52 
Welsh Ponies and Cobs. 
uninviting an appearance that, being unclaimed, they weie sold 
for the Society’s benefit. ~ 
On March 17, 1913, it was decided to adopt the Commons 
Act, with the result that the Board of Agriculture granted a 
premium of 5 1. to each of these Association sta ions. o 
briefly and simply reads this little history of action taken by 
wise commoners. So simply also should read the action taken 
in other places, if only sufficient interest could be stirre up. 
Penybont. 
Penybont alone of the selected areas has thrown away its 
chances of the proffered prizes for this year. 
Eppynt Forest. 
Perhaps the most sensational event connected with the 
distribution of the Board of Agricultural Premiums was the 
show held for that purpose on the Eppynt Hills m May last 
The place of rendezvous was an old historic wayside ale- 
house called the Drovers Inn far removed from all other 
dwellings in a district that to most was a terra incognita. 
There were present owners, breeders, farmers, and all sorts 
and conditions of men— but all, however, with one object m 
view, to see what could be done to improve the Welsh pony. 
• There were unfortunately but few really good ponies present, 
and two of the best, although exhibited, did not compete tor 
the premiums. , „ „ , ., 
What the judge (Mr. T. F. Dale) thought of the exhibits 
has doubtless ere this been reported upon and communicated 
to the proper authorities. As onlookers we felt that here 
certainly was a huge tract of land that could be improved 
beyond* recognition by following out the suggestions of the 
Mountain Pony Commission, and where, by a drastic change in 
conditions of pony breeding, a great change for the better could 
be effected in the course of a few years. 
The two best animals, as mentioned above, did not compete. 
Of these, the one was “ a starling coloured dark grey flecked 
with white,” with a bright silver mane that flashed in the sun. 
The other was a dun pony, and of the same colour as were 
we are told — the old dun-coloured horses of Upper Europe 
and Asia. These duns presumably formed the substrate of the 
grey Celtiberian horses, and were of that same yellow dun 
colour that is to-day known as Isabella (un cheval Isabelle). 
In the actual competition, the one that was placed first was 
typical of the breed, but the bulk were not up to the mark, 
on the whole it must be admitted that the show of ponies on 
the Eppynt Hills in 1913 displayed the fact that there was 
ample room for improvement. 
