Wynnbrook Starburst & Leigh Preddy: Playing with the Big Boys

In the world of Dressage, often the norm of competition is that of the large warmblood breeds. Leigh Preddy of Wildwynn Ponies in Youngsville, North Carolina, is challenging that notion with her Welsh stallion, Wynnbrook Starburst, who is catching the eyes of judges and turning the tables on the idea that only the "big boys" belong in the dressage ring.

Standing at 13.0 hands and trained and ridden by Karyn Becerra of Iron Horse Farms, the bright chestnut and flaxen Wynnbrook Starburst finished his third year competing in 1999 at USDF Training Level, ending the season with the All Breed Award Championship for the Welsh Pony. Even more impressive, Wynnbrook and Becerra were scored in the top 9% of ALL horses and ponies competing in USDF Training Level nationally! This year, his fourth with Becerra, he has competed in major East Coast USDF shows and placed in every class he has been entered. Beginning on October 28th, the pair will begin USDF Second Level at the Capital Idea show and have plans to continue to the top of the Dressage world!

Leigh Preddy has been involved with ponies for as long as she can remember, but has been seriously breeding them since the early 1970s, using the Welsh as her foundation breed. When she began having her own children, the ponies were put temporarily on hold, but she never strayed far from her interest in breeding and bloodlines. While her children were young, she spent her time attending Welsh shows, studying pedigrees and attending sales in an effort to refine her idea of the perfect pony. Once her children grew up a bit she decided to look for a first quality Welsh stud from which to base her future line of ponies.

Three years into her search Preddy came upon Wynnbrook at the farm of his breeder, Sandy Rose of Wynnbrook Farm in TN. Preddy sought out Rose when she found that her pedigrees utilized many of the lines that Preddy had come to admire in the Welsh world, including Coed Coch Pryddydd. At the time Wynnbrook was 6 months old, and with wonderful references Preddy evaluated a video of the young colt.

"When I first sat down to watch the video, I was stunned with the movement of this foal. He had everything I had been looking for and his movement was MORE than I was looking for. I bought him straight from the video."

As a youngster, Wynnbrook was very sweet and willing. The first time Preddy ever clipped the colt he allowed her to clip everything, including his ears, without a single problem. "Everything," she recalls, "I tried to teach him as a youngster he seemed to already know. I gave tons of credit to his breeder, but she modestly says that she didn't teach him any of this. We both believe that he was just born willing."

This willingness as a youngster translated well into his early training years. At two and a half years old he went to Becerra's farm to begin his under saddle work. Preddy had developed a training schedule that Becerra followed for 60 days. He then returned home to fully mature, before returning for more serious work as a three year old. Becerra was recommended to Preddy through her veterinarian, who also uses her to train his youngsters. Using natural horsemanship techniques, she has brought out the best in Wynnbrook, even from those early days. His first year of showing, Wynnbrook attending a few local shows and events just to get his feet wet. The following season, he attended the Welsh Pony and Cob Society's Eastern National, along with one of his first foals. Wynnbrook was pinned Reserve Champion Jr. Stallion and Reserve Champion Open Pony Hunter. To top it off, his foal won the Colt/Foal class. Wynnbrook turned four while at this prestigious event.

Preddy tackled the USDF world by beginning to compete Wynnbrook against the bigger horses, but is happy with the results she has seen so far.

"Overall, I have to say that the USDF judges have been very fair in their scores. What has been funny is the transformation of fellow competitors. What began as 'What a cute pony' has turned into 'Oh, my, he is in my class!'"

Wynnbrook has also proved successful in the breeding shed. Usually breeding between 15-25 mares per season, he has sired a number of very nice foals. Those that are of riding age are turning out to be very much like their sire; brave, willing, trusting and kind. Many of the outside mares he has bred are dressage mares. Preddy has noticed that, at least on the East Coast, riders are becoming interested in ponies for the Dressage ring. There is a movement to get younger people more involved in the sport, and ponies are needed to help them get started.

In her own breeding program, Preddy looks for mares that are feminine with good basic conformation.

"I like a neck that is set on properly with good length. I demand excellent legs and feet, and a pretty face. If I am going to keep a broodmare year after year, she also has to have a good, manageable temperament. Movement needs to be correct, but does not have to be extreme because Wynnbrook will take care of the movement in the foals."

Breeding Wynnbrook while also keeping him in competition can be tricky at times, primarily due to the scheduling of covers and collections during periods of showing. Preddy tries to schedule most of his breeding around his competitions, but has been known to pick him up at a show, bring him home to collect, and return him to the competition. Wynnbrook handles it all in stride and never seems to miss a beat. While at home, he is pasture bred, hand bred, and collected for shipped semen. Breeding in any form doesn't appear to effect his concentration in the ring.

Preddy and Wynnbrook are big supporters of the American Waremblood Registry's new Sport Pony Division. During their first year of inspecting ponies, Preddy jumped on board and had Wynnbrook inspected. He was scored a First Permium stallion. Many of the Wildwynn foals are inspected and branded, including Wildwynn Cameo, a 1998 filly by Wynnbrook, who was awarded First Premium status and Reserve Champion at an AWR inspection in Virginia. Another foal, Wildwynn Romeo, a 1999 palomino colt by Wynnbrook, is destined to become a west coast stallion after being purchased by Epic Arabians of Idaho.

"The interest in breeding to Wynnbrook has grown partly because of his competition record, but also because of the interest in the AWR Sport Pony. The AWR is a wonderful organization to work with. Their inspections are tough and fair. I like the program so far, with improvements planned as more ponies are registered and competed."

Preddy and Wynnbrook have big plans for the future, including going as far up the USDF levels as he can go. Currently he is not eligible to compete at the FEI levels with an adult rider, which Preddy hopes will change before he reaches that level of training.

"I would really love to have the first Welsh Pony competing Grand Prix!" Preddy states.

They seem to be well on their way to that goal!