Founders and Foundation Stock

This history of the Welsh pony and the Welsh Cob in Canada has earlier beginnings than the history of Welsh in B.C. It is well and articulately documented in Pat Clay and Donna Hunter’s book “Canadian Welsh Recollections”.

On this page we will talk about the history of the Welsh (pony and cob) in B.C. from the first importers of stock from England and Wales and Eastern Canada and the USA to the founding of the B.C. Welsh Pony and Cob Society and its early and instrumental members.

Volume One of the Canadian Pony Society’s Stud Book lists 33 Welsh stallions in Canada. Townyvale Taffy (Imp. #9) and Townyvale Davis (Imp. #24 were owned by O. Meredith Jones of British Columbia. Don Pedro (Imp. #17) was bred in England, imported in utero to Aurora, Ill., USA and sold as a two year old to A.D. McRae, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Pioneer Breeders:

Nan and Don Jeffs – Tanglewood
TANGLEWOOD

Born in Cornwall, England, Nanette Jeffs parents claimed her first word was "HORSE". Every day on her way to school, she passed a field with a beautiful Welsh mare in it, a cream with a black mane and tail. Nanette's greatest wish was to own a pony just like her.

Many years later, in 1953 in Canada, the Jeffs moved to a small farm in Surrey. they had heard of the Welsh ponies owned by Frank Ross and made an appointment with the stud manager to see them. On turning the bend in the driveway, Nan couldn't believe her eyes - there in front of her was her dream pony; a cream with a black mane and tail, Chamcook Cui Mouse. Many years later they were finally able to purchase her, unfortunately old and crippled by then, but that first visit to Chamcook started their love affair with Welsh ponies.

The next year they purchased their first registered Welsh yearling pony, Chamcook Twilight boy [Coed Coch Tlws X Craven Springly] bred by Frank Ross. their plans were to cross grade ponies and horses to produce good children's ponies. At the great age of thirty-seven, Twilight boy was still living with the Jeffs.

Since purchasing ponies from the USA was very expensive, the Jeffs decided to go to the source and, in 1958, imported Revel Nymph (731) [Clan Bard x Bolgoed Nymph] from Emkyrs Griffiths of the Revel Stud. Imported bloodlines and type were very important to Tanglewood and Nan feels that Coed Coch Glyndwr has had a lot of influence on her herd. Her ponies carry the bloodlines of Coed Coch Twls, Captain Cat, Coed Coch Mefusen, Coed Coch Pwysi with outcrosses to Bolgoed, Clan and Revel. Nan would consider importing again.

In order to produce a smaller, typier pony, they have used line breeding. Having had approximately thirty ponies at one time, they felt the greater numbers enabled them to try different combinations looking for that perfect nick.

For Nan, every foal is a thrill, but having the blue spot light shining on her daughter and Chamcook Sundown after they won the riding/driving combination class at the Pacific National Exhibition was the greatest thrill of all. Cat's Boy [Chamcook Mountain Cat X Tanglewood Catkin], a bay stallion is her all-time favourite pony.

Showing, advertising and word of mouth have helped to promote the Tanglewood ponies. A large portion of their market is in the Northwestern States.

Nan makes the same observation as many other long time breeders: that the quality of the ponies is improving but judges still lack the knowledge to discern Welsh type.

If she was to start over again, instead of raising two breeds, Nanette feels she would only raise Welsh. Her advice to the newcomer would be:
Buy the best pony mare you can and then breed to a stallion of true Welsh type.

Only by letting people know the joy of owning a Welsh, whether it be A,B,or Cob will we be able to secure the future of the breed in Canada. The judges must be made to realize that they are judging a native pony breed, not a small horse of some kind. We should proudly show what we breed, a living piece of art, not breeding for the show ring as Shetland and now the Arabian people have, turning out an artificial neurotic that no one wants.

"Our ponies have been used for pleasure, harness and breeding. They have kept us healthy with the fresh air and hard work. We have made friends through our Welsh. Our stock and experience has helped establish many Welsh breeders," says Nan proudly.

After raising and loving ponies for thirty-six + years, Nan's has passed away (February 19, 2011) and her pony herd has been disbursed to several Welsh breeders in the province, but her contribution to Welsh in B.C. has been profound and her Tanglewood stamp resounds with quality and Welsh type. We owe a lot to this feisty British lady. Many people who own Welsh in B.C., own Tanglewood ponies or ponies who have descended from the lovely stock she produced.

Lt. Governor Frank Ross – Chamcook (Rancho Alegria)

Wikipedia information:

Frank Mackenzie Ross, CMG, MC (April 19, 1891 in Glasgow, Scotland – 1971 in Vancouver) was the 19th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Ross' first job was as a bank clerk in Montreal in 1910. He joined the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War I, serving with the 8th Battalion. During the war, Ross received the Military Cross and was a captain by the war’s end.

After the war, Ross joined a shipbuilding company in Saint John, New Brunswick. From this start, Ross went on to careers in industry and finance. During World War II, Ross assisted in Ottawa procuring supplies for the British Admiralty. His wartime service earned Ross the C.M.G.. Also during the war, Ross married Phyllis Turner, whose son John Turner would later become Prime Minister of Canada.

Ross was appointed as Lieutenant-Governor on October 3, 1955. During Ross' term, a fire destroyed Government House. A new Government House was completed in May 1959, the year before Ross retired from the office of Lieutenant-Governor. With all of the furnishings destroyed, Frank Ross and his wife, Phyllis, went to the United Kingdom in search of suitable pieces. The Rosses purchased 114 pieces of furniture, which they donated to the new Government House.

Canadian Welsh Recollections says this about Gov. Ross:

Frank Ross was a maritime from New Brunswick, whose ship building and other interests brought him to British Columbia shortly after the war. He purchased a farm in the Lower Fraser Valley and, between 1955 and 1960, was the Lt. Governor of the Province.

Frank Ross started in pony breeding with registered Shetlands in New Brunswick. His first Shetland registered with the Chamcook prefix was foaled in 1944, the last bred in 1952. His interest in ponies expanded in 1948 to include Welsh and he was instrumental in importing some of the original Welsh to New Brunswick and British Columbia. Twelve mares and two stallions were imported between 1948 and 1950.

One of his first three mares was the dam of world famous Coed Coch Madog. She was Coed Coch Mefusen (223) [Coed Coch Glyndwr x Grove Madcap], imported in 1948 to New Brunswick as a five year old. Coed Coch Mefusen was in foal to Tan-Y-Bwlch producing Chamcook Peter (233) on May 5th, 1949. In the same shipment were Craven Toscalight (222) [Gwyndy Rising Light x Craven Toscanini] and Craven Sprightly Twilight (224) [Craven Greylight x Gwyndy Sprite], who was in foal to Revel Commander, producing Chamcook Brenda (234).

Another excellent mare that Frank Ross imported was Criban Scilla (230) [Revel Wampus x Criban Leading Lady] in 1949. She won the Princess Margaret Cup at the National Pony Stud in Roehampton, before being purchased and transported to Canada.

The stallions were Rhyd-y-Felin Seon (232) [Coed Coch Seryddwr x Coed Coch Sirius] imported as a three year old in 1949 and Coed Coch Tlws (241) [Coed Coch Glyndwr x llwyn Tinwen] imported in 1950 as a six year old.

Governor Ross tended to use one name several times, putting a different number behind it to distinguish the ponies. For instance, in 1955, he registered Chamcook Seon the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th and Chamcook Tlws 7th, 8th and 14th.

At the 1959 Coed Coch Reduction Sale, Coed Coch Pwysi (1002) [Coed Coch Madog x Coed Coch Prydferth] was purchased on behalf of Mrs. F. M. Ross for 925 guineas ($2,775), which was the highest bid of the sale.

Captain Cat, a Welsh Mountain pony that has had a great influence on the breed in Western Canada and the USA, was imported in February 1962, having been shipped by boat to the east coast by Lt. Governor Frank M Ross of British Columbia and thence flown to Cloverdale, British Columbia to the famous Braeside Farm. His previous owner, Moses Griffith of Bangor, North Wales, described Captain Cat (1304) [Coed Coch Glyndwr x Mountain Celeandire] in these words:

I am not aware of a better type of Welsh Mountain Pony in Wales. In fact, Captain Cat in some respects was the best, especially in his quarters and the setting of his tail.

During his stay at Braeside Farm, his offspring, under the Chamcook prefix, were consistent winners in halter and get of sire classes in the Northwest. Governor ross imported Gretton Beauty (854) [Bowdler Blue Boy x Gretoon Sunstar] in 1958 and she spent the rest of her life as an erstwhile companion of Captain Cat. Their progeny almost never failed to produce a champion. Some examples of this very successful cross were Chamcook Sunstar, a black stallion, owned by Mr. A.J. Atchison of British Columbia. Also, Rice’s Captain Jinks, a bay stallion and the mares Chamcook Roslyn, Chamcook Gwyneth, Chamcook Roxanne and Catrina were all great winners for this imported sire.

In 1965, Frank Ross sold most of his Eastern herd, a good portion of which went to the USA, with the remainder finding new owners in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The last of the one hundred and fifty-four ponies bred and Canadian registered by Governor Ross appears in 1972. In 1977 and 1979, A.J. Atchison used the Chamcook prefix on two ponies which he, in fact, had bred.

June Osborn - Turls Hill Welsh Pony Stud (1959)
June passed away April 26th, 2010 at her home in Vernon, B.C.
Turls Hill Ponies, Vernon, B.C.

The Turls Hill Welsh Pony Stud was started in 1959, deriving the name from the ancestrol home in Britain. the original herd of six bred mares and one colt was purchased from the Fayre Stud of T. Wilding-Davies, Hereford, England. The ponies travelled on a Dutch freighter via the Panama Canal to Vancouver, taking a total of forty-two days. From Vancouver, they were trucked the three hundred miles to the Okanagan, arriving in perfect health. the mare, with Fayre Hero (900) [xRevel Springlight] at foot, was Fayre Naughty (898) [Fayre Gambler x Craven Springlight]. Hero lived with the Osborns until his death at twenty-five. The mares were bred to Revel Springlight and Revel Lone Star before coming to Canada and the following spring produced three colts and three fillies. Some of the mares were then bred to Chamcook Felin Laddie (432) [Rhyd-y-Felin Seon x Doed Coch Mefusen].

Over the years bloodlines from Revel, Fayre and Ardmore studs have been used, but the ponies with thte greatest influence in their herd were Fayre Naughty and Revel Buttercup (895) [Revel Springlight x Revel Butterfuly]. At one time there were thirty-eight ponies on the farm.

“I thought I would share some info on Turls Hill Fancy Me. Dad and I bought Fancy from June Osborne I think in 1984. I competed him in3 day eventing up to the preliminary level, then did hunter jumper with him. Dad then broke him to drive and did shows and carriage eventing with him. He was the most fabulous pony. We both had a lot of fun with him.”

Regards,
Emma MacDonald {Wilding-Davies}