About Us
Who we Are
The Association is non-profit organisation, started to promote and further the interests of the Welsh breeds. The Association is governed by it's Constitution, which can be found on the Downloads page, along with it's policies.
In line with this, a small committee consisting of Amanda Greenwood, Stacey Cuddy, Anna Richards, Jenny Westlake and Michelle McGowan keep everything running on a day to day basis. We are lucky to have a team of dedicated volunteers on show/event days that keep everything running smoothly, but more help is always gratefully received.
Interested in joining the committee?
Our History
The South Western Association was inaugurated on 26th November 1969 at Miss Margaret Gethin’s Mynach Stud, Ashburton, only the second Area Association at that time.
The meeting was attended by seventy Welsh Pony and Cob Society members from all over the region and Mr Llewellyn Richards kindly came (sadly the then President, Mrs M Borthwick, had a car accident on her way to the meeting so could not attend). The meeting unanimously voted for the formation of such an Association covering Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset, with the aim to further interest in Welsh ponies and cobs and bring members together, by arranging visits to studs, talks etc and provide a newsletter. Mr Peter Manning was elected as Chairman and Vice Chairman was Mrs Veronica Ker. Miss Frances Knowles of Millcroft Stud (later Mrs Fran Carter) was elected Hon Secretary. The remaining members of the Committee were representatives of the four counties.
A Constitution was drawn up at the first meeting of the SWA Committee and subsequently amended over the years after approval by resolution at an AGM. Later it was deemed prudent in the current climate to have policies and these were agreed for Privacy, Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Social Media and a Code of Conduct.
In more recent times, the SWA was run for over thirty years by Sue and Janet Hardy and in that time has striven to promote Welsh ponies and cobs of all Sections and their Part-Breds in the region and at its peak had over 400 members. The SWA holds shows throughout the year in different parts of the area, and has held clinics, visits to studs in the area and to Wales, a stud competition (the first SWA competition to be organised), young handler and young judges competitions, and annual points schemes both for performance and in hand. Support for the WPCS and its competitions particularly Performance and Young Judges has also been an important part of the work of the SWA. At the request of the WPCS the Association also organised visits to colleges running equine courses with a talk and demonstration of all Sections in hand and ridden for the students.
It is interesting to note that the Millcroft Stud is still going strong and the Mynach ponies, now at Waxwing, still do well in the showring.