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.”
Windy’s full brother, Shilstone Rocks Rainman, stood second to Windy in his class.
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