827 Welsh Cobs, Welsh ponies of cob-type and Welsh part-breds were offered at the Brightwells Autumn Sale at Builth Wells. 654 were sold for a Sale total of £664,496 with an average of £1,016. 62 animals were sold for export, 21 to Germany, 13 to France, 11 to Ireland, 6 to Holland, 3 each to Sweden, Denmark and Finland and 1
each to Australia and the Chech Republic.

The top animals kept their prices despite the economic climate, the staggering £12,000 received by John, Bev and Jonathan Batt of Abergavenny for their elegant bay section D filly foal Abergavenny Princess Yasmin broke the record of £11,000 which Mrs Mary Edwards had for her filly foal Cascob Powys Princess in 2006. Princess Yasmin was bought by Henrie Leeuwenhaag, a leading section A breeder in Holland. Mr Leeuwenhaag also bought the section C colt foal Abergavenny Emperor for £1,600.

Palominos and duns were in great demand and the eleven-year-old dun mare Mathfred April, who had once qualified for the Horse Of The Year Show and was sold by Mrs Gregory of Cobham, Surrey sold for £9,200. Her sire Danaway Flash Jack was Royal Welsh champion in 2000. April was bought by Miss Coppins of Selling, Kent.

Chris Davies of the Daukester Stud in Wiltshire received the top price recently at the Fayre Oaks Sale for his ridden section B Akadame Scimitar, this time he had the top ridden price for section D with his brilliant six-year-old mare Llechryd Helen who has been the most successful novice ridden cob of 2008. Bred in Tredegar, Helen returned to Wales bought by Cadi Jones of the Celtic Shop, Betws-y-Coed.

The Parvadean and Popsters Studs of Jack and Justin Davis from Cinderford, Gloucestershire offered some super section C’s topped by the twelve-year-old bay mare Parvadean Golden Glory which was sold for £7,200. Golden Glory was completely “Synod” bred, sired by Synod Replay with dam Synod Ginette and granddam Synod Gwendoline. Golden Glory was bought by Ilona Pykalainen, chairman of the Welsh Pony and Cob Society in Finland who also bought the section D mare Ilar Lowri for £2,500.

Fronarth Stud who won both section C and D championships at the 2007 Royal Welsh Show had an exceptional consignment of two black filly foals sired by Fronarth Welsh Magic, Fronarth Welsh Duchess which sold for £7,000 to Mrs Middleton of Dorset and Fronarth Flashy Lady which sold for £5,500 to the King family of Perth, Australia. In addition they sold the ten-year-old black stallion Fronarth Dafydd Du for £6,500 to Mr Rogers of Glanhirin, Elan Valley.

There was also a good trade for the best breeding cobs: the three-year-old bay roan colt Trixies He’s Agoodan from Wickford in Essex with a Trixies sire, dam and grand-dam sold for £7,000 to Mr Fountain of Ruislip. The nine-year-old bay mare Tireve Serena consigned by Steve Everitt of Llangadog and sired by his Oxspring Prince which has won many ridden championships this year, sold for £6,200 to the Wishaw Stud, Sutton Coldfield. Mr Nelson Smith of Balsall Common, who won the George Prince of Wales cup at this year’s Royal Welsh Show sold a nine-year-old mare Trevallion Black Polly, sired by Trevallion Flash Jack for £6,000 to Mrs Steeples of Ashbourne, Derbyshire and Mrs Carol Prater of the Rhencullen Stud, Llanybyther sold her ten-year-old stallion Ruska Mab-y-Brenin, a winner at Glanusk Show for £5,800 to Owen Jones of the Nebo Stud.

Dr Etienne Stevens of Bourville, France has many times bought the top cobs at these Sales. This time he bought the stunning colt foal Haighmoor Dewi Sant for £5,400 from Julie Evans of Llanfyllin and the elegant filly foal Brynithon Lively Maid for £5,000 from John Merrick of Crickhowell.

Mrs Owen of Pontllyfni, Caernarfon sold the dun three-year-old colt Dwyfor Simba, bred at one of the oldest North Wales Studs and he fetched £5,300 to Mrs Hilary Daniels of the Isle of Wight. The well-known ridden stallion Rotherdale Rhodri from Laura Ferris of Abergavenny sold for £5,100 to Alan Pearce of the Glyncoch Stud, St Clears. The two-year-old filly Glantraeth Evita from John Evans’ famous stud in Anglesey fetched £5,000 and went to Mr Morgan of Heol Las Farm, Penderyn and the top Welsh part-bred was the three-year-old piebald gelding Ranchella Merlyn, again of Dwyfor breeding which also fetched £5,000 and went to John Evans of Verwig, Cardigan.

25 animals sold for £4,000 or more, 48 for £3,000 or more, 79 for £2,000 or more and 209 for £1,000 or more.