Alvesta Ponies at 2026 American Nationals

3 days ago

5 min read

This was the first year in a while that Alvesta ponies weren’t at the WPCSA American National Show, but how lovely it was to see six ponies connected to our program competing successfully. Congratulations to their owners on a great show—and a huge thank you for investing in our breeding.

Welsh Ponies of Riding Type (Section B)

Alvesta Lotus Blossom (2 yrs old) before going to Virginia.

Before Alvesta Lotus Blossom (Mynach Mystical x Morton’s China Doll by Stockham Commander M) left home, with just a handful outings as a filly, we showed her to multi–Supreme Champion and National High Point Champion. She then produced seven lovely Cadlanvalley Pirate foals for us—including our retained Alvesta Buttercup. Alvesta foals also include Passion Flower, Scarlet Sage, Foxglove, Prairie Smoke, Morning Glory, and Zephyr.

Free World, 2-yr-old Alvesta Lotus Blossom son, Va.

In 2022, Lotus went to Cheryl, Paul, and Ethan Maye in Virginia, where she’s produced three beautiful foals by Falling Moon Freedom. Her two-year-old colt, Free World, competed at Nationals this year, winning Champion Section B Colt and Champion of Champions Youngstock. With limited showing, he’s done so well for the Mayes, winning multiple Supreme Championships, including Res. Supreme at the 2025 Nationals. Free World is a junior stallion standing at Maye Show Ponies.

Exeter Violet, 4-yr-old Alvesta Brianna daughter, Calif.

Meanwhile, in the Nationals ridden ring, four-year-old Exeter Violet (Midnight Sugar Ray x Alvesta Brianna by Cadlanvalley Pirate) won Champion Green Western Pleasure—not her first ribbon in the Green Western Pleasure or Green English Pleasure championships this year! Violet is owned and ridden by Kimberly Boyd, to become a broodmare for her Sterling Creek Welsh program in California.

Yearling Alvesta Brianna with owners, Karen & Dean Chorney, Alta.

Violet’s dam is full sister to our Alvesta Sweet N Spicy, a special broodmare who lived out her life with us, and whose Supreme Champion daughter, Naiya, remains a valuable ridden pony and broodmare for us. Violet’s granddam, Buttons N Bows, was our wonderful all-around family pony, who did Pony Club, fairs, demonstrations, competing successfully in riding, driving, and halter rings—usually with a foal at foot. Violet has generations of our breeding: Alvesta Brianna, Alvesta Buttons N Bows, Alvesta Misty Rose, and Alvesta Virginia Belle.

Welsh Mountain Ponies (Section A)

Ar-Sh-We Cataset, weanling by Alvesta Brenin Arthur, SD.

Monica Nelson’s highly decorated 11-year-old stallion, Alvesta Brenin Arthur, sired his first filly this year: Ar-Sh-We Cataset (x Cat Creek Magnolia) owned by Sally Davidson & Monica Nelson. After winning her weanling class under both judges, Cataset went Champion Section A Filly—continuing on her sire’s winning ways, as he’s a two-time Nationals Supreme Champion, alongside many other Welsh Supreme Championships, plus wins in the driving ring. Standing at Brule Creek Welsh in South Dakota, Brenin is Monica’s special boy, and she’s done a wonderful job with him and speaks so highly of his fantastic temperament; her daughter also rides him!

Alvesta Brenin Arthur, owned & driven by Monica Nelson, SD.

Brenin Arthur is from one of our golden crosses (Nerwyn Gwyn x Lianna L S Snow White by Lianna’s Saqqarah), which produced four typey foals for us, including our retained Supreme Champion, Caris, who is 19 this year, as well as Supreme Champion, Swyn, and children's riding pony, Shem Jones.

Brenin Arthur was foaled the same year as closely-related Alvesta Infinity (Cat Creek Innuendo x Alvesta Caris by Nerwyn Gwyn)—another special stallion who went to America to become a multi-Supreme Champion Welsh and compete in the driving ring. Infinity is owned by Susan Koos-Acker of Twisted Oak Welsh in Wisconsin.

Alvesta Infinity, owned & driven by Susan Koos-Acker, WI.

New breeder, Terese Mallory of Kingsheart Farm, had the opportunity to lease Monica's Sunwilllow Jubilee mare, Brule Creek Mairwyn, who she put in foal to Infinity for 2026. This produced Kingsheart Puttin' On Airs (AKA Buttercup), a lovely filly who competed in the weanling class at Nationals to win two seconds to relative, Cataset. Terese says “Buttercup” is sweet as a pet dog and makes friends everywhere she goes. She’s retained for the Kingsheart breeding program.

Kingsheart Puttin' On Airs, weanling by Alvesta Infinity, WI.

How fortunate Terese is to have an Infinity daughter—that was our plan as well, but fortune didn’t favour us.

In 2014, we did an exchange AI breeding with Winona Myers in Kansas, who had Cat Creek Innuendo, the result of old bloodlines we've long admired. She got her beautiful colt, GreyGlyn Brighton (Nerwyn Gwyn x Randan Absolutely Gorgeous) and we got Infinity—not the filly we hoped for, but a quality, ultra sweet colt, who we retained for his first breeding season with the hope of a daughter. No such luck, but he did sire Ianto (x Alvesta Gwyneth) and Gwydion (x Islyn Gwerthfawr), who have both gone on to be beloved driving ponies in the USA. Before Infinity left us, we showed him to Youngstock Champion, Supreme Champion, and Futurity Grand Champion Sport Pony.

GreyGlyn Sabrina, yearling filly by GreyGlyn Brighton, Kan.

In the last few years, the GreyGlyn Brighton foals have also begun to grace the show ring. At this year’s Nationals, we got to see the lovely GreyGlyn Sabrina (x Verdrefawr Marina), who won her yearling class under both judges and went Res. Champion Section A Filly, which she also won last year as a weanling.

We're thrilled to see these lovely Brighton offspring, as we think he is a magnificent stallion—and as our Nerwyn Gwyn is 23 this year, it is heartening to see a son who is so like him, in type, presence, and movement. Gwyn has been an outstanding stallion for us, and Brighton is looking to be the same down south.

GreyGlyn Brighton (at 2 yrs), Nerwyn Gwyn son, Kan.

Meanwhile, a stallion we imported from England in 2014, was out showing off that big, floating trot that caught our eye all those years ago: Delami Red Legend (Sunwillow Galong x Delami Simply Red by Delami Diablo). Last September, Legend became an American citizen—he’s since been sweeping the American Welsh show circuit. Just this year, he’s won a whopping 17 Supreme Championships for co-owners Michele Gibson Grosser, Nicole Rogers, and Greg Kulp. After an 18-hour haul to Nationals, Legend was a bit tired, yet he still won Res. Champion Section A Stallion and Res. Grand Champion Section A in great company.

12-yr-old Delami Red Legend campaigning in USA.

While he’s now standing in Texas, we’re grateful to have retained two lovely Legend daughters: Alvesta Isadora (x Islyn Gwerthfawr) and Alvesta Gwenllian (x Alvesta Gwyneth). Our fingers are crossed that Isadora is pregnant with her first foal, sired by Nerwyn Gwyn.

More photos from 2026 below.