We're excited to share that USEF Judge and writer Kim Ablon Whitney has just released another novel based around hunter/jumper horse showing, called "Blue Ribbons". Following her successful equitation-themed book, "The Perfect Distance", Ablon Whitney has turned her attention to the pony rings in her latest novel as she follows the adventures of Regan Sternlicht and her pony Woodland's Tried and True.

Take a look - it is available for Kindle on Amazon.com.

Enjoy!

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

Hi all,

we've begun using instagram (yay!) and are posting some of our favorite and most artsy hunter/jumper photos from the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. if you'd like to follow us, please subscribe to 'bigeq'. We hope you enjoy the pretty photos and gorgeous horses! You can sample our photos here:

http://instagram.com/bigeq

Posted in Awesome Amateurs Bigeq , Show Shots , The Art of Showing , The Pony Zone ,

Check out these pint-sized ponies and riders from the small/medium children's pony hunter division at WEF V.

SO. CUTE.

:)

Prince Monticello and Chloe Peebles

Caroline Philipson learning her course...

... then riding it on Satin

Aalsmeer Ambush and Ava Stearns

Go For The Gold and Natalie Jayne

Brooke Geddes

Justamere's Little Diamond and Eleanor Waugh

Posted in Bigeq Show Shots , The Pony Zone ,

We're always suckers here at Bigeq for adorable ponies - and there are plenty of those at WEF as usual. So for all the other pony hunter lovers out there, we present some of these cuties from last week's show for your enjoyment! :)

Elite Honeybee and Kelly Jo Coughlin in the children's pony hunters

Clementine Talmage and Cloudy Bay in the children's pony hunters.

Newsflash and Madison Goetzmann, medium pony hunters

True Love and Lindsay Levine, medium pony hunters

Cleverist and Daisy Farish, medium pony hunters

My Boy and Addison Piper, medium pony hunters

Woodland's Stevie Ray and Mimi Gochman in the medium pony hunters

Enchanted Forest and Meredith Darst, medium pony hunters

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

More sights from WEF week one...

Along with the rest of the horse community, we would like to send our best wishes to McLain Ward for a speedy recovery after his recent fall and knee injury. This photo was taken in the $6000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m on 1/13/12, a class he won on Esplanade 7, the day before.

Not sure who this CUTIE is, but he rocked the leadline class. :)

The competition was really fierce in the leadline - going across the boundaries of equestrian disciplines - English vs. Western! We think they're equally adorable. :)

Posted in Bigeq Show Shots , The Pony Zone ,

It's not every day that we receive an email like this at Bigeq.com: "I have a photo from the Devon show in 2002. Is there any way to get a reprint. My house was recently hit by a tornado, and I found the print, but it is badly damaged. It was of Frankly My Dear, a chestnut."

The email arrived in June from Linda Scherder, of Elite Welsh Ponies in Bowling Green, MO, a name I recognized from 10+ years of working within the hunter/jumper industry on Bigeq.com. I've followed the “Elite” ponies from Linda's breeding program for years, having a fondness for Elite Stormfront and, of course, “Frank.”

On the afternoon of April 19, 2011, a supercell thunderstorm formed near the farm, dumping torrential rains and baseball-sized hail. Linda was trying to finish her barn chores before the rain hit when her husband began to frantically scream to go to the house. From the billowing gray clouds, a whitish whirling funnel had dropped to the ground and it was headed directly for them.

Before descending into her basement, Linda pulled out her cell phone and took a solitary picture of the awesome yet terrible force of nature bearing down on her world. The tornado swept directly through the farm, toppling trees, tearing up outbuildings, twisting and destroying fencing, several tractors, a combine, and viciously chewing away at the family home.

Miraculously, most of Linda's ponies survived the ordeal unscathed. Three of her mares, however, were in a paddock directly in the path of the tornado. Elite Tiddly Winks, a 1993 14-hand bay mare, had lacerations and a severed tendon in her hock. After two weeks of treatment at the veterinary hospital, the mare stopped putting weight on her leg and had to be put down. Tiddly Winks had been a beloved member of the Scherder family. “She was always one of those ponies anyone at any age could ride and enjoy,” Linda said.

For weeks, the family continued to find their personal belongings scattered over the property, including the mud-caked picture of Frankly My Dear. For Linda, this part of the story has a happy ending. I emailed her two digital versions of the photo so she could make as many copies as she wanted.

Linda concluded the tornado “was very devastating, but no one was hurt. The stuff we lost is stuff. It can be replaced. I did lose a wonderful pony that I will miss forever, but I still know we are very blessed.” Linda and her family are looking to the future with optimism as they rebuild the farm. She's already back to work getting their the youngsters broken and started in their training. For those ponies she hopes to sell, perhaps she can add “tornado proof” to their advertisements!

Your best buy- maybe even a ‘tornado-proof' pony- awaits you at Bigeq.com. Finding great show horses and ponies has never been easier with Bigeq.com - we're first in hunter/jumper sales online. Come shop for your next show partner and view photos and video clips... or visit to sell your quality show horses and ponies.
www.bigeq.com

More information on Elite Welsh Ponies
http://www.elitewelshponies.com/

By C Smith, Bigeq.com
article first appeared in the Capital Challenge Daily Update, Oct 2, 2011.

Posted in Bigeq Bigeq Classic , The Pony Zone ,

Barbara Merryman and Westside make a picture-perfect combination competing in the large pony hunters:

Look at those beautiful knees!!

Westside is a 2003 warmblood gelding owned by Scott Stewart. Barbara and Westside started 2011 with a bang, earning a championship and a reserve championship at the Winter Equestrian Festival during weeks 1 & 3, respectively, in Wellington. They are currently third in the USEF national standings for large pony hunters. Nice!

PS love the jodphurs!

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

Meredith Darst and Forte compete in the pony hunters.

Pony hunter kids... There's nothing like some free time between classes to bond with friends.

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

Two charming pony hunters for your entertainment. SO CUTE.

What a color! Masquerade and Eve Gleeson in the medium pony hunters. Masquerade is owned by Christina Firestone of Wellington, Florida. The Australian bred mare stands 12.3 1/2 and is sure not to be missed the moment she enters the ring!

Weebiscuit and Vanessa Mazzoli, hailing from Rockford, Michigan, competing in the small pony hunters. The adorable pony is Welsh-bred and stands 12.1 1/2 hands, and will soon be celebrating his 10th birthday in April. We're wondering if Vanessa and Weebiscuit are around the same age? Cute!

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,

Chelsey Zulia and Peterpotamus, an 8 year-old 14.2h Welsh/TB gelging owned by Mika La Mare, LLC.

What's in a name? Peter Potamus was a cartoon series from the mid-1960s. It featured Peter Potamus the hippopotamus and his sidekick, So-So the monkey. Peter was big, purple, and friendly. Episodes generally consisted of Peter and So-So exploring the world in his time-traveling hot air balloon.

Posted in Bigeq The Pony Zone ,