The dressage arena is often dominated by elegant Warmbloods – however, Victorian rider Toni Webb has proven they’re not a prerequisite to success in the sport. Toni has had plenty of success with her two Welsh Cobs, both of whom can hold their own against purpose-bred dressage horses.

“I bought my first Welsh Cob on a whim,” recalls Toni Webb. Growing up in New Zealand, Toni moved to Australia 19 years ago and settled in Queensland – and it was here an advert in the local paper caught her eye. “He was a cute chestnut with a white mane and tail,” she recalls of the Welsh Cob she went on to purchase, named Zoom. Toni trained and competed the gelding, although not in a very serious sense. “Then I had children and basically got out of riding a lot; I was just riding a few horses here and there,” she explains.

In the past, Toni mostly rode jumpers and prior to Thom had only ridden the odd Warmblood up to Medium level dressage; now, she and Thom are competitive at Small Tour. “It’s the first time I’ve ridden to FEI level; for me, it’s a new world. Thom is my first dressage horse that I’ve taken that far. It’s certainly not easy, but he’s so forgiving and he just tries. If it doesn’t work, it’s no skin off his nose and he normally comes back the next day and tries a bit harder. I’ve just persevered and he’s extremely obliging. As much as he is learning, I’m learning… so we’re learning together, good and bad!”

Impressed with Thom from the get-go, Toni purchased his full brother not long after. She campaigned Salient Park Telynor to Advanced level but sold him on just before making the move from Queensland down to Sale in Victoria to escape the heat 18 months ago. Fortunately, Telynor followed her and now lives just down the road!

A fourth youngster out of Burrowa Ladylight Express and by Cwmkaren Tywysog Harri then became available through Salient Park, and Toni jumped at the chance to purchase Salient Park Once Again.

THE V8 SCOOTER

Rising six, Salient Park Once Again, aka Scooter, is Toni’s latest protégé. After a bit of a slow start on the Victorian competition circuit due to the pandemic, Scooter really hit his stride at Novice level earlier his year and began posting some impressive scores that saw him competitive not just in pony classes, but also in open company against the horses.

“Scooter is not quite as straightforward as Thom… he’s a little bit more precious,” explains Toni. “He’s more nervous of things going on around him – he’s not wild, it’s just his eyes are always looking at something else – whereas Thom doesn’t bat an eyelid. That being said, Scooter is extremely talented and probably has twice as much engine as Thom.”

Toni explains that the Welsh Cobs typically aren’t as “self-propelled” as some other breeds. “They much prefer to walk than canter,” she laughs.

Thom was also successful at the Winter Dressage Championships, winning his Small Tour tests and being named Small Tour Pony Champion. Both Thom and Scooter have qualified for the Australian Dressage Championships in Small Tour and Novice, however, Toni has now stepped Scooter up to Elementary and is pursuing competing at that level.

“It’s all coming to light for him at the moment; he’s already touching on some of the Medium movements. The only thing I haven’t started yet are flying changes, but I don’t think they will be a problem. He finds the simple changes easy, however, the thing he’s probably found the hardest is counter canter – his distraction is probably the reason why, as he spends so much time looking at everything [when flexed to the outside]. So that’s why I haven’t pushed for changes with Scooter at the moment; they have to be good at counter canter to get through the levels. Thom and Telynor can do counter canter until the cows come home!”

Toni says both Thom and Scooter have amazing sit in the canter. “Thom, he regularly gets eights for his canter pirouettes. They’re definitely his strength, and they will be Scooter’s as well. Already he could come probably around into a pirouette in the canter, he finds it easy to sit. Laterally he’s quite awesome. And just the fact that I have so much power to work with, I can enjoy the ride a lot more.”

MONTANGO LODGE PERFORMANCE PONIES

For the next few months, Toni’s focus will switch from the competition arena to the arrival of three foals – and she can’t wait. “They’re little fluffballs…. like little lambs but with lots of bling. They’re adorable.”

Four years ago, she set up Montango Lodge Performance Ponies and has bred on a small scale since, with her first foal now just under saddle. “I’ve got three mares in foal this year, all related to Thom and Scooter. The mares are sisters; two of them are from Salient Park,” explains Toni, adding that they are in foal to German Riding Pony stallions.

“I’ve also bred a few of my Cob mares to Warmbloods. My eldest filly that I’ve bred, she’s a Welsh Cob x Warmblood and is about 15.1-15.2 hands, so a really good size. The foal that I bred last year to a Warmblood is probably going to be a bit bigger, maybe pushing 16 hands. They’re quite fancy and are nice types.” At the recent Brisbane CDI, Montango Lodge Comet, ridden by Anne-Marie Lasserre, was fourth overall in the AOR Novice Championship.

However, Toni says that this year could be her last breeding, as the logistics are a little challenging – and she probably also has enough ponies! With three teenagers as well, she’s certainly busy enough.

“I’ve got a few young horses; I’ve got two three-year-olds that have just gone to the breakers. I don’t have a lot of time… I’ve got three kids, and my daughters and husband ride as well. It’s a hobby, but it’s an expensive hobby!” she laughs. Toni’s youngest of two daughters, Annabelle, rides Thom as well and has qualified for the Australian Interschool Dressage Championships at Medium level (underway at time of print). Annabelle also loves to jump – however that skill doesn’t appear to be part of Thom’s repertoire.

“Some Welsh Cobs are super jumpers, but I can assure you that Thom is not. My daughter did try, and her jumping coach at the time told her that he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed!” laughs Toni. Her daughter did find out that Scooter has jumping ability, but Toni has since put her foot down at her rising dressage star being pinched for jumping purposes. “She’s had a few rides on Scooter and wants to take him jumping, but I said, ‘No, he’s not going jumping anytime soon… he’s too good at his dressage!’”

AOR CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS

At the recent 2023 Equissage Victorian Amateur Owner Rider Dressage Championships, Toni also enjoyed success with her ponies.

Thom won the Prix St Georges on 66.912% and the Inter I on 65.662% to win the overall Small Tour Championship, while Scooter stepped up to Elementary and was second in the 3.2 on 67.063% and third in the 3.3 on 65.549% to finish third overall in the Elementary Pony Championship. Toni and Thom also received a special award donated by Keryn Conners, for the highest score in an FEI test at the AOR Championships for an Australian-bred horse.

“It’s quite fun and puts a different perspective on it all,” says Toni of AOR competitions. “Even though sitting out there in the ring with all the professionals, it’s beautiful and I love it, but when I go to the AOR Championships it does take a little bit of the pressure off. It’s more enjoyable, I get less nervous… it’s more about catching up with friends and having a nice time.”

‘WILLING & ABLE’

“Thom and Scooter are ramping up the levels, which is beautiful to see,” says Toni, crediting current coach Jade Woodhead, as well as Nicole Magoffin, who coached her previously in Queensland. “They’re getting out there and doing it, even though they are obviously not bred for dressage; as my farrier regularly informs me, they’re bred to pull a cart!

“Welsh Cobs are pretty willing and able; the ponies that I ride have got a lot of sit which isn’t always the case with a Cob, but you’ve just got be selective – as you do with every breed.” Similarly, Cobs can have great movement, but some are better and more suited to dressage than others.

Toni is still in contact with Blair Farley of Salient Park, and says their stallion Cwmkaren Tywysog Harri has certainly produced some lovely performance bloodlines. “I think that’s one of the biggest things when searching out a Cob… you really need a performance-based line, and less of the harness-bred line. [The performance type] is not really what breeders want to show in general, because they’re a bit lighter in the bone, but it’s what we want to ride for dressage.”

Temperament-wise, Toni says generally they have a lovely character while also having the potential to be a little quirky. “They’ve got quite beautiful temperaments and you can do anything with them on the ground. They’re a really soft, gentle type of horse; certainly not boisterous in any way whatsoever. That being said… Thom, to this day, loves Annabelle and myself, but my husband still can’t put a rug on him! He’s a little bit quirky, but Scooter is not like that at all… he loves everyone, and anyone that walks in his paddock he’s best mates with.”

In terms of how quickly they mature, Toni says Cobs are similar to Warmbloods and shouldn’t be rushed. “They get to their height at around four or five years old and then mature outwards after that. They’re quite similar to a Warmblood really; when I’ve had the saddle fitter out to them, she says they’re just like fitting a small Warmblood.”

Toni says that for people out there with Warmbloods wanting to downsize, Welsh Cobs can be a great option, especially for older children and adult amateurs. “I’ve quite often let friends come and have a ride purely because they don’t know what they feel like. It’s quite an unknown for many people, but most describe sitting on one of my Cobs as riding a Warmblood with short legs, and I think that pretty much classifies it. The structure is similar; there is a lot of body underneath you and there is also good movement.”

For Toni, Thom and Scooter have proven to be the perfect mounts for her to get out and enjoy time in the competition arena while juggling family life, breeding and work commitments. By selecting the right type and with careful training, she is proving that it’s possible to achieve a lot with the breed and is simply enjoying the journey through the levels with her beloved ponies. “I just love them to bits,” she says. EQ

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ:

Perfecting the Short Side – Equestrian Life, October 2023