Here we pay tribute to some of the outstanding mares and stallions who helped to sculpt our herd into what it is today; to our past friends we give thanks.
Alvesta Virginia Belle
Section B Dun Mare Foaled 1978
Farnley Bellringer x Quorn Stoney Crossing by *Betws Rhawnwyn
Virginia Belle was a wonderful, Champion mare who produced many excellent ponies for us. Our homebred Section B mares are all descendants of Virginia Belle. Her daughters are highly valued at home, and with other breeders; she's the dam of our mares Alvesta Misty Rose and Alvesta Mystique
Unfortunately in the fall of 2004 we had to put our wonderful old mare down, but her legacy lives on through her many descendants.
Alvesta Misty Rose
Section B Bay Roan Mare Foaled 1984
GlanNant Adonis x Alvesta Virginia Belle by Farnley Bellringer
Misty Rose was a great producer of breeding stock and performance ponies, and we are very fortunate to have a daughter of hers, Alvesta Buttons N Bows, remaining in our herd.
At 13.2hh she was a big, pretty mare with a lovely Welsh head and excellent conformation. Misty Rose had a kind, sweet personality and was well loved by everyone. She was a treasure, and will be greatly missed.
Alvesta Mystique
Section B Grey Mare Foaled 1986
GlanNant Adonis x Alvesta Virginia Belle by Farnley Bellringer
Mystique was super typy and a lovely mover – she was one gorgeous mare whose produce are the same. She had the sweetest, most gentle temperament you could find. Mystique was a classic; she will be greatly missed.We are very fortunate to have three of her daughters remaining in our herd: Alvesta Fantasia, Alvesta Monique, and Alvesta Fairy Lustre.
*Rosedale El Senor
Section B Dark Brown Stallion foaled 1991
Pennwood El Dorado x Rosedale Fairytale by Rosedale Mohican
El Senor is the epitome of elegance and grace. Supreme Champion and sire of Supreme Champions. A wonderful stallion who sired many foals with that awesome intelligent, kind temperament, and beautiful elegance that is El's trademark. He produces wonderful performance ponies with that natural jump that allows them to excel in the hunter field. We were very fortunate to have had El for all those years and hope his new owners, Charlotte Redden and Lisa Maynard, love El as much as we do. Sire of our mare Alvesta Monique
Alvesta Star Delight
Section A Grey Mare 1983-2006
Liseter Star Design x Quorn Stoney Crossing by *Betws Rhawnwyn
Star Delight was a terrific harness pony and broodmare. Dam of the many time harness winner and excellent broodmare Alvesta Sweetheart, Alvesta Star Attraction as well as others. Her son in North Carolina, Alvesta Sunstar, was 2008 Horse of the Year. Pictured at 23 yrs
Gallod Twm Sion Catti
Section A Chestnut Stallion
Lianna's D M Silver x Marbren Rose by Carib Reigning Monarch
Supreme Champion and sire of Supreme Champions, Speed is a magnificent stallion who produces ponies with wonderful temperament and showring personality. 2008 Section A Sire of the Year; sire of our beloved Champions Alvesta Bubblicious and Alvesta Firebolt, among other Alvesta ponies who found new homes. Now standing at Hallmark Welsh.
Betws Auryn
Section A Chestnut Stallion
Our first Welsh pony, and a great old stallion, Auryn was sired by the world famous Coed Coch Madog, and out of Criban Golden Spray - also very famous. Auryn was foaled in 1956. He was the pride and joy of Alvesta Farm for twelve years and a pony that we always said would live out his life with us. But there came a time when it seemed selfish to keep him for our own small herd filled with his daughters. So Auryn headed to Neilsondale Farm in Ontario at twenty-two years old. He was a wonderful family pony and once you own an Auryn the dye is set. The horses left home, Welsh mares were bought, and a lifetime love affair with the Welsh pony began - all due to one little Welsh Mountain pony stallion.
Brookside Ambassador
Section A Chestnut with Roaning Stallion
*Friars Llysgennad x Findeln Onyx by *Findeln Sand Dollar
A lovely stallion, he brought home the Championships when we showed him. Beautiful mover, sweet and sensible temperament, and great bloodlines, we are proud to have his descendents in our herd. Sire of our beautiful mare Alvesta Lil Gumdrop.
Alvesta Adonis
Section A Palomino Stallion
*Betws Auryn x Quorn Stoney Crossing by *Betws Rhawynwyn
Adonis and his full brother Alvesta Aquarius and Alvesta Auryn were our first big showring winners including winning Get of Sire and Produce of Dam against all breeds of horses and ponies. We foolishly sold the only full sister Alvesta Aleta as a young pony, not realizing she would be the only filly from that exceptional cross.
Llandefalle Bonheddwr
13.1hh Section B Bay Stallion
*Springbourne Buckle x Shenandoah Nymph by *Farnley Lustre
Bonhe was a family favorite. The day he headed for Lemontree Farm in Iowa was a very sad day for us, but as a small breeder, and having had retained his daughters, sadly it was time for him to move on. Bonhe is an exceptionally well bred stallion who left an important legacy in our herd - our wonderful mares Alvesta Buttons N Bows and Alvesta Fantasia.
Farnley Bellringer
13.1 1/2hh Section B Bay Stallion
*Downland Drummer Boy x Farnley Belladonna by Farnley Kobold
Bellringer was already a noted sire of Champion Welsh and partbreds when we bought him from Farnley Farm in partnership with Pat Clay of Pajon Ponies. He and his full brother Farnley Carillon and Farnley Great Tom were all well known for producing ponies with excellent temperament and movement. His daughter Alvesta Virginia Belle was the foundation of our Section B herd.
GlanNant Adonis
13.3hh Section B Grey (foaled chestnut roan) Stallion
Farnley Sparkler x *GlanNant Sonnet by Rhyd-Y-Felin Selwyn
Adonis sired ponies with beautiful heads, awesome movement, type and good bone. Not surprising, as Adonis himself was sired by an over-height Section A stallion and a Section B mare who were both Champion performance and halter ponies of their day. Sire of our wonderful old mares Alvesta Misty Rose and Alvesta Mystique.
Kelly Acres Robbin
Section A Chestnut Roan Stallion (1969-1991)
Bowdler Butler x Alegrias Cinnamon by Kerrs Major Bryns
Robbin was a typy little stallion who reminded us so much of our first Welsh, Betws Auryn. Robbin had wonderful old Bowdler, Criban, and Coed Coch breeding. His offspring were hard to beat in harness.
Quorn Stab Last
*Pendock Puccini x *Sinton Martini by Revel Vermouth
We bought the Section A mare "Daisy" as a two year old and trained her to drive. She proved to be a harness pony Supreme, winning in roadster, fine harness, formal driving, pleasure and also in team harness with maternal sister Quorn Stoney Crossing. Daisy had incredible natural action; in the above picture she is only wearing bell boots. Pictured with my dad Roy Olson in a roadster class.
Quorn Stab Last & Quorn Stoney Crossing, out for a drive at Alvesta Farm, left
Stoney Crossing again with the foals, and my sister Linda with her young sons many years ago. Alvesta Delilah in the background, right
Quorn Stoney Crossing (1962-1991) or "Star" was a phenomenal producer of both Section A and Section B ponies. Unlike maternal sister Quorn Stab Last, Star hated the showring, so when the youngstock started arriving, she was happy to be able to stay home! She was a dainty, feminine mare with breathtaking reach and floating movement. Unfortunately she produced a string of colts for us (highly successful show ponies) by Betws Auryn - who's mentioned above - and only one filly, the lovely palomino Alvesta Aleta who we foolishly sold thinking there would be more. Two of her later daughters Alvesta Star Delight (Section A, by Liseter Star Design) and Alvesta Virginia Belle (Section B, by Farnley Bellringer) lived out their lives with us. On reflection, it isn't surprising that Star produced wonderful Section B's as her grandsire Coed Coch Planed is in some of the top Section B pedigrees in Britain to this day. I was tickled pink to have the opportunity to trot out Coed Coch Planed at the Gredington Stud in Wales when he was 25 years old, boy could he still move!