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We had seven beautiful, sweet, healthy babies to watch grow—some joined our breeding program, while others found wonderful homes with new and returning customers. And yet another foal has made the long journey from Wales to join our program!
We’ve been spoiled with three beautiful Thistledown Arctic Lore fillies.
The first is chestnut-roan-gone-grey Section B filly, Alvesta Fairy Lore—we’ve been crossing our fingers for this one! She’s out of one of our best mares, 15-year-old Alvesta Fairy Lustre (CadlanValley Pirate x Alvesta Mystique by GlanNant Adonis). Lore has crossed so well with our mare lines, and this is one of the top crosses, producing Owain, Oberon, Oneida, and now Fairy Lore. Fairy Lore is so typey and sweet, with loads of bone and size, and such a big, bold eye, like her dam and granddam, Mystique. We could hardly be happier with her; she’ll remain as a replacement mare for her dam.
The next Lore filly was out of 21-year-old Alvesta Sweet N Spicy (CadlanValley Pirate x Alvesta Buttons N Bows by Llandefalle Bonheddwr): chestnut Alvesta Arctic Rose. Her name is a throwback to Spice’s granddam, Alvesta Misty Rose (and Arctic Lore). Hard to believe it's been 21 years since we retained her dam: our first Pirate daughter. Rose is exceptionally smart and brave, with wonderful movement and bone; she’s an absolute sweetheart. We think she'll make a tremendous performance pony, like her brothers.
She is so like chestnut full brothers, Loki and Baldur, both of whom are living the very good life with Cathy Villeneuve on Vancouver Island. Cathy says they’re athletic, steady boys, coming along well in their riding / driving training. These are two of four Alvesta ponies Cathy owns, along with a fifth from Muriel Hill’s mare, Alvesta La Caramelo. We get the most wonderful updates of them all splashing around in the ocean together, or on trail hikes, or taking in local driving events—they have a lot of fun together, and Cathy says nothing fazes them.
Alvesta Anya was the third and final filly of 2023, a first foal for dam, Alvesta Angelina (Llanarth Tarquin x Alvesta Electra by CadlanValley Pirate). She was such a perfect baby that we had a little panic! First, there’s Fairy Lustre’s replacement daughter, then Spice’s replacement daughter, then this young mare has the most beautiful, sweet, bold little creature, from whom we can’t hardly tear ourselves away… and next thing you know, we’re holding onto three fillies! But she is special and a great mover, like her dam line of Angelina, Electra, and Fantasia. We love her.
Anya appears a twin to older brother, Alvesta Nikos, second foal from Alvesta Naiya. This typey colt was spoken for long before he arrived; he’s went across country to Jenna Ponzo, Crown Ridge Farms, Ontario. He’s home, and Jenna says she’s over the moon with him—and how sweet and snuggly he is! Naiya and her babies do have a special love of nose kisses. This is the third Alvesta pony that's found an absolutely wonderful home in Jenna’s breeding and show program, following Foxglove (6-year-old stallion) and Castula (yearling filly). She’s always done so well by our ponies; we told Nikos he’s in for the best life.
Genetics are so interesting. These two black foals are peas in a pod, and no wonder! Nikos and Anya are Thistledown Arctic Lore babies out of Llanarth Tarquin daughters (Naiya & Angelina), who are out of CadlanValley Pirate daughters (Spice & Electra), out of Llandefalle Bonheddwr daughters (Buttons & Fantasia), out of GlanNant Adonis daughters (Misty Rose & Mystique), out of Farnley Bellringer daughter, Alvesta Virginia Belle!
We had one more Section B colt, buckskin-gone-grey: Alvesta Dante (Nerwyn Gwyn [A] x Alvesta Electra [B] by CadlanValley Pirate). This has been another special cross for us; sire and dam are two of our strongest movers—and while we don’t often cross A x B, the right pairing can make for a great Welsh Pony. He’s the third from this cross, which produced Audelia (ridden pony in the States) and Eira (retained for our breeding program). Each has been an exceptional mover, with great mind and bone! We expect Dante will make a tremendous performance pony—he’ll mature around 12.2hh, with substance.
We had just one Welsh Mountain Pony foal, Alvesta Alvaro (Sunwillow Alfonso x Alvesta Gwyneth by Nerwyn Gwyn)—a well-balanced palomino colt with loads of presence and bone. He is the first foal for our new stallion, Alfonso, and we love him (and his sire!). Alvaro went to Kentucky as a stallion prospect for Brandye Smith, Visionary Welsh, who’s a new customer and has been wonderful.
On the haul south, poor Alvaro picked up strangles, so he had a rough start in his new home, but Brandye was quick to the vet, and his care was impeccable. He’s doing very well now. We were glad to hear that, throughout the process, he was his sweet, brave self.
Brandye’s Visionary Welsh has good mares from Lochinvar and Severn; we’re so happy that Alvaro has went to a quality breeding and show program!
While not born to us, there was another Alvesta foal in 2023! We had let go of one of our pregnant broodmares in 2022: Alvesta Ever After (CadlanValley Pirate x Alvesta Fantasia by Llandefalle Bonheddwr). It was particularly difficult because she’d been with us for 10 years; Ever After is an elegant, kind mare, and an exceptional mover, like her dam and siblings. However, we have her full sister and an over-full slate of mares and replacement fillies coming through, and we knew she was going to a wonderful home.
Ever After had already produced two beautiful foals from Thistledown Arctic Lore: Valentino (2023 WPCAO Res. Ch. High Point Section B stallion) and Arctic Ruby (on her way to becoming a children’s ridden pony), and now was in foal with the third. Karena Harvey had purchased Ruby, along with close relative, Elon, and they were living well on her pony oasis in Maple Ridge, BC. And so it was that Ever After left us, and Alvesta Arctic Willow was born to, and named by, the Harveys.
She was actually foaled out at Samantha Eidsness’s, where she saw relative, Alvesta Passion Flower. Turns out, they remembered each other and were quite bonded! They would have only met as foals, but these ponies’ memories are long.
There’s always that pang of regret, when selling one of your best, especially knowing this was a top cross for our Lore, but we’re grateful to be able to send our customers ponies of a quality we’d retain for our own program. Karena says, “They are both fabulous! Willow has the most vibrant personality I've ever known. She is beautiful in every way and is sure to be a future superstar medium pony hunter. She’s literally the leader of the pack and is so wonderful to lead that I use her to wrangle the other youngsters; wherever I lead Willow, the others follow. And of course, Ever After is the matriarch of the herd. She keeps the entire farm in line.” For 2024, Ever After is in foal to the promising young stallion Arnaby Ted E (Eyarth Eragon x Thistledown Lucy Lockett)!
When we hear about challenges others have faced, we realize we’ve been extraordinarily fortunate with healthy mares and foals, but this year, Alvesta Caris foaled a beautiful, palomino colt who didn’t take a breath. Other than very upset, mom was fine. But for whatever reason, baby was not, though he appeared perfect. Extra love to anyone else who’s lost a foal—it’s been a heartbreaker. He was Sunwillow Alfonso’s second foal.
The final foal news of 2023 is that we’ve brought over a colt from Wales! We’re thrilled to welcome the next generation of our Section B breeding program: CadlanValley Bobby Sox (CadlanValley Georgie Boy x CadlanValley Sweet Elation by Russetwood Elation). This has been a long time in the making: since our trip to Wales 18 years ago, when we met Georgette’s typey family and the lovely Newtonhill Naughty Boy Charlie… well, it’s been since before that—since we imported our wonderful CadlanValley Pirate, 25 years ago.
We’re grateful to Yvonne and Howell for trusting us with another top stallion prospect! And we’re beyond excited to see how he will cross with our daughters from CadlanValley Pirate, Thistledown Arctic Lore, Alvesta Helios, Llanarth Tarquin, and Nerwyn Gwyn! More about Bobby Sox here.
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