Fairly Polly – the legandary present pony who has left an intensive legacy

By an Arab stallion, Fairly Polly swept the board within the Nineteen Fifties, profitable championship after championship and making a legacy each within the present ring and by way of her progeny. Nicola Jane Swinney talks to those that bear in mind her as we have a good time Horse & Hound’s a hundred and fortieth anniversary in 2024

FOR these courageous souls who tackle the professionals in open pony lessons, Fairly Polly is their probability to face within the highlight – the lessons launched by the British Present Pony Society (BSPS) for home-producers solely.

What some “newbies” could not realise is that Fairly Polly was an actual pony; one who swept all earlier than her within the Nineteen Fifties, ridden by the younger Davina Whiteman, lengthy earlier than she and her mom Joan Lee-Smith based Ponies Affiliation (UK).

Fairly Polly was foaled in 1945, by the Arab stallion Naseel out of a Welsh/thoroughbred mare referred to as Gypsy Gold, bred by Stephanie Nicholson of Co Meath. As Tom Greatest says in his definitive ebook The Historical past of the British Driving Pony: “This cross highlighted the position of Arab blood within the breeding of the creating British driving pony, at a time when there was some prejudice in opposition to its use.”

It’s value noting that, not lengthy after the tip of World Battle II, horse and pony breeding was booming, and in some ways indiscriminately so, in contrast with right now when breeders are extremely conscious of provide and demand.

Jennie Loriston-Clarke, of Catherston Stud, remembers: “They [breeders] had been experimenting with all types in these days. Folks had been getting kids off the Welsh hills and crossing them. We had a thoroughbred stallion and we bred him to pony mares.”

Jennie has trigger to recollect Fairly Polly as a result of she was one of many few to conquer the horse within the ring, on the 1953 Royal Worldwide with Royal Present.

“She was a really fairly pony,” Jennie (then Bullen) remembers. “Being half Arab, she had a stunning head and she or he went very nicely for Davina. And he or she had great presence; she had that uncommon ‘have a look at me’ high quality.”

Fairly Polly with Davina

On that event, nonetheless, Jennie headed the category with Royal Present.

“The decide that day was Main Faudel-Phillips,” says Jennie, “and he was a stickler for limb. Royal Present was a sturdier kind, extra like right now’s present hunter ponies, and that’s in all probability why we gained.”

So it isn’t appropriate to say that Fairly Polly was unbeaten. However her victories vastly outnumbered her losses.

As a four-year-old, she was champion pony on the 1949 Dublin Spring Present on her debut. The decide that day, Horace Smith, commented: “She was an impressive pony who was ridden by a too-large jockey who lined her up.”

He wasn’t her solely admirer at Dublin Spring; she was noticed by Robert Hanson, who knew Keith Lee-Smith was looking for a 14.2hh (148cm) present pony for Albert Deptford, certainly one of his house owners who was identified on the time for breeding Suffolk horses and cattle. However Fairly Polly’s then proprietor, Mrs Grey, needed £1,000 for her – an unlimited sum of cash in these days.

A deal was struck: the horse could be delivered to England with a load of six hunters and, as Albert was going to be on the Nice Yorkshire Present, he might see Fairly Polly there, ridden by Davina Lee-Smith. If he appreciated her, he would have first refusal.

Within the house reserved at Nice Yorkshire for the mounted police train, Davina tried the horse for the primary time.

As soon as she was snug in stroll, she requested Polly to trot on – and the sale virtually fell by means of there after which when Keith noticed that Polly was not degree.

Davina pulled her up, and the horse was discovered to have one thick “carthorse shoe” on one foot and a light-weight present plate on the opposite. No surprise she wasn’t degree. But even with this, observers famous her stunning floating trot.

The deal was achieved, and the story that Albert Deptford had purchased a four-year-old Irish champion pony for 4 figures – greater than £30,000 in right now’s value – gained traction. Such a worth had by no means been identified earlier than, so Polly had so much to reside as much as.

Royal Present ridden by Jennie Bullen (now Loriston-Clarke), was one of many few ponies to beat Fairly Polly.

Her first present was the now defunct British Timken. Polly didn’t let anybody down; she appeared very good and she or he went like a dream to win her class and the championship. She swept all earlier than her, profitable championship after championship, and at Horse of the 12 months Present (HOYS) at Harringay in 1950 she scored 98 marks out of 100 for conformation and 100 out of 100 for manner of going.

Famend equestrian creator Pamela MacGregor-Morris, who wrote present reviews for Horse & Hound, described her as a “completely made pony”.

Polly repeated the feat in 1951, and it’s fairly attainable that she’d have achieved the identical in 1952 however for a now-defunct rule that meant the earlier 12 months’s champion was barred from competing. She was champion pony on the Royal Present and the Royal Worldwide for 3 years operating.

Fairly Polly and Davina Lee Smith being offered with the Queen Mary Problem Cup at Richmond Royal Horse Present in 1953 by the Duchess of Norfolk. Pic by Sport and Common

Fairly Polly grew to become so well-known that her identify lives on, some 70 years later. H&H columnist Stuart Hollings remembers seeing her within the much-missed parade of champions at HOYS.

“I used to be fascinated to see this legendary pony within the flesh,” he says. “She will need to have been in her twenties then and was a broodmare, however was being ridden for the event. As quickly because the highlight went on, she pricked up her ears and you may see her eyes gentle up.”

Jennie Loriston-Clarke confirms that the mare had that uncommon high quality: “Some ponies come into the ring with their ears flat again, then simply develop. Polly was like that.”

Legendary she might need been, however Polly was not a one-off. The Naseel-Gypsy Gold cross produced a brother, Eureka, and sister, My Fairly Maid, a 13.2hh, amongst others. On the Royal Worldwide in 1950 when Polly took the championship – as if by proper – My Fairly Maid stood reserve and Eureka second reserve. The next 12 months, Polly was champion once more, with Eureka reserve and My Fairly Maid second reserve. My Fairly Maid went on to be pony of the 12 months in each 1953 and 1955.

After her stellar profession, Polly grew to become a profitable broodmare. Her progeny have adopted in her elite hoofprints and made their very own marks within the pony breeding world.

THERE is a fairly pretty addendum to Fairly Polly’s story. Seeing the horse within the ring on the Royal Worldwide at White Metropolis in London within the Nineteen Fifties, a pony fanatic was entranced by her, saying: “She was one of the well-known driving ponies on the time. As quickly as I noticed her I assumed, ‘What a stunning pony. I’d wish to breed ponies like that.’”

That pony fanatic was Marlene Davey of the Ninfield Stud, which for greater than 50 years produced its personal legends. Marlene used Wingrove Minkino – a son of Bwlch Valentino – as her stallion and his offspring included Ninfield Nice Expectations, Ninfield Minks Splendour, Ninfield Millionaire and Ninfield Minks Enchantment.

Ninfield ponies are nonetheless competing right now, a few of them – fittingly – in these Fairly Polly home-produced lessons whose championship is on the Royal Worldwide.

The Arabian affect

AFTER World Battle II, Glenda Spooner – greatest identified for her welfare campaigns – inspired using Arab stallions to supply youngsters’s driving ponies.

She promoted “first cross” lessons on the now defunct Ponies of Britain exhibits. Her affect labored; a number of of the main driving pony studs began utilizing Arabian bloodlines.

Within the Sixties and ’70s, Arab or part-bred Arabs, resembling Bwlch Valentino – whose sire’s dam Silverspray was an Anglo Arab – had a big impact on the breeding of the British driving pony.

They produced a finer, prettier animal, with extravagant motion, and lots of pony studs used them on their mares. Amongst them was Cusop, whose strains from Valentino by way of his grandson Cusop Disciplin nonetheless seem in trendy pedigrees right now.

Curiously, the Nationwide Pony Society has registered present ponies as a definite breed referred to as the British Driving Pony.

Excessive society

THE Nationwide Pony Society (NPS) was fashioned in 1893, largely involved with registering polo ponies, most of which had been of Arab or jap breeding and introduced again by military officers to play the sport right here. Then small thoroughbreds had been used so as to add pace and, later, the peak restrict for polo ponies was relaxed. The smaller ones had been adopted for kids to trip.

In 1949, the NPS was requested to arrange guidelines for ridden pony lessons however refused to take action, believing its remit was registration solely. Plenty of pony fans subsequently arrange their very own organisation, and the British Present Pony Society was born. John Tilling was chairman, Brigadier John Allen vice-chairman, and a committee was fashioned to canvass for members, amongst them Sybil Smith, Ronnie Driver and Keith Lee-Smith.

A few years later, Keith’s spouse Joan and daughter Davina fashioned Ponies Affiliation (UK). Davina, then Whiteman, handed away in December 2019 on the age of 78, having left a beautiful legacy for the displaying world.

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