Who do you think will win Pony Finals?

[Pokerface]

I’m cheering on Good Times in the large greens 2020 section. My mom bred and raised him. We sold him last year and he qualified almost immediately, and then of course PF was cancelled for last year. He’s currently in 2nd after the model (he won) and the flat. He jumps later tonight.

I am also cheering on Corduroy, in the 2021 large greens. He’s owned by the farm I board at and being leased in the barn to a really great kid. They won their hack and were, I think, 5th in their model. They are currently sitting in 28th.

[RND]

@Tackpud

The kid is from California - the pony is from the east coast. She just started leasing it and it hasn’t been to California yet.

The small green pony champion is from California - the COTH write up says the kid has been showing the pony since the Desert Circuit. I don’t know when that circuit runs though so it’s not clear to me how long the pony has been here on the east coast.

Cambridge Goes To The Head Of The Class At USEF Pony Finals

[MHM]

It looks like that pony has not shown in California since June, so maybe he got out of there before the outbreak.

[Renn_aissance]

Does anyone know of a working USEF Network/fan membership promo code? Apparently mine expired yesterday.

[Caprio]

PonyFinals21 worked for me earlier this week

[Renn_aissance]

Thank you! Go figure, I tried ponyfinals2021, pf2021… and yet ponyfinals21 did not occur to me. I will have more coffee, and then try again another time.

[Indy]

I had the same problem. I’ve used a Pony Finals-related code for years and it took a few tries before PonyFinals21 worked.

[RND]

@vxf111

Doesn’t your post point out WHY this might be necessary?

If you want a pony to show in the regular divisions with a kid, you have to geld the pony. So if you want to have the genetics of a proven winner, that has done the regular division with a kid, the solution is to create a clone. The clone keeps the gonads and can breed. The original does the divisions with a kid and cannot breed.

I don’t see why this is different than standing any other kind of stallion. People stand all kinds of stallions that may not be “necessary” because there are other equally nice stallions available. It’s never been a quota system.

I get your point. I just don’t agree. The people standing the clone must think there’s a market for the breeding or else they wouldn’t do it (or maybe later they’ll ride/show the pony, perhaps under an adult). But it makes sense that they would do it for exactly the reason you point out-- because children can’t always show a stallion you are left with the choice of geld/show or breed/don’t show. The clone adds a third option. Do both.

Nothing about cloning is necessary. It’s all just really really rich people spending their money in ways that they think makes sense.

Breeding of top pony hunters has been going on for decades with none of the top stallions ever being proven in the show ring (actually I think Alfred showed in harness at Devon way back when lol). Pony hunter breeders have been able for all these decades to continuously breed top pony hunters that have taken thousands of kids to thousands of titles at all the top shows without a single one of those stallions ever being shown in the pony hunter divisions because those breeders know bloodlines.

Rico Suave (the original) was gelded at some point as a youngster by someone for some reason and is registered with USEF as a welsh pony with unknown breeding. Why would any serious pony hunter breeder consider breeding to this clone?

[Sing_Mia_Song]

They are identical genetically, but not always the same phenotypically, the same way identical twins might have different birthmarks. In other words, they might have different markings, but the same genetic make-up.

[Tha_Ridge]

@RND

Rico Suave (the original) was gelded at some point as a youngster by someone for some reason and is registered with USEF as a welsh pony with unknown breeding. Why would any serious pony hunter breeder consider breeding to this clone?

Because he’s one of the most winningest pony hunters of all time—why not? Some of that is nurture, but a fair bit of that is nature.

[vxf111]

People stand all kinds of stallions that make no sense to me and spend their money on things I wouldn’t. This doesn’t seem any different. The pony has an excellent performance record which is more than you can say for many stallions. I believe his breeding is known even if it’s not on the USEF registration. Many people might be interested in breeding to a winner.

[RND]

I guess we’ll see. I certainly wouldn’t be first in line to breed to the clone of a pony of unknown breeding no matter how much it won, but there are plenty of people out there with money to burn.

Anyone know why EMC Entourage didn’t jump today? He was on top going into it.