Of course, if your ambition is to compete at 1.50m showjumping level or 4* eventing, it may be more challenging to find a pony capable of performing at that standard, although, as you'll see below, it is certainly not impossible. However, that is not the reality for the vast majority of riders. In dressage particularly, I struggle to see any inherent disadvantage to ponies. They have been selectively bred for high-level dressage for over 60 years, so why is there still an assumption that junior riders should sell their pony and move onto something bigger as soon as they turn 17?
If a rider has outgrown their pony in terms of height or weight, that is understandable. However, many riders, especially women, can comfortably ride a 148cm pony for the rest of their adulthood. Personally, although only at a low level, I have competed my 145.5cm pony in British Showjumping classes against horses and never felt she was at any disadvantage because of her size.
So, let's take a look at some standout examples of ponies successfully competing in horse classes across all three Olympic disciplines...
Showjumping
Stroller
No article about successful ponies would be complete without mentioning Stroller. The remarkable 14.1hh pony remains the only pony ever to compete at the Olympic Games, and he didn't just make up the numbers. Ridden by Marion Coakes, Stroller claimed an individual silver medal in showjumping at the 1968 Olympic Games, cementing his place in equestrian history.
Their achievements did not stop there. Over the course of their partnership, this partnership won an incredible 61 international competitions. Stroller's success challenges many of the assumptions people have about what ponies can and cannot achieve. More than half a century later, he remains perhaps the greatest example of a pony competing on equal terms with horses at the very highest level of the sport.Stroller's sire, the Thoroughbred stallion Little Heaven, achieved immense success when crossed with Connemara mares. His name can still be found in the pedigrees of most Connemara ponies through his son Carna Dun, who was out of a Connemara mare by Dun Heath.
Little Heaven was also the sire of Dundrum, another outstanding performer out of a Connemara mare, by Gil. Standing at only 15 hands, not much taller than Stroller himself, Dundrum also achieved Grand Prix level in showjumping and famously cleared 2.18m in the puissance at HOYS in 1961.
Another Little Heaven son out of a Connemara mare, Texas Hope, was exported to the United States, where he became an important foundation sire in the development of the North American Connemara population. While Stroller's dam's pedigree is unknown, she was supposedly also a Connemara mare.
Showtym Viking
After winning several Pony Grand Prix classes in his first season with Amanda Wilson in New Zealand, when Amanda turned 17, she chose not to part with Showtym Viking. Instead, he was reclassified as a horse and continued his career at the highest levels of the sport.
The decision proved to be a masterstroke. Viking went on to win the 7-Year-Old Horse of the Year title, and compete in World Cup classes over tracks ranging from 1.40m to 1.60m.
Following a hugely successful career with Amanda, Viking was sold to Denmark in 2014, where he returned to pony competitions and continued to perform successfully at levels up to 1.30m. A few years ago he returned home to New Zealand with Amanda for his retirement. Little information can be found about Showtym Viking's immediate parents, beyond the fact that his sire, Salute the Stars, was licensed with the NZWA in 1990 and produced a number of talented jumpers in New Zealand alongside Viking.
However, a closer look at his sire's pedigree reveals a strong foundation of proven sport horse bloodlines in the Southern Hemisphere. His Sire's Sire, Salute, was a KWPN stallion imported to Australia and became an influential sires in the development of Australian sport horse breeding. His offspring included numerous successful performance horses, notably 4* eventing stallion Staccato, and Grand Prix dressage horses Victory Salute and Stirling Stilton.
Salute the Stars' damsire was Contact, a Holsteiner stallion by the legendary Cor de la Bryère.
Eventing
Theodore O'Connor
When Karen O'Connor took the ride of Theodore O'Connor's completed his 4* debut at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, where he finished in 3rd place.
His success continued when he was selected for the United States team at the Pan American Games. There, Theodore O'Connor helped secure team gold and, in an even greater achievement, outperformed a field of more experienced and larger horses to claim the individual gold medal as well.
The little horse with the huge heart went on to finish 6th at the 2008 Rolex Kentucky 4* and was subsequently short-listed for the United States Olympic team. Standing at just 14.1hh, and being part Shetland pony, Theodore O'Connor became one of eventing's greatest underdog stories.
Teddy's achievements sparked interest in repeating the cross. At least four full siblings exist, but I could not find any record of any of them on the FEI database, but it looks like most of them are registered with USEF.
Interestingly Teddy's former rider, Christian Trainor, is also now a keen sport pony breeder herself in Australia, with the prefix 'Glenhill'.
Ridden by Melissa Joannides, Prometheus has many double clears at events up to 3* level. Among his many achievements, he placed 3rd out of a field of 101 starters at Chatsworth 2*.Of all the ponies featured in this article, Prometheus is the only one currently available for breeding today - don't miss your chance to breed to this remarkable stallion!
Prometheus
Ridden by Melissa Joannides, Prometheus has many double clears at events up to 3* level. Among his many achievements, he placed 3rd out of a field of 101 starters at Chatsworth 2*.Of all the ponies featured in this article, Prometheus is the only one currently available for breeding today - don't miss your chance to breed to this remarkable stallion!
Prometheus's dam, Pinch of Pepper, was originally a rescue pony, therefore she has no recorded breeding. Despite this, she proved her ability in sport, successfully competing in both showjumping up to 1.10m and eventing.
Prometheus's sire, the German Riding Pony Romulus, was imported to the UK as a youngster. Although his pedigree is predominantly FEI dressage pony lines (Renoir WE x Don Joshi AT x Dancer), and despite now being gelded, he has made a name for himself as a successful FEI event pony sire -
Another notable offspring is the FEI 2* event pony Buzz Lightyear, who, like Prometheus, is out of a proven event pony mare with unrecorded breeding.
Dressage
After being licensed in Germany, Hilkens Denali was first exported to New Zealand, where he was ridden by Amy de Langen.The pair progressed through the levels to Grand Prix dressage and successfully competed at Small Tour level. In 2012, he was awarded Principal Status with the New Zealand Warmblood Studbook.
Denali was later purchased by Wendy Lorincz and imported to Australia, where he continued to excel in the dressage arena. Ridden by Wendy, he earned the titles of State Champion and Australian Advanced National Champion at the 2019 Australian Championships. The reins were then handed to Alison Gill, who continued Denali's impressive career and campaigned him successfully at Grand Prix level. Following a long and distinguished career, the gelding was retired from competition last year.
View his pedigree here
Despite coming from very successful lineage (Danny Gold x Chantre B) (I discuss more about Chantre B's pedigree in this article) I was actually unable to find much information on Denali's direct sire, Dreamcatcher.
On his dam's side, Denali is a maternal half-brother to Hilkens Gold Card, a popular breeding stallion here in the UK. Denali's dam, Schamilla, is also the maternal half-sister to Sira, the mare responsible for producing an extraordinary number of successful sport ponies.
Among Sira's descendants are the FEI dressage pony BKS Grand Design, BKS Coolio (the only British-bred pony to both compete AND win at the Bundeschampionate), Sweet Belladonna K, who was exported to Australia as a broodmare, Syrah, the dam of Hilkens Black Delight, Shakyrah, the dam of Hilkens Charismatic, who was imported to the UK, and Sophie, another mare now imported to the UK and herself the dam of countless successful ponies.
This is truly an influential dam line, with descendants now excelling now multiple continents.
Orchid's Tamino was imported from the Netherlands to the United States in 2017 as a three-year-old and has steadily worked his way through the dressage ranks with rider Sarah Stinneford.
Last year Tamino and Stinneford made their Grand Prix debut, earning their USDF Gold Medal.
The combination are expected to continue competing at FEI level for many years to come.
As the owner of two Orchid's ponies myself, Tamino's pedigree is one I know particularly well. His sire, the Dutch Riding Pony stallion Orchid's Cestanii, was a true all-round performer, competing in FEI showjumping as well as national-level dressage. Cestanii's dam is the FEI eventing pony Monique, and his sire is Kantje's Carlando, was sired by the legendary Kantje's Ronaldo. Both Carlando and Ronaldo are featured in my Sire Rankings and my Master's thesis (read more here).
Tamino's damline traces back to Anouk, a Welsh Part-Bred mare who was the very first broodmare purchased by Orchid's Stud. From this foundation mare has emerged an impressive legacy, with numerous FEI-level eventing, showjumping and dressage ponies descending from the same dam line.
Hilkens Denali
After being licensed in Germany, Hilkens Denali was first exported to New Zealand, where he was ridden by Amy de Langen.The pair progressed through the levels to Grand Prix dressage and successfully competed at Small Tour level. In 2012, he was awarded Principal Status with the New Zealand Warmblood Studbook.
Denali was later purchased by Wendy Lorincz and imported to Australia, where he continued to excel in the dressage arena. Ridden by Wendy, he earned the titles of State Champion and Australian Advanced National Champion at the 2019 Australian Championships. The reins were then handed to Alison Gill, who continued Denali's impressive career and campaigned him successfully at Grand Prix level. Following a long and distinguished career, the gelding was retired from competition last year.
Despite coming from very successful lineage (Danny Gold x Chantre B) (I discuss more about Chantre B's pedigree in this article) I was actually unable to find much information on Denali's direct sire, Dreamcatcher.
On his dam's side, Denali is a maternal half-brother to Hilkens Gold Card, a popular breeding stallion here in the UK. Denali's dam, Schamilla, is also the maternal half-sister to Sira, the mare responsible for producing an extraordinary number of successful sport ponies.
Among Sira's descendants are the FEI dressage pony BKS Grand Design, BKS Coolio (the only British-bred pony to both compete AND win at the Bundeschampionate), Sweet Belladonna K, who was exported to Australia as a broodmare, Syrah, the dam of Hilkens Black Delight, Shakyrah, the dam of Hilkens Charismatic, who was imported to the UK, and Sophie, another mare now imported to the UK and herself the dam of countless successful ponies.
This is truly an influential dam line, with descendants now excelling now multiple continents.
Orchid's Tamino
Orchid's Tamino was imported from the Netherlands to the United States in 2017 as a three-year-old and has steadily worked his way through the dressage ranks with rider Sarah Stinneford.
Last year Tamino and Stinneford made their Grand Prix debut, earning their USDF Gold Medal.
The combination are expected to continue competing at FEI level for many years to come.
As the owner of two Orchid's ponies myself, Tamino's pedigree is one I know particularly well. His sire, the Dutch Riding Pony stallion Orchid's Cestanii, was a true all-round performer, competing in FEI showjumping as well as national-level dressage. Cestanii's dam is the FEI eventing pony Monique, and his sire is Kantje's Carlando, was sired by the legendary Kantje's Ronaldo. Both Carlando and Ronaldo are featured in my Sire Rankings and my Master's thesis (read more here).
Tamino's damline traces back to Anouk, a Welsh Part-Bred mare who was the very first broodmare purchased by Orchid's Stud. From this foundation mare has emerged an impressive legacy, with numerous FEI-level eventing, showjumping and dressage ponies descending from the same dam line.
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