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6 keys to breeding HOYS superstar ponies, according to history-making Heniarth Stud
With a record three ponies qualified for the prestigious supreme in-hand title at HOYS, the breeders at Heniarth Stud share the wisdom and experience that has brought them to this stage. Being a pedigree anorak counts for a great deal – but there is so much more to it...
“We didn’t have a wheelbarrow to our names,” say breeders Richard Miller and Meirion Davies of the early days of Heniarth Stud. But 30 years later, they’ve made history, with three “Heniarth” ponies qualified for the prestigious Price Family supreme in-hand championship at Horse of the Year Show (HOYS). These are section A mares Heniarth Yours Faithfully and Heniarth Sh-Boom, and section B Heniarth Derring Do.
So how did they do it? Read on for six tips from the experts…
Heniarth Sh-Boom and her foal Sherry Trifle.
(Image credit: Darryl Owen)
1. Invest in a strong female line
“I’ll never forget the time my mother said, ‘Some idiot’s just paid £4,500 for a Section A mare,’ unaware that we’d purchased her,” recalls Meirion.
But this was strategic.
“We sold five animals that day and consolidated on one good mare,” clarifies Richard.
2. Take note of a young pony’s pedigree
This pair are self-confessed “pedigree anoraks” but insist this is key to breeding and should also inform decision making when buying future prospects.
“If you know how a youngster is bred, you’ll know what it will do, how it will mature and perform,” says Meirion.
But not too closely… They would encourage anyone looking for a future star or diamond in the rough to consider pedigree and conformation together.
“When I was working with thoroughbred yearlings in Kentucky, that was the frustrating thing; many were million-dollar animals, but people weren’t actually looking at them but seeing them as a commodity for the bloodlines,” says Richard. “It must be a 50/50 thing.”
3. Don’t get caught up in a prefix
While the Heniarth Stud prefix is now world-renowned, they’d caution anyone buying a new pony to take heed of the pedigree, and not be taken in by prefix alone.
“A lot of people trust in a prefix, as they would a designer handbag, because of the brand, but they won’t care what’s behind it even though that’s what will come through; blood will out,” says Richard.
Heniarth stock enjoying the space and the sunshine.
(Image credit: Darryl Owen)
4. The run of luck
“You can breed some fantastic ponies that just don’t get the break,” says Meirion. “We have just been lucky this year it all fell into place.”
He points to the fact that this season’s HOYS-qualified ponies from Heniarth Stud are with top producers, including Simon Charlesworth.
“When somebody with their capabilities has a good animal, it is given the best possible opportunity to shine; it’s put on the right stage at the right time looking great, so it has the laws of probability on its side,” he says. “It has a fighting chance, but it still has to have the run of luck.”
5. Online research
Richard and Meirion encourage aspiring breeders to make the most of online pedigree facilities.
“It is one of the most hugely important tools we have,” says Meirion. “Of course we have the stud books, but they sit on the shelf. Now you can access all the information on your phone!
“If we’d had something like that in the ’70s when we were really young and learning about pedigrees it would have been so much easier.”
6. Full dedication
“Give it all you’ve got,” is Richard’s advice for up-and-coming breeders. “You don’t have to have lots of land or money, but you have to be dedicated. We didn’t even have a wheelbarrow to our names when we started here, but 30 years down the line…”
Ultimately, successful breeding blends knowledge, patience and putting your heart and soul into the game. Lady luck may play her part, but the key to excellence lies in Heniarth Stud’s vision and dedication.
To read our exclusive interview with Heniarth Stud’s Richard Miller and Meirion Davies in full, pick up a copy of Horse & Hound magazine, in shops from Thursday 25 September
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
