De juryleden voor 2024 zijn:
Dhr. Stephen Howard/ Boston stoeterij: jureert rubrieken secties A en B. Dhr. Geraint Davies/ Rhyd Ddu stoeterij: jureert rubrieken secties C en D en de Welsh Partbreds. De gebruiksrubrieken worden door beide juryleden gezamenlijk beoordeeld.
Hieronder stellen we de juryleden graag even voor:
Dhr. Stephen Howard, Boston Stud;
Stephen would like to express his gratitude for the invitation to judge at the Dragon Welsh show in Holland, at what is his first in-hand show since judging at the Royal Welsh in 2023.
He has been involved with Welsh ponies for 50 years since turning up on the doorstep at the Boston Stud as a young boy offering to help, the rest as they say is history, as he was well and truly hooked into the breed and what has become a lifestyle.
He has been on the WPCS judging panel for over 20 years and is lucky to have been able to judge extensively in the UK but also been a number of times to Australia, America and South Africa – who would have thought that such an innocent approach to help with ponies would have led to such amazing and life changing opportunities.
As mentioned, judging at the RWAS was the most special of all, from the secrecy the year before around who was judging; the hype around what he’ll have up and then to the unique experience of
the show as you see huge numbers of ponies funnelling their way down from the hill, into the collecting ring and into the main ring – it certainly made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and if you’d got time to think about it, you could be quite emotional.
Along with the highs of judging come some lows as its always an easy message for exhibitors to accept if they perceive you don’t like their pony, but it is just an opinion on the day – he believes that general correctness is less about opinion and we have to accept that, but type and presence on the day is much more about interpretation and can give significantly different results between judges.
He wishes all exhibitors the best of luck, and to remember it’s a shop window so regardless of where you come hopefully you consider you’re taking the best pony home.
Dhr. Geraint Davies, Rhyd-ddu Stud;
Since a young boy my main passion has been Welsh Cobs. It started when I used to accompany my uncle Ken Price (Gwenfo Stud) to the shows where he would invariably be showing one of his stallions Rhystyd Prince, Llangybi Seldon Seen and Geraint Brynawelon, all Royal Welsh winners.
The first Royal Welsh I attended was in 1965 where Ken’s filly Gwenfo Gwen was placed second in a strong mixed yearling class to Brenin Dafydd. Since then, I have rarely missed a Royal Welsh Show. It is one of the highlights of the year for our family. When my children Rhys and Catrin were born they were made life members of the Royal Welsh.
When Mandy and I married in 1979 we started the Rhyd-ddu stud. Our first win in the Royal Welsh came in 1992 with our foundation mare Donys Rosette under the watchful eye of Mr E.J. Evans, Pantanamlwg. We have been fortunate over the years to have won at most of the major shows in the UK. At the Royal Welsh Show we have won 18 first prizes with 13 different animals, the highlight being in 2002 when Ashgrove Abigail was Champion Section C and became the first Section C mare to win the prestigious Tom and Sprightly Cup. Her son Rhyd-ddu Glyndwr has won the Horse of the year show on 3 occasions.
In the RW, we have had the honour of winning four Gold medals and are one of the few studs to have won gold medals in the Section C and Section D. In addition, our Senior Stallion Parc Hebog has won the progeny group on three occasions and been runner up 4 times. Our young stallion Rhyd-ddu Fury was runner up in the 2023 RW Progeny Award.
These days showing is a team effort with Rhys and Catrin doing the exhibiting, Mandy doing the grooming and preparing for the shows and myself doing the feeding.
As a family we are proud that animals bred by us have become foundation for other studs and we are pleased to see them winning with their new owners. It was especially pleasing that the 2019 Royal Welsh Section C and Section D Youngstock Champions were bred from Rhyd-ddu bloodlines.
The first show I judged was Pontrhydfendigaid in 1983-Mr Williams Evans Tylau, owner of the beautiful mare Ffoslas Black Lady put my name forward. Since then, I have had the honour of judging all over the world. Australia (twice), America (4 times) , Canada and many European countries. I have judged Lampeter Stallion Show 3 times, Glanusk Stallion Show 3 times, Cardigan Barley Saturday 4 times. In 2008 I judged the Section C’s at the Royal Welsh, and in 2023 I judged the Secion D ‘s there. My son Rhys is also on the WPCS panel of Judges and has already judged Glanusk, Barley Saturday and is judging the Royal Highland this year.
I have acted as a judges assessor for the WPCS
I also coach the young members of the Carmarthenshire WPCS to take part in the Young Judges competition with several of our members winning individual awards and Carmarthenshire winning team awards. I have served on the committee of Carmarthenshire Welsh Pony and Cob Association for more than 20 years.
I was a Commercial Manager of a Housing Association before retiring in 2017 with Mandy retiring at the same time from her role as Clinical Radiography Manager for Breast Test Wales. After retiring I was a WPCS Council Member, being Chair of Finance and HR for 4 years and Journal Editor for 3 years. In fact, I have written articles for the WPCS Journal since 1982- the first article being an obituary of the great mare Tyhen Mattie.
In my spare time I am Treasurer of Tumble Rugby Club and take immense pleasure in the clubs successes.