HOLMEDOWN HIGHLANDS

Another foal has gone off to his new home - H.Elkwood, who has been in for a week during which time he has grown tremendously both upwards and outwards, loaded up at 7.30am off to Wales.

Had the results from the HPEC performance awards - Holmedown Chicago won the Leyhills Mature in-hand section, which was quite an achievement as she is only a 4 year old and we didn't do many shows this year - H.Cascade was 4th and H.Arizona, the yearling, was 5th in the open youngstock section.

The weather has taken a turn for the worse with bitter winds and rain - have brought the two fillies H.Missouri and H.Charlotte in for a couple of days and they have quite enjoyed just munching on their haynets and didn't turn an eye when I took this opportunity to rug them up to get them used to having rugs on for the future for showing.

We took F.Sabrina off to Cherrytop Stud where she is going on loan for breeding for a couple of years.

Heard from Emma that the foal H.Lincoln settled in well and has just gone to his first show where he won, beating two dales and a fell foal in the Large M&M class - he loaded and behaved like a star and she is really pleased with him. F.Royal Rebel also went reserve ridden champion.

Have brought the two that have been on off grazing home for the winter - the dartmoor F.Sabrina, who really is woolly! and the three year old highland H.Joliet. We covered Joliet in May and from the size of her I think I can safely say she is in foal.

Have not updated for a while - all the foals have now been weaned and are happy to live either in or out and be caught in the field - they were all really easy to do this year. Two of the colts, H.Elkwood and H.Rochester have now been gelded. H.Elkwood is shortly off to his new home with Maria Bird who has H.Jackson who is now 4 and has recently been broken and is happily hacking round the lanes in Surrey, having lived his younger years in Wales where Elkwood will be for a couple of years.

H.Lincoln has gone off to his new home in Cornwall with Emma Devey of Lanwarnick Native Ponies for a future ridden pony. He joins my old dartmoor stallion F.Royal Rebel who she has had for many years and has won many ridden classes.

Last show of the year for us, the NPA Devon show. We had a great day - H.Chicago won both in-hand classes and was Champ and Res Champ and then went Supreme and took the Champion of Champions rosette. H.Cascade had two third's and also was 2nd in the Open ridden and went Reserve Champion Ridden. H.Arizona had one first and one second.

Emma, who has a stallion I bred F.Royal Rebel came back to have another look at H.Lincoln and has bought him for a future ridden pony.

We took H.Cascade and Olive out this afternoon as it was a beautiful day. They settled well together and we had a nice ride seeing a fair bit of traffic and then did some schooling.

Have also sold one of the foals - H.Elkwood. He is off at the end of November after to Maria who also has H.Jackson.

Took Olive out for a short ride today by herself, with someone walking with me, and she was very good, we saw one car which she didn't bother about, and doesn't worry about the dog coming with us at all.

My new mare has arrived Birchcroft Olive. She is a four year old all the way from the Orkney Isles and has just been backed. She is very sweet and doesn't seem to have worried about her long journey. I put her out in the field and she has palled up with the yearling, H.Arizona.

Well Maggie went off to her new home today and she has settled in very well and her new owner is really pleased with her. She rode her home from my place taking about two hours and she was as good as gold.

Just realized I haven't mentioned anything about H.Kansas who has been broken in and being shown by Karen Knock for me this year. She took to being ridden like a duck to water and was in the show ring doing Nursery Novice classes only 3 weeks after having been sat on for the first time ! She has been placed every time with several 2nds and 3rds. She is off to Dorchester Show this weekend which will be her first County show so fingers crossed.

Well I have now sold my lovely hacking mare Maggie May of Moulzie to an old friend who breeds shetlands for local hacking and occasional showing. It was a difficult decision to make but she has a super home and only a few miles down the road so no doubt I will still see her about. Unfortunately she was a non-breeder as she only had one very small ovary but a great safe plod around the lanes as didn't care about any traffic at all.

Holsworthy Show - one of the few agricultural shows that hasn't been cancelled ! We just took H.Chicago - she went champion there last year as a three year old so we kept our fingers crossed as she was now "in with the old ones!". Well she did us proud, winning the M&M Large 4 yrs and over class, and then went Reserve Champion to a lovely dartmoor mare and foal.

Took another of the visiting mares back to its owner, safely scanned in foal to Glenmuir Buzzard, and then decided to wean one of the foals who was born in March. H.Rochester was as good as gold and didn't even call for his mother. He will stay in for a couple of days and then get turned out with the yearling.

NPS Summer Championships at Malvern - we drove up on the Thursday afternoon and made it in three hours exactly door to door. The Highland classes were very well supported and were judged by Mrs C McArdle from Aberdeen. The judging started at 8am with the Stallion Class, and then the Open Barren Mare/Gelding class which had 22 entries and H.Cascade was pulled in 1st and stayed there - H.Chicago was pulled in 9th and finished 5th which was very pleasing. Yearling H.Arizona was 2nd. Then came the championship and H.Cascade took the highland championship with Talisker Stud's 2 year old filly took the reserve spot. The highland classes finished about 10.30 and we then had the very long wait until just after 5pm for the Supreme Championships which were judged by Mr T Barron from Darlington. H.Cascade really loved being in the grand ring and really showed herself well - and it was a long way round to run ! Much to our, and the large crowd's enjoyment she went Res Supreme of the show. We started at 5.30am and pulled out of the showground just after 7.30pm and finally got back to the farm at 11pm after a quick stop en-route.

Went to another local agricultural show today and took H.Cascade and her yearling filly H.Arizona. The M&M classes were well supported and first in was H.Arizona who took 2nd in a mixed M&M youngstock class and was the highest placed yearling. H.Cascade went next and won a strong Open M&M 4 yrs plus class. Later in the day H.Cascade did the mixed M&M Ridden and was 3rd.

Yet more horrendous weather (why do we do this?) and went to NPS Devon. Took H.Arizona, a yearling filly and just for a change we took Maronwells Ruadh and her foal H.Rochester. Ruadh has not been caught or led since she arrived here 18 months ago, but the foal has always been very friendly so we thought we would give it a go. H.Arizona won the Mixed M&M F/D/H youngstock class and went like a dream. Ruadh behaved superbly, not worried out the loudspeaker or other ponies, but did always want to see her foal (she doesn't at home - in fact they are rarely together). So we only managed a few strides of trot but walked out beautifully and was 6th in the class.

Well with all the rain, it was doubtful on Thursday night whether Bath & West was still going ahead, but after a meeting and phone call at 10.30 pm they confirmed it would be.

Got towed into the showground, but it wasn't as bad as I thought having seen the pictures on the news. Had a good day with H.Chicago taking 2nd and H.Cascade in 3rd.

Also caught up with a couple of dartmoors I sold as foals and haven't seen since. F.Royal Eclipse was 3rd in-hand and put in a good performance in his first ever ridden show.

Had an amazing day out at NPA Devon Show. Just took H.Cascade who came home with loads of rosettes. She started the day winning the M&M large breed class, then we did a quick change into riding tack to have a go at the M&M Open Ridden (first time under saddle for two years). She won the large M&M Ridden, and then went M&M Ridden Champion. Quick change back into in-hand and she took the Reserve M&M Championship. We then had a few minutes break before the supreme championships where she took the overall Owner Bred Championship and went Reserve Supreme of the Show !! not a bad day out !!

Forgot to take photo, but Evita of Whitefield has given birth to a big colt foal - probably another yellow dun. Will try and remember to take some photos of it tomorrow and post them.

Yet another foal ! This time a colt from Blar Bheig Cranluath - and again early wasn't due till 26th May !! fighting fit and charging around the field this evening.

Looks like Evita of Whitefield will foal within the next few days (not due till 30th May!)

Had another foal this morning (few days early) from H.Maydew - another filly to be called H.Missouri. Small and sweet and bouncing round the field when I arrived.

Well H.Cobweb has foaled - a filly all well. I brought her into the lane two days ago as I had a feeling she would foal within the next couple of days. going to be called H.Charlotte

friendly filly but does pull some awful faces ! Cobweb didn't cleanse for the first time ever, so vet had to be called, hence why the foal came in for a few hours but all is fine now.

Just taken another couple of pictures of Ruadh's foal - H.Rochester today as he was looking sweet in the woods.

It was the NPS Devon show today and Vikki took H.Chicago - and won the Large Breeds M&M class. I had a move round of ponies - and brought most of my ponies who have been on off grazing for the last couple of months home. H.Maydew and Evita of Whitefield are due to foal in May and look very well. I also brought H.Joliet home to be covered by Glenmuir Buzzard and we are hoping to show her a little this year. H.Arizona has gone away to some off grazing for a couple of months as she isn't going to be shown again till later in the summer.

I have been riding Maggie May of Moulzie who came home from being produced last year. She is a lovely hack, absolutely bombproof in any traffic and is a joy to take out - my dog also enjoys going out for long rides with her. She is going to be covered this year by Buzzard and may venture out to the occasional show.

Went to our first show of the year - NPA Devon and the weather could not have been worse ! howling gales and snow/sleet .. with the occasional downpour! Ponies loaded and behave very well - we took H.Arizona a yearling filly, for her first outing and she came home with 1x 2nd 1 x 4th and Res Champion Yearling. H.Chicago continued her winning ways, this time in the mature classes as she is now 4 years old. She won the Large M&M class and went Overall M&M Champion, then went into another ring where she won the Open M&M 4 yrs+ and went Overall M&M Open Champion as well - so a good day was had by all !

The first foal was born today, a colt from Maronwells Ruadh - he is doing fine and mother loves him.

Rode Maggie late this afternoon, took her up the road and saw a couple of cars and she didn't seem to be bothered, then put her in the indoor school for a while where she behaved well especially as it was a new place and new rider etc. She did see herself in the mirrors and neigh which I found highly amusing but then didn't bother about them.

Had a swap of ponies today - took H.Kansas off to Dorset to be produced by Karen Knock, and brought Maggie May of Moulzie (who Karen had for last season) home. She has done fairly well qualifying for the NPS Junior Ridden Championship. They both loaded and travelled well.

Well just moved a lot of the ponies onto off grazing as grass is getting very sparse at home. They all loaded up fine and travelled well and settled in at their new home quite happily.

HOLMEDOWN HIGHLANDS	FOR SALE	FIRSEDGE DARTMOORS
INDEX	LINKS	PHOTOS