‘He certainly enjoyed his lap of honour’: prolific Dartmoor stallion retires at Royal Windsor
The prolific and much-adored Dartmoor pony Shilstone Rocks North Westerly made his final public appearance at the 2022 Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Owned by Lynda Calcutt, “Windy” — who is now 15 — certainly made his retirement date one to remember, as he won his class and headed the Dartmoor pony in-hand championship before taking a spin in the Castle Arena championship in front of The Queen.
His long-term rider Chloe Chubb was at his bridle:
“Windy hasn’t been in the ring since he retired from the ridden scene at Olympia in 2019,” she said. “In 2020, we had planned on aiming him for the Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) in-hand supreme — which he’s qualified for twice before — but obviously Covid prevented that.”
During his career Windy has won at HOYS on three separate occasions, was a twice HOYS in-hand finalist, finishing third at the final in 2015, and was a four-time Olympia finalist. He was also Royal Windsor champion in-hand as a two-year-old.
“Since his retirement he’s been covering mares,” continued Chloe. “It was so emotional and amazing to be reunited with him at Windsor. I’ve never competed in-hand here, so I asked Lynda earlier in the year if I could take Windy for a spin.
“He will now retire from the in-hand ring at the top, like he did as a ridden pony. He is the biggest personality and he certainly enjoyed his lap of honour in the main ring; he was trotting more like a Welsh than a Dartmoor.”
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Windy’s full brother, Shilstone Rocks Rainman, stood second to Windy in his class.
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Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.