br />
Durst and owned by Virginian Dr. Betsee Parker.<br />
The USEF list of top-ranking large p<strong>on</strong>y hunters is<br />
littered with p<strong>on</strong>ies with accents. Some other famous<br />
names include Vanity Fair and Seven Steps, Dutch and<br />
<strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>ies also owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, and Enjoy<br />
the Laughter, owned by Rose Hill Farm in New York, and<br />
shown by Lili Hymowitz, who topped the model and under<br />
saddle divisi<strong>on</strong>s at the <str<strong>on</strong>g>2012</str<strong>on</strong>g> finals.<br />
A New Trend<br />
What makes the ‘Warmblood’ p<strong>on</strong>ies, as they are dubbed,<br />
the new trend in the hunter ring? Chad Keenum, owner<br />
of CK Sporthorses in The Plains, Virginia, says they have a<br />
lot more jump and more horse-like movement than many<br />
of the traditi<strong>on</strong>ally Welsh-cross large p<strong>on</strong>ies bred in this<br />
country.<br />
“The Warmblood p<strong>on</strong>ies go more like horses,” Chad<br />
explains. “They have more suspensi<strong>on</strong> and a rounder<br />
jump—and I think the judges are liking it.”<br />
“It’s easier for the kids to move up to horses from a<br />
Warmblood p<strong>on</strong>y—they go around<br />
the ring slower than the Welsh, with a<br />
bigger step, more power, a more active<br />
hind leg and sometimes a little more<br />
knee acti<strong>on</strong>,” he c<strong>on</strong>tinues. “These<br />
p<strong>on</strong>ies have great brains too. They have<br />
to—they’re designed for kids!”<br />
Chad’s After the Laughter started his<br />
career in <strong>German</strong>y as the Westphalian<br />
licensed stalli<strong>on</strong> Ruby Gold, sired by<br />
Chad Keenum<br />
Oosteinds Ricky, an M-level dressage p<strong>on</strong>y. After winning<br />
his 30-day test in <strong>German</strong>y with an impressive 8.84 overall,<br />
this multi-talented p<strong>on</strong>y placed fifth in the five-year-old<br />
jumpers Bundeschampi<strong>on</strong>ate, and a week later, w<strong>on</strong> the<br />
driving p<strong>on</strong>y Bundeschampi<strong>on</strong>ate. This champi<strong>on</strong> <strong>German</strong><br />
p<strong>on</strong>y has also proved to be an outstanding hunter in the<br />
Anna Purdy<br />
Photos at top: Left, SF Solaris, a <str<strong>on</strong>g>2012</str<strong>on</strong>g> GRP colt (bred by the author) by Smoke Free Snapdrag<strong>on</strong>, a p<strong>on</strong>y stalli<strong>on</strong> sold to South Africa. Middle: Stalli<strong>on</strong><br />
p<strong>on</strong>ies presented at the Neumünster licensing. Right: A p<strong>on</strong>y stalli<strong>on</strong> at Neumünster<br />
82 January/February 2013
iding P<strong>on</strong>ies<br />
zle<br />
er Ring<br />
By Ann Daum Kustar<br />
U.S., first for Scott Stewart, then for Chad Keenum. Chad has imported several <strong>German</strong><br />
p<strong>on</strong>ies that were licensed as stalli<strong>on</strong>s in <strong>German</strong>y before making the trip across the<br />
ocean as geldings to star in the hunter ring.<br />
The drawbacks of the <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>ies? Chad says the size can be tricky. Unlike in<br />
the U.S., <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>ies are measured in centimeters, and the maximum height for the<br />
p<strong>on</strong>y divisi<strong>on</strong>s is 148 cm—the equivalent of 14.2 and ½ hands, which is just oversize for<br />
our hunter p<strong>on</strong>y regulati<strong>on</strong>s. Also, some of the p<strong>on</strong>ies have too much knee acti<strong>on</strong> for<br />
the hunters, although Chad and other successful U.S. hunter p<strong>on</strong>y trainers have found<br />
that even some of the bigger moving <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>ies can be made into hunters by<br />
switching shoes, letting their heads go and schooling over trot poles at home.<br />
Despite those relatively small changes, he says the basics are the key to success. “I<br />
used to think that I could change a lot of things, and do them better,” Chad says with a<br />
laugh. “But the <strong>German</strong>s really are smart in their breeding and training, and I’ve learned<br />
to appreciate how they do things. It all comes down to choosing the right p<strong>on</strong>ies, and<br />
bringing them al<strong>on</strong>g the right way.”<br />
Finding trained p<strong>on</strong>ies in <strong>German</strong>y is getting easier for Americans, thanks to the<br />
popular P<strong>on</strong>y Forum sales, which showcase the best made show p<strong>on</strong>ies from dressage,<br />
jumpers and eventing, as well as young riding prospects, stalli<strong>on</strong>s and foals at aucti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
held across <strong>German</strong>y. Their professi<strong>on</strong>al team is devoted to promoting and selling <strong>on</strong>ly<br />
p<strong>on</strong>ies. Eckhard Scharf, <strong>on</strong>e of the forum’s founding members, says that some <strong>German</strong><br />
p<strong>on</strong>y breeders are starting to realize the potential in the U.S. p<strong>on</strong>y hunter market.<br />
“First, when I saw videos of hunter p<strong>on</strong>ies in the U.S., I thought they must move flat,<br />
flat flat, and not have too big of a jump. But this was not true—they must be elastic.”<br />
Eckhard explains.<br />
“The <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>ies can make top hunters for Americans. The <strong>on</strong>ly problem is that<br />
so many disappear! We hear they are successful hunters, but their names change,<br />
and we get no pictures back,” he adds. “We love that they are winning, but we think<br />
every<strong>on</strong>e should know where these great p<strong>on</strong>ies are coming from!”<br />
A <strong>German</strong> Breeder’s Perspective<br />
Sabine Meiners, owner of Hilkens Studfarm in Lower Sax<strong>on</strong>y, <strong>German</strong>y, bred the wellknown<br />
and successful p<strong>on</strong>y stalli<strong>on</strong> Hilkens Black Delight (Branduardi M x Morbidelli),<br />
as well as a colorful shopping list of other popular licensed stalli<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
“Dreamcatcher is <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e of quite a few stalli<strong>on</strong>s that were originally licensed in<br />
<strong>German</strong>y and then had a sec<strong>on</strong>d career as a hunter in the U.S. I have used (the stalli<strong>on</strong>s)<br />
Branduardi M and Dreamcatcher quite a bit, and rather successfully. I wasn’t happy when<br />
they both got sold to the U.S., because that also usually means they’ll be gelded due<br />
Three examples of p<strong>on</strong>ies sold at the<br />
P<strong>on</strong>y Forum event.<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Today</str<strong>on</strong>g> 83
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Dreamcatcher was<br />
reserve champi<strong>on</strong> of<br />
the Hanoverian p<strong>on</strong>y<br />
stalli<strong>on</strong> licensing<br />
in 2003. Later, he<br />
became a hunter<br />
in the U.S. and was<br />
gelded.<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Photo credit here<br />
Hilkens Denaliwas sold to New Zealand<br />
and is shown in Grand Prix dressage.<br />
to the rules in American hunter sports that d<strong>on</strong>’t allow juniors to show stalli<strong>on</strong>s,”<br />
Sabine explains.<br />
Branduardi M was an especially tough loss for <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>y breeding—this<br />
Weser-Ems licensing champi<strong>on</strong> in 1998 later became Reserve-Bundeschampi<strong>on</strong><br />
and performance test champi<strong>on</strong>, showed internati<strong>on</strong>ally as an FEI-dressage p<strong>on</strong>y,<br />
then was sold to the U.S. and gelded. He sired many fine p<strong>on</strong>ies, am<strong>on</strong>g them<br />
Hilkens Black Delight, Hilkens Shakyrah, and Bundeschampi<strong>on</strong>ate mare Lady Astor.<br />
Sabine went <strong>on</strong> to describe the incredible versatility of the <strong>German</strong> <strong>Riding</strong><br />
P<strong>on</strong>ies, which excel in all disciplines in <strong>German</strong>y. “In <strong>German</strong>y, they show in jumping<br />
classes up to 4.5 feet, some show in Grand Prix classes against <str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g>, plus<br />
they do driving, western style classes, endurance riding, etc. They show under kids<br />
and adults, against p<strong>on</strong>ies and big horses. Hilkens Denali (a licensed GRP stalli<strong>on</strong><br />
sired by Dreamcatcher) in New Zealand was recently selected to represent the New<br />
Zealand team at a highly ranked internati<strong>on</strong>al dressage series, in ‘advanced’ class,<br />
just under Grand Prix. He was the <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e not being ridden in a double bridle,<br />
because his owner/rider says it’s simply not necessary for him.”<br />
Marketing Challenges<br />
A familiar face to some American breeders, Otto Schalter, stud book director of<br />
the Rheinland Pfalz-Saar Internati<strong>on</strong>al and its parent organizati<strong>on</strong> in <strong>German</strong>y, the<br />
Pferdezuchtverband Rheinland Pfalz-Saar (PRPS), recalls the beginning of the P<strong>on</strong>y<br />
Forum sales vividly.<br />
“This was a new idea,” Otto explains, “marketing the top trained show p<strong>on</strong>ies in<br />
<strong>German</strong>y, as well as the youngsters, at aucti<strong>on</strong> and open sales around <strong>German</strong>y.”<br />
He recalls that at the first meeting of the P<strong>on</strong>y Forum, no <strong>on</strong>e from the<br />
participating registries was jumping out of their seat to host the first aucti<strong>on</strong>. “So<br />
I said we’ll do it here, at the PRPS headquarters—Pferdezentrum in Standenbuhl,<br />
without asking anybody else in the organizati<strong>on</strong>,” Otto laughs. “We had the event<br />
and it was amazing. Now it’s growing every year. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>2012</str<strong>on</strong>g> we had top, winning<br />
dressage and jumper p<strong>on</strong>ies from around <strong>German</strong>y at the P<strong>on</strong>y Forum sale in<br />
Standenbuhl. There’s no better way to see, try and shop for a large selecti<strong>on</strong> of<br />
top-class p<strong>on</strong>ies under <strong>on</strong>e roof.”<br />
One of the main differences between U.S. and <strong>German</strong> marketing of sport<br />
horses and p<strong>on</strong>ies are the gala events and aucti<strong>on</strong>s surrounding the stalli<strong>on</strong><br />
licensings. While each of the p<strong>on</strong>y-breeding regi<strong>on</strong>s holds their own stalli<strong>on</strong><br />
approvals, there is also a licensing and aucti<strong>on</strong> held in Neumünster, in the north<br />
of <strong>German</strong>y, which is open to p<strong>on</strong>ies from every regi<strong>on</strong> in <strong>German</strong>y—including<br />
separate divisi<strong>on</strong>s for the riding p<strong>on</strong>ies, the powerful Haflingers and Fjords, the<br />
purebred Welsh A’s, B’s and Cobs, as well as the Shetlands and Mini stalli<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
There’s something surreal about traveling from <strong>on</strong>e of the ‘big-guy’<br />
Warmblood stalli<strong>on</strong> licensings in Munich or Den Bosch and arriving to the<br />
Holstenhallen in Neumünster for the p<strong>on</strong>ies. The same flowers and banners<br />
grace the arena; the same tack vendors set up behind the stadium seating; the<br />
same (at least they look the same!) panel of <strong>German</strong> judges stand seriously in<br />
84 January/February 2013
Left to right:<br />
their suits and hats in the<br />
(1) Timo Coldewey<br />
center of the ring. And<br />
presents a<br />
then enter the stalli<strong>on</strong>s,<br />
stalli<strong>on</strong> at the<br />
braided and groomed to<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>2012</str<strong>on</strong>g> licensing at<br />
perfecti<strong>on</strong>, trotting boldly<br />
Neumünster.<br />
next to their white-gloved<br />
(2) A p<strong>on</strong>y free<br />
handlers…some of them<br />
jumping at<br />
reaching just up to the<br />
Neumünster.<br />
handler’s knees. It can be<br />
hard to keep a straight face!<br />
Adding to that humorous<br />
scene are the names—there<br />
are ‘shrunken’ versi<strong>on</strong>s of the biggest names of the Warmblood world, including<br />
D<strong>on</strong>nerhall, Chambertin and Numero Uno.<br />
Timo Coldewey is heir to the successful <strong>German</strong> breeding farm Kastanienhof,<br />
which has been home to foundati<strong>on</strong> stalli<strong>on</strong>s Brillant (sire of For the Laughter),<br />
Kennedy, Kaiserjaeger and Halifax, and more recently, FS Cracker Jack, Hot Cream<br />
WE, The Breas My Mobility, Olivier K, Makuna Matata and Cockney Cracker. The<br />
young Coldewey is a big name in the <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>y world and a seas<strong>on</strong>ed pro<br />
at preparing and presenting both his own and outside-owned young p<strong>on</strong>y and<br />
Warmblood stalli<strong>on</strong>s for licensing.<br />
“People who are competing d<strong>on</strong>’t always look for the same things as breeders<br />
when they attend the stalli<strong>on</strong> licensings and aucti<strong>on</strong>s,” Timo explains. “Riders want<br />
the product, and they want to work with what they have. Breeders want to know<br />
how did they do it? How can I do it?”<br />
“We’ve had people shopping for hunter p<strong>on</strong>ies look at a p<strong>on</strong>y, trained as we do<br />
it here, and say this is no hunter… and then later, the p<strong>on</strong>y becomes a successful<br />
hunter! They look for the product—they should look for the talent! If you see talent,<br />
and make the product, it’s not so expensive that way,” he explains.<br />
“I think the hunters want flat movement but also big, slow movement—the<br />
same slow movement we are looking for too—but for dressage we like them to go<br />
more over the knee. If you ride a horse or p<strong>on</strong>y slowly, with a l<strong>on</strong>g neck, for a l<strong>on</strong>g<br />
time—he w<strong>on</strong>’t c<strong>on</strong>tinue moving over the knee. But remember that a good trainer<br />
knows what he can change and what he can’t,” he c<strong>on</strong>cludes.<br />
Ann Daum Kustar<br />
Ant<strong>on</strong>y Quinn in <strong>German</strong>y (1), and<br />
then here in the U.S. ridden by<br />
Dianna’s 12-year-old s<strong>on</strong> Charlie.<br />
Quite the c<strong>on</strong>trast!<br />
Ann Daum Kustar<br />
Courtesy Dianna Or<strong>on</strong>a<br />
Courtesy Dianna Or<strong>on</strong>a<br />
American Breeders Tackle the Market<br />
Timo Coldewey has some advice for the Americans too. In a huge country like<br />
yours,” he says, “breeders and riders need to sit together.” He smiles. “Riders and<br />
breeders are c<strong>on</strong>nected to each other. As l<strong>on</strong>g as you keep that disorganized, and<br />
d<strong>on</strong>’t reward the breeders of the winning p<strong>on</strong>ies, and d<strong>on</strong>’t get together the riders<br />
with the breeders, then you Americans will need to keep buying from us!”<br />
In fact, some U.S. breeders of <strong>German</strong> <strong>Riding</strong> P<strong>on</strong>y are bringing the big names<br />
from across the ocean, utilizing the successful p<strong>on</strong>y lines already here, and working<br />
to create top hunter p<strong>on</strong>ies <strong>on</strong> American soil.<br />
Dianna Or<strong>on</strong>a, owner of Fox Creek Farm in Manhattan, Kansas, offers North<br />
America’s most extensive list of top p<strong>on</strong>y stalli<strong>on</strong>s available by frozen semen. She<br />
stands seven p<strong>on</strong>y stalli<strong>on</strong>s, including the <strong>German</strong> <strong>Riding</strong> P<strong>on</strong>ies FS Daily Hero (FS<br />
D<strong>on</strong>’t Worry x FS Pavarotti), Chicco B (Chantre B x Nansen), Benno’s Dream (Blue Star<br />
x Askan), Foxcreek Diam<strong>on</strong>d King (Dance Star AT x Kennedy) and Ad<strong>on</strong>is (Argentino<br />
x Voyage), who was recently champi<strong>on</strong> of the <str<strong>on</strong>g>2012</str<strong>on</strong>g> 30-day p<strong>on</strong>y test in Oklahoma.<br />
Dianna’s breeding program is unique in the U.S. for the strength of its mare<br />
herd—she’s imported p<strong>on</strong>y mares from the best mother lines in <strong>German</strong>y, many of<br />
them States Premium, and often carrying a unique in-utero foal sired by stalli<strong>on</strong>s<br />
not currently available by frozen semen in the U.S.<br />
“From the beginning our emphasis has been <strong>on</strong> the quality of our mares,” Diana<br />
explains. “Why re-create the wheel? The <strong>German</strong> p<strong>on</strong>ies have been selected and<br />
Chanel, bred at Whispered Wish<br />
Farm, is showing in the hunters.<br />
Courtesy Heather Luing<br />
Courtesy Heather Luing<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Today</str<strong>on</strong>g> 85
Maggie from<br />
Whispered Wish Farm.<br />
“You d<strong>on</strong>’t have to go to Europe anymore to get a great<br />
GRP, but I think that percepti<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tinues.”<br />
Ann Daum Kustar Ann Daum Kustar<br />
Courtesy Heather Luing Courtesy Heather Luing<br />
Cannavaro, in <strong>German</strong>y (1), sold to<br />
cindy Bohn and niece abi Russo.<br />
(2) Laurel Bennett owns him now;<br />
his name is The Foreigner.<br />
fine-tuned for sport for generati<strong>on</strong>s. We in America need to use these genetic building<br />
blocks already in place, al<strong>on</strong>g with the top-producing p<strong>on</strong>ies we have here already, to<br />
create our own outstanding p<strong>on</strong>ies.”<br />
“There are some very nice p<strong>on</strong>ies being bred here now. Riders and trainers need to<br />
look first to the U.S.-bred GRPs for the hunter ring, as well as dressage,” she adds.<br />
Dianna has her own example of a GRP licensed stalli<strong>on</strong> bred for dressage that has<br />
g<strong>on</strong>e <strong>on</strong> to a successful career in the hunter ring. Ant<strong>on</strong>y Quinn is a 2004 imported<br />
Weser-Ems stalli<strong>on</strong> (now gelded) sired by Ant<strong>on</strong>y Hopkins, the Polish p<strong>on</strong>y eventing<br />
champi<strong>on</strong> in 2008 who represented Denmark in the EU Champi<strong>on</strong>ships in 2009.<br />
Ant<strong>on</strong>y Quinn was champi<strong>on</strong> in the qualifier and was runner-up in the 2008 Weser-<br />
Ems 4-Year-Old Materiale Champi<strong>on</strong>ship. He also had sired six foals in <strong>German</strong>y before<br />
making the trip to Fox Creek Farm in Kansas, where he changed gears to become a<br />
winning p<strong>on</strong>y hunter.<br />
“The pictures of Ant<strong>on</strong>y in <strong>German</strong>y, and then here in the U.S. ridden by a junior,<br />
say it all—these p<strong>on</strong>ies are athletes with the most amazing minds. They can go in<br />
whichever directi<strong>on</strong> we ask them to go.”<br />
Heather Luing, owner of Whispered Wish Weser-Ems, stands the licensed <strong>German</strong><br />
<strong>Riding</strong> P<strong>on</strong>y Highlife’s Burberry, by Highlife’s Bodyguard—Black Boy, out of a linebred<br />
C<strong>on</strong>stantin mother. She began breeding GRPs in 2002, and while her passi<strong>on</strong> is<br />
producing dressage p<strong>on</strong>ies, she has seen about 50 percent of her foals go into hunter<br />
careers.<br />
“I have found that many of the p<strong>on</strong>ies are multi-talented. I have a good idea<br />
early <strong>on</strong> if a foal has potential as a hunter. What I have found interesting is that many<br />
times the dressage and hunter people end up liking the same p<strong>on</strong>ies. The <strong>on</strong>ly real<br />
excepti<strong>on</strong> would be if the p<strong>on</strong>y has a t<strong>on</strong> of knee acti<strong>on</strong>,” she explains.<br />
How does a GRP differ from an American-bred Welsh p<strong>on</strong>y in the show ring?<br />
Heather thinks that overall they tend to be more horse-like in their proporti<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Although in <strong>German</strong>y they are not bred for hunters, but they are bred to be athletic in<br />
sport. “I have yet to meet a GRP that was not a fairly good jumper, and most are great<br />
jumpers. They tend to have quite a lot of scope over fences since in <strong>German</strong>y they<br />
often compete over much large fences,” she says.<br />
Heather thinks the p<strong>on</strong>y trends are following the horse trends. Where the<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g> used to be unusual, they are now more the norm in the hunter ring.<br />
“I can tell you that of the p<strong>on</strong>ies I have sold to hunter careers, the buyers were<br />
specifically looking for a GRP. So they are gaining popularity for sure, and I expect this<br />
will c<strong>on</strong>tinue to grow. It is not overnight though,” she adds.<br />
For breeders, Heather finds selling p<strong>on</strong>ies to the dressage market is a little more<br />
user friendly. “Dressage buyers are often willing to invest in a youngster and bring<br />
them al<strong>on</strong>g themselves with the help of a trainer. They also tend to shop <strong>on</strong> their own<br />
and be quite independent in their decisi<strong>on</strong> making. They tend to look at classifieds,<br />
websites, etc. I have found breaking into the hunter market as a breeder to be<br />
extremely challenging. They want a made p<strong>on</strong>y or close to it and often trainers seem<br />
to shop by networking—it is hard to break into that loop. To some extent advertising<br />
seems to be frowned <strong>on</strong> and it is hard to get your name out there without spending a<br />
fortune <strong>on</strong> showing. As a breeder, you simply can’t afford to do that,” she says.<br />
“What I wish is that hunter trainers would become more interested in working with<br />
breeders,” she adds. “You d<strong>on</strong>’t have to go to Europe anymore to get a great GRP, but I<br />
think that percepti<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tinues.”<br />
Whether bred here or abroad, the <strong>German</strong> <strong>Riding</strong> P<strong>on</strong>ies are clearly providing<br />
an exciting alternative for p<strong>on</strong>y hunters. As more and more young riders have the<br />
chance to ride these miniature <str<strong>on</strong>g>Warmbloods</str<strong>on</strong>g>, the effects <strong>on</strong> the discipline will likely be<br />
profound.<br />
86 January/February 2013