Welsh ponies dominate the first selection round of the Dutch Pony Championship

The heat didn’t dampen the fun at the first qualifying competition for the Dutch Pony Championship last Saturday. At the beautiful Selevia Hoeve in Werkendam, highly talented ponies competed in three age categories. All three classes were won by a Welsh pony registered with the NWPCS.

The combinations were judged by some of the biggest names in the sport. Rider Renate van Uytert–van Vliet and Grand Prix judge Jeanine van Twist were in the arena to evaluate the performances. Jeanine: “Today we saw a group of very beautiful ponies with good gaits that
”were presented very well."

Not only did the ponies enter the arena under saddle, but there was also a conformation evaluation. Renate: “A fun and certainly important part of the event. While riding, we were already able to assess the ponies individually, but seeing them without a saddle gave us just a little bit more information to help us choose the right winners.”

A strong group of four-year-olds

The victory in the four-year-old class went hands down to the NWR gelding Roosdonckens Ferro (Nia Domo’s Bolero x Brouwershaven Diamond Hit), known as Ferro. The black gelding was ridden by Rubi van Huijgevoot. The judging duo awarded this promising young talent a whopping 86 points.

Renate: “A strong horse with a good walk, trot, and canter. It was a very beautiful and consistent performance, and on top of that, it was a really beautiful pony.”

Jeanine: “It was already clear to us that this is a pony for international competitions; even though he’s only four years old, he already looked really good in hand.”

Rubi van Huijgevoot: I've only been riding Ferro for 3 months, and he was running in
”Werkendam was truly amazing. I'm incredibly proud. I can't really think of anything that could be improved. I hope we can ride just as well next time—then I'll be completely satisfied. My biggest dream is to one day compete with Ferro at the Dutch National Championships."

Jinthe Nipius was second to compete with Just a Champ (by Jonker’s Jayden), who scored a total of 78.5 points. Tied for third place with 77.5 points were the gelding Giant Bloemendael, ridden by Bibi Luijk, and the charming Varona (by Reekamp’s Eclips), ridden by Anna Jansen.

Donchello Excels Among Five-Year-Olds

In the five-year-old division, another strong group took to the track. What stood out was the walking
from the first- and third-place finishers. Jeanine: “We evaluated the performance with an eye toward the future. The gait is therefore a key component, as it carries significant weight in the tests. Isa Westendarp Knol, riding the Welsh Partbred Dijkshof’s Donchello (FS Don’t Worry x Mastro’s Noble Boy), was simply too strong for the competition. The palomino gelding excelled in all three gaits, maintaining a consistently impressive performance. The result was a total of 85 points.”.

Isa Westendarp Knol: “I’m really, really happy that we won! We’ve had Donchello since he was a foal, so it’s extra special that things went so well today. We compete at the regular L2 level, and we’ve placed sixth together once before at the Dutch National Championships. My favorite part of the Dutch Pony Championship was getting to ride a lap of honor—and I’d never won a blanket before either!”

Joyce van Soest took home the second rosette with Ducati van het Gildeland (by Diamond Touch), whose studbook name is Ducati du Bois. The pair scored 82 points. Britt van Os came in third with Romeo (by Kachunga), earning an impressive score of 80.5 points.

A strong performance among the six-year-olds

The final event on the program was the competition for six-year-olds. Jonne Liefhebber and the NWR chestnut gelding Goldwinshoeve VJ (Goldwinshoeve Valerion x Hagelkruis Valentijn) were honored as the winners. The pair scored 80.5 points.

Jeanine: “This event really puts the participants to the test, but once again, they rode exceptionally well.”

“In this section, it’s really a combination of our own quality and the level of
training. We consider balance to be very important in this regard. Today is a day when
’with ponies for the future. This is a great initiative to encourage riders, parents, and breeders,’ Renate concludes.

Jonne Liefhebber: “I’m competing Goldwinshoeve VJ in the Z1 class, and the Dutch Pony Championship is a great competition to do something a little ‘different’ than a regular show. I’ve been riding him since he was three, and I really didn’t expect that I would
”Winning in Werkendam. I'm so happy about that!"

Satisfied organization

On behalf of the organization, Lars Pronk looks back on a wonderful first selection. “It has
It turned out exactly as we’d hoped. A fun competition where enjoyment comes first. A professional jury that offers constructive feedback the riders can use to improve when they get back home. For the top pairs, we held a victory lap with the ponies after the class, to loud applause and with great prizes. Parents stood on the sidelines with tears in their eyes, beaming with pride, and the children couldn’t have been smiling any wider; that’s what it’s all about.”

There are still six more rounds of selection, and registration is still open for them. The final is
Scheduled for the first weekend of September, and teams can register via two
qualifying matches to advance to the finals. You can find all the information here

Source: Dutch Pony Championship, edited by NWPCS