Alberta pony wins U.S. championship
Pony owned by former Lethbridge residents
Apony belonging to pair of former Lethbridge residents recently won a U.S. national championship.
Dean and Karen Chorney of Millarville travelled almost 6,000 kilometres with their first homebred pony, Exeter Evenstar, to compete in the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America National Show during the Tulsa State Fair in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This year, halter classes were double-judged by John James of Wales and Brian McClelland of Canada. On Sept. 28, Exeter Evenstar, a 2014 bay Half-Welsh filly, was awarded Grand Champion Half-Welsh by McClelland and Reserve Grand Champion Half-Welsh by James, making her a U.S. national champion.
The American National Show is the most prestigious Welsh Pony show in the United States, drawing competitors from throughout the country. In total, more than 170 ponies competed at the four-day show in Tulsa in halter, ridden and driven classes, and the Chorneys were the only Canadians competing at the event.
The Chorneys had never attended the WPCSA National Show before and decided to make the long trip to Tulsa after Exeter Evenstar earned several Grand and Reserve Grand Championships in July at the Wild Rose Welsh & Open Pony Show held in Red Deer under all three judges. One of the judges, Molly Rinedollar of the United States, remarked, “Exeter Evenstar is a lovely pony. She has an incredible walk and an equally good trot. She will be an amazing hunter pony with lots of Welsh attributes.”
Exeter Evenstar also competed at the Devon Horse Show in Devon, Pennsylvania in May, finishing seventh in her class with handler Morgan Shortt of Meaford, Ontario.
Exeter Evenstar is by Northwind Catcall, bred by Prue Richardson of Northwind Farm in Ontario, and he was Grand Champion at Devon, Pa. as a yearling in 2003. And she is out of Alvesta Brianna, bred by Brenda Podolski of Alvesta Farm in Alberta, and was Grand Champion of the Stars of the West PTF Challenge Cup in Calgary as a yearling in 2011.