By Brian Webster
We stepped into the Welsh Cob world in 1983 when we bought a yearling colt by Nebo Daniel off a local dealer. Off we went showing – not with a great deal of success, but we met people who would remain lifelong friends.
Because we were also interested in our colt’s breeding, we visited the Nebo Stud and experienced a great Welsh welcome from the Jones family. The Joneses, who also include relatives at the Fronarth Stud, have all become our lifelong friends I later visited many Ceredigion area with my camcorder, not thinking l would be starting a film venture lasting to this present day.
In 1986, l took a video camera to The Royal Welsh Show to film Nebo Daniel in the stallion class that he ultimately won. I filmed it from the stand, catching some great Cobs at their best. l gave a copy of the film to the Jones family who, after playing it at home, had visitors request copies that I then passed on. I thought the interest was good, so l bought a better camera and enquired around the main shows for permission to film in the ring with the judge.
My main enquiries were about the Lampeter Stallion Show, which l filmed in 1987, 1988, 1989 and1990, the Glanusk Stallion Show and the 1987 and 1988 Royal Welsh Show. l had the help and support of Mrs Mary Edwards, another lifelong friend, of the Cascob Stud to get in the ring at the Royal Welsh. I also went around many Welsh Studs, filming mainly stallions and building up quite a library of Cobs from that era and some dating back to the 1960s and 1970s . That particular era, the 1980 s was later named by Steve Everitt of the Tireve Stud as ‘The Golden Age Of Cobs’. l was fortunate enough to have captured most of them at there homes or at the shows.
In 1990 l stopped filming. It was hard to maintain my work situation changed to involve a lot of travelling. All the tapes were put in a cupboard and basically forgotten about .
One evening about three years ago, l got a phone call from Philippa Owens of the Cascob Stud asking me if I ever transferred my films to DVD, which l hadn’t.Philippa was wanting film of Cascob Dafydd Dee, a horse l had filmed at several shows. l would look into putting this footage on DVD for her. Philippa suggested I transferred all my films and look into selling them. This was a suggestion l explored and was able to do as Pauline my wife had stored the films carefully – after 30 years they were still in great condition.
I made the memories of some great Cobs available again, as a great deal of interest from the Cob World was shown. It is the plan of The Welsh Pony & Cob Society to create an archive of all the sections of the Welsh Ponies, so l have contributed all my films to this inclusive community.
