Road Pony at Speed

by Carol Lynn Coronios

Title

Road Pony at Speed

Artist

Carol Lynn Coronios

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

A 'road pony' (or 'roadster pony') is a Hackney pony that is shown to a racing bike, with the driver wearing racing silks. This is the only class that enters the ring clockwise. This is because, in the US, horses race counterclockwise, and warm up in the opposite direction. So the first few laps of the ring are a warm-up. They show at the jog trot and road gait in the first direction, then the announcer asks them to reverse. Again, they show at jog trot and road trot - while everyone waits in anticipation for the "And show at speed!". I got chills just WRITING that! That call is electric - for the ponies, the drivers, and the crowd. Everyone yells, stomps, shouts encouragement to their favorite while the ponies race around the ring. And then comes the whistle (because the announcer can't be sure the competitors will hear his command above the enthusiastic crowd). The whistle is the signal to come back down to a jog trot. Shortly afterwards comes the call to line up. A handler comes in to 'head' (stand at the head of) each pony while the judge makes his/her decision and the ribbons are awarded. The header helps calm the pony - they are still on an adrenalin rush! The winner takes a victory lap and flies out of the arena to more whooping!

This picture was taken at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA at the UPHA Region 14 Spring Premiere, the show that kicks off the show season for American Saddlebreds, Hackneys, Friesians, and Morgans.

Uploaded

April 20th, 2014

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