Watch out USA — the racing Shetlands are coming.
Long a highlight of British shows including Olympia, the Shetland Pony Grand National is going Stateside.
The Shetland Pony Steeplechase Championship Series kicks off this month with a final at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) in October.
There may not be a Becher’s Brook in America, but the series is “run like professional racing events with a bugler, race caller and photo finish” for jockeys aged 7 to 14.
The US ponies did a display race last year and were so popular the show has started the new series.
“The audience went crazy for the super cute, fluffy Shetlands and their tiny colourful jockeys,” said WIHS’ Vicki Lowell. “We decided to bring them back in a bigger way.”
This article was first published in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine (Thursday 26 May)
