Established in 1931, it is the oldest stud book society for ponies in
Australia, recording the pedigrees of nine pure pony breeds, Shetland,
Australian, Hackney Pony and Hackney Horse, New Forest, Connemara, Highland,
Dartmoor, Welsh Mountain and Welsh Sections B - C - D and the Fjord Horse.
The first recorded pony breeds to arrive in Australia during the 1800s
included purebred Shetland, Welsh Mountain, Welsh of Cob Type, English
Hackney Horse and Hackney Pony as well as Timor Exmoor and Hungarian
ponies.
With the establishment of the Australian Pony Stud Book, the pedigrees
of the most influential of these bloodlines and their descendants were
recorded in Volume One of the Society's Stud Book. Initially three breed
sections were set in place within the Stud Book, one for purebred
Shetlands, one for purebred Hackney ponies and the third, named the
`Australian Pony' section, comprised the other imported British Mountain
and Moorland pony breeds imported to Australia from the turn of the
century to that time. It also contained the pedigrees of the `home bred'
ponies, produced as a result of the crossing of various horse and pony
breeds for over a century, thus establishing the genetic pool
responsible for the Australian pony as a breed. Some years later,
individual sections were set in place for the Welsh Mountain and Welsh
Pony sections and other British Moorland pony breeds.
The Shetland Pony has been a part of the Australian Pony Stud Book since
the foundation of the Society in 1931. From the outset, the breed has
had its own section within the Stud Book, and only purebred stock were
accepted for registration in Volume One. Shetland ponies had been
imported to Australia as far back as the 1850s and fortunately accurate
records were kept of their breeding and progeny, enabling seventeen
purebred stallions and fifty-five mares to be registered in Volume one
of the Society’s Stud Book.
Some of the first Shetlands imported to Australia from the Shetland
Isles were the stallions DOCKIN and KING PIPPEN. Along with eighteen
mares, they landed in 1857 in the care of Andrew Lyall, sent over to
Scotland by his brother William to select the ponies.
One of the most influential Shetland studs established long before the
foundation of the APSB was SHETLAND HEIGHTS. Situated on the coast of
Westernport Bay in Victoria, the property named, Shetland Heights
belonged to Colonel Thomas Small, who moved there from NSW with his
family in the 1890s. Having a love of Shetland ponies, in time he put
together a large herd. some descended from the Lyall ponies, but it is
also believed he brought out a large ship load from the Shetland Isles
prior to 1900.
In 1910 Colonel Small sold his property to the Maclellan family of
Melbourne. Over the next eighteen months or so, Mrs Macellan imported
from the U.K the Shetland stallion, HALCYON OF BODIAM, a grandson of the
famous JACK, the mares WHITESOX OF KNOCKHOLT and MISS FLOSS OF BLYTH and
the filly JADESTONE.
These were the first registered Shetlands to arrive in Australia and
along with the ponies acquired from Colonel Small, laid the foundation
of what was to become one of the most influential Shetland studs of all
time – SHETLAND HEIGHTS.
Influential studs such as FENWICK, YARRA LEA, ROB ROY and GREEN VALLEY,
to name a few were established along the bloodlines of SHETLAND HEIGHTS.
Fenwick and Rob Roy studs also imported ponies in the 30s and these
ponies were registered in Volume One of the APSB. As a result of the
accurate records kept by these early stud masters and their inclusion in
the Society’s stud book, breeders to day can be proud of the quality of
ponies and the depth of bloodlines within the APSB Shetland section.
The Australian pony evolved from a rather complex beginning, a unique
breed drawing on the most suitable characteristics of many breeds for
over a century. The section was closed to all outside blood in 1960
except for the permitted outcross of APSB Welsh A and B. The result of
over a century of breeding has not only produced a beautiful and
versatile pony in its own right but one which has formed the basis for
the majority of today’s pony breed associations and societies. Ponies to
have a marked influence on the breed in the early years include the
legendary Welsh Mountain sire GREYLIGHT imported in 1910 and the Welsh
pony of Cob Type, LITTLE JIM imported in 1909. Both were Reference sires
in Volume One of the APSB and their bloodlines and those of their
progeny helped to establish the genetic pool for the Australian pony.
Others to significantly contribute to the breed include the imported
Hungarian sire BONNIE CHARLIE and the Arabian influence of Barolin
Feluka, Lowlynn Silver Chief and the PAYTEN line of ponies through mares
such as METEOR, ROSNA, ROYAL DESCENT to name a few.
The first of the Hackney ponies registered in the Hackney Pony section
of Volume One of the APSB were the stallions LORD POMPADOUR, his son SIR
GALAHAD and the mare DAINTY MAID.
These were progeny of Hackney ponies imported to Australia from 1898 by
Caleb H. Angus of S.A and Sir Phillip Charley of NSW. The mare MANNEQUIN
was imported from New Zealand by Mrs E Robins of NSW and registered in
Volume Two of the studbook in 1942 and shortly after Mr H.C Thackerary
of Markari stud in NSW imported the stallion MARFLEET CADET registered
in Volume Three. Further imports over coming years ensured Australian
breeders had availability to the best blood of the Hackney Horse and
Pony. The lines of the foundation stallions and mares are still sought
after here and abroad.
Of the larger Moorland pony breeds, the first Connemara to arrive in
Australia and registered in the APSB was ISLAND KING imported by the
late Fred Wiltshire in 1963. This was closely followed in 1965 by the
mare ARDEN and her filly foal EASTER MASK. These three ponies were
registered with the APSB and were the foundation stock for Connemara
Park, the first Connemara pony stud in Australia. The stud provided
purebred and foundation stock for other newly established studs and with
further importations of purebred stock to several states, the Connemara
pony became a firmly established breed here in Australia.
The late Mrs Heather Ronald imported the first Highland ponies to be
registered with the APSB in the stallion GLENEARN BRIGADIER and the mare
PENNY FARTHING IN 1961. These were followed in the 1970s by four more
ponies imported for a Queensland stud, the mares DEBBIEDENE, DRUID of
CROILA and GYPSY MELODY of TURIN HILL and the stallion TROOPER
MACPHERSON of CROILA. These bloodlines laid the foundation for other
studs and gave Highland pony breeders access to proven breeding, The
most recent imports, the brown stallion, MAVERICKDENE and the dun/grey
FYFEDENE offer a valuable outcross to these established bloodines to
ensure the future of the breed here in Australia.
The first true record of a New Forest pony in Australia was the arrival
of ‘BURTON SLIGO’ IN 1931 but unfortunately nothing further is known of
any progeny. In 1970 three New Forest stallions were imported and
registered in the APSB, ‘PRIORY SUNSHADE’, ‘BROADLANDS BRIGHT SERAPHIN’
and ‘MUDEFORD PETER PIPER’. The next decade saw the numbers increase
with 17 ponies imported in the one year in 1978. Studs have been
established in most states and further imports have given breeders a
depth of quality bloodlines from which to choose. The availability of
overseas bloodlines through A.I has provided a greater choice for
breeders and can only secure the future of the breed in Australia.
The first recorded Dartmoor ponies to come to Australia arrived in the
early 1980s for Mr Chris Howe of Victoria and were registered in the
Dartmoor section of the APSB. They were the stallions, LANGFIELD
MANDINGO, BOVEYCOMBE BUCKTHORN, WHITMORE GENESIS and the mares SHILSTONE
ROCKS HANANIAH and WYN HILL PURDY. Mr Howe registered progeny under his
prefix Goulburn River and these ponies in turn have been the foundation
for other Dartmoor pony studs. There have been further imports including
the very successful LANGFIELD CANTH for Skye Mist stud in QLD.
Welsh ponies were first registered with a stud book society in
Australia with the establishment of the APSB in 1931. Many pony studs
were already well established throughout the country and had imported
Welsh Mountain and Welsh ponies since the early 1900s. It was therefore
essential to incorporate a Reference section into Volume One of the stud
book published n 1936, to ensure the pedigree details of some of the
most influential ponies used by these studs during their early years
were recorded for future generations. Included in the Reference section
were the pedigrees of the imported Welsh Mountain stallions, CREAM of
EPPYNT 344 WSB, MERRY BOY 121 WSB, the revered GREYLIGHT 80 WSB, a son
of Dyoll Starlight 4 WSB, and the imported mare TOPSY 4157 WSB. All were
owned by Anthony Hordern, MILTON PARK, Bowral, NSW, who with other
members of the Hordern family of NATTAI and RETFORD PARK, were closely
involved with the establishment of the APSB. Mr Anthony Hordern held the
position of inaugural President of the APSB.
The two other imported Welsh ponies included in the Reference section of
Volume One were LITTLE JIM 326 WSB , imported in 1909 by Miss M.E.Rouse
of NSW and TRAVELLER’S JOY 333 WSB, imported by Sir Samuel Hordern of
RETFORD PARK, NSW in 1910. Both ponies were registered as Welsh C with
the WSB, U.K, although registered as Welsh, their pedigrees traced back
to the English Hackney Stud Book, but this was not uncommon as the
bloodlines of the Welsh Cob and the English Hackney Pony were closely
entwined in the early years of both English stud books. The English
Hackney Horse Society was formed in 1883, before the foundation of the
Welsh Stud Book, many Welsh cobs which were recorded in the first volume
of the WSB were in fact also recorded as Hackney ponies in the EHSB.
Once the APSB was established, interest continued to thrive in pony
breeding, the Hordern family imported several more Welsh ponies
including CEULAN COMET 1490 WSB and LITTLE QUEEN 2622 WSB. These were
registered in Volume One of the APSB along with the Welsh Mountain mare
STANAGE ESTELLA 7371 WSB, a granddaughter of Dyoll Starlight, imported
in 1924 by Miss D.W Roberts of NAROO stud in NSW. Other imported
stallions recorded in Volume One included FARAAM MERCURY 1313 WSB,
imported in 1933, CRAVEN MASTER SPRITE 1544 WSB, imported in 1935 and
STANAGE PERFECT DAY 990 WSB, imported in 1920, another of the Dyoll
Starlight bloodline.
There were many other purebred Welsh ponies bred in Australia or
imported from around 1900 onwards who were not registered with the APSB
themselves, but who had progeny who were. One example is FLASHLIGHT 2nd
35 Volume One, foaled in 1931 by Milton Flashlight from the imported
mare Little Queen. Retford stud also registered mares in the purebred or
foundation Welsh Mountain Section of Volume Seven and eighteen stallions
and seven mares in the Australian pony section. Many of these were pure
Welsh on breeding and either themselves or their progeny were
acknowledged as such in later volumes of the stud book. Naroo,
Macfarlane and Bereen studs all registered large numbers of ponies with
the APSB in the early days and ponies from these and the previously
mentioned studs have provided the foundation for many studs throughout
Australia and Tasmania with an enviable collection of Welsh bloodlines.
The Welsh pony is an established part of the history of the APSB. The
bloodlines of the ponies registered in the Welsh sections of the
studbook involve over a century of pony breeding in Australia. The APSB
is keenly committed to the continued success of the Welsh sections of
the studbook.
The most recent addition to the APSB ranks is the Fjord Horse.
In 1986, eight Fjord Horses were imported Australia from Holland. This
was done via the Dutch Stud Book Secretary who was able to ensure that
the two stallions and six brood mares, were not related to each other
going back at least four generations. These ponies endured the long
period of quarantine in England before coming out by container ship to
Australia. They settled in well and over the next decade produced a
number of foals to add to their number.
In 1995, the APSB Society was approached to include a section for the
Fjord Horse within the purebred sections of the stud book. The stallion
LEXON and eighteen mares were placed in the numbered section of Volume
18 and two stallions FERDINAND, NAUSTDAL and the mares CERNA, DAGMAR,
DANIELLE, DOLLY, FRISKA and YRMGARD were recorded as Reference ponies.
Their numbers are still not high today but they have an enthusiastic
band of breeders and owners who promote them well.
To-day, the nine pony breeds under the umbrella of the
Australian Pony Stud Book, makes it very much a `family' Society. No
other breed society or association can offer registration for so many
pony breeds under a single membership. The breeds as listed have
individual sections within the Society and are totally independent from
each other. The Dartmoor, Highland and New Forest breeds each have
provision for an Australian bred Foundation section, for example, the
Dartmoor, is a pony whose pedigree traces entirely to the Dartmoor Pony
Society Stud Book of Great Britain, and the Australian Dartmoor is a
pony bred up along specified guidelines as set out within our
Regulations.
The APSB Society also maintains a register for APSB Riding Ponies and
APSB Part Breds. Classes for these ponies are included in the programs
of royals, stud shows and other major breed and agricultural shows.
The extent of the activities suitable for any of the APSB pony breeds is
as endless as your imagination. Each breed has proven itself in many
fields of equine sport for decades from the absolute elite of the show
world to the fundamental use for a pony - as a reliable mount and friend
for a child.
The twenty two volumes of the Stud Book printed to date contain the
registrations of over 55,000 ponies. Entry to the Stud Book is by
birthright subject to each application conforming to the strict
regulations as laid down by the Society to ensure the purity of the
breeds. The individual breed regulations also conform to the
requirements of the relevant parent body in England and the U.K.
The past seventy seven years has been a time of steady growth and
achievement and for this we owe a debt of gratitude to the pioneers of
the society for their foresight and dedication in the establishment of
the stud book.
The future of the APSB lies with the dedication and expertise of today’s
members, in their ability to successfully guide the society forward. Not
only must we preserve the legacy of the past seventy seven years, but as
‘caretakers’ we must continue to build on what has been achieved, to
enable future generations to look back and say, they did it right’.
