Shetland ‘couple’ model his and hers festive finery
Remember Daffy — the adorable Shetland pony who donned a festive “foursie” to get into the Christmas spirit? Well he is back… and he has found love.
Ascot racecourse has unveiled special “his and hers” Christmas rugs for the Shetland and his new lady-friend, Daphne.
The racecourse has created a short film of the diminutive pair’s “chance encounter” and is encouraging all racegoers to don their own festive finery at its Christmas Racing Weekend (16-17 December) for charity.
Visitors to the racecourse will be encouraged to make a donation at the meeting to Save The Children.
“Daffy was getting a bit lonely in his stables so it’s lovely that Ascot has helped me find him a new companion and made them matching Christmas outfits,” said Daffy’s owner Jackie Rowberry, an animal trainer at TV and film company Animal Dramatics.
“Daffy and Daphne will enjoy a lovely Christmas together and I couldn’t be happier for them.”
Ascot’s Chrismas Racing Weekend features its most valuable day of National Hunt racing (Saturday, 17 December) and is its final racing fixture of the year.
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A video of Daffy in his seasonal one-piece went viral ahead of the meeting in 2015.
Jackie said at the time that she loved the fact the racecourse had created the special foursie for him so he could “get into the Christmas spirit”.
“In winter I always worry about Daffy getting chilly as he likes to spend so much time out of his stable,” she said.
“He has loved all the attention and is quite the envy among his stable buddies!”
Shetlands sporting patterned togs have made headlines several times over recent years.
Socks — the moonwalking pony of mobile phone company Three advert fame — donned a woolly jumper as a brand ambassador for the Shetland Isles, and Visit Scotland also dressed a couple of ponies in cardigans for one of its advertising campaigns.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.