Rhaglen 1 Ceffylau Cymru

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-In this series, we look at

-the world of horses in Wales.

-From hooves to cobs,

-from racing to shows.

-We feature the unique world

-of horses and owners.

-The horse

-is a fascinating creature.

-It's somewhere between

-the domesticated and the wild.

-That's one of the elements

-which makes the horse exciting.

-I'm Brychan Llyr and,

-with top breeder, David Oliver...

-..we'll lead you through

-an exciting equine adventure.

-David is well-known for his success

-at The Royal Welsh...

-..winning the 2014 Cuddy

-Supreme In-hand Championship.

-What I enjoy most

-is preparing horses for the shows.

-I handle them, I get them ready,

-I trim them, I feed them...

-..and I form a bond with that horse.

-When I take that horse to a show,

-it presents itself at its best.

-Horses play a huge part

-in Brychan's life.

-He enjoys racing in the saddle but

-we'll take it easy in this series.

-Ask anyone in the equine world

-what draws them to horses...

-..and everyone

-will give you a different answer.

-My answer is that horses thrill me.

-In this programme, the story of

-a family which lives near Llandysul.

-Brychan and I will visit their stud

-regularly over a period of time...

-..and we see the excitement,

-the success and the hard work.

-The journey begins

-at the stable door.

-We'll focus on breeding horses

-in this programme...

-..and this is

-one of the best studs in Wales.

-The Menai Stud bloodline

-goes back over several generations.

-These horses

-are special and successful.

-Menai is one of Wales's oldest

-and most influential studs.

-Its success can be traced

-as far back as 1914...

-..to its first mare -

-Menai Queen Bess.

-Peter Jones, his wife Ann and

-their sons, Richard and Thomas...

-..live here, on Rhyd Y Fenne farm.

-They all adore horses,

-no-one more so than Peter.

-Horses have been

-a big part of my life...

-..since I left school when I was 15.

-Had I concentrated

-on cattle or sheep...

-..I'd have made more money

-than I did from horses!

-I can only say that

-they've given me great pleasure...

-..and they've given me a lifelong

-challenge to compete in shows.

-If I didn't have horses,

-I'd be totally lost.

-The stud has enjoyed success with

-horses like Menai Shooting Star...

-..Menai Fury and Menai Calon Lan.

-What does the term 'stud' mean?

-It's an establishment

-where horses are kept for breeding.

-It's different from stables, an

-establishment where horses are kept.

-You breed horses in a stud.

-We keep stallions and mares

-for breeding.

-How would you explain

-what the term bloodline means?

-You're asking difficult questions!

-We all started with something.

-We go back all the way to Queen Bess

-and Queen Bee and so on.

-The source of the well.

-The purest water is always there.

-You don't know what comes in

-from other sources before that...

-..but you do know

-that my well is totally pure.

-I try to go back to that well.

-It's called line breeding.

-What's the difference between

-line breeding and inbreeding?

-When it works, it's line breed,

-when it doesn't it's inbreed.

-I'm not sure

-if that's a simple answer!

-Richard is Peter's elder son.

-In addition to helping with the

-horses, he's just sat his A levels.

-Walk on.

-What do the horses mean to you?

-Well, David,

-they're part of my upbringing.

-Horses are part of the family

-and I enjoy them.

-They're in my blood.

-I have the honour

-of showing horses...

-..which were bred on our land,

-at Pant y Defaid Farm.

-I can't put it into words...

-..what those horses mean to me.

-Good lad.

-Riding is Richard's passion...

-..and Thomas leads

-in the in-hand classes.

-Peter has two worthy apprentices...

-..and their contribution

-is crucial to the stud's success.

-I understand

-you're the business brain...

-..and that you like to make deals

-when you sell horses.

-How important is it

-to create a market for the horses?

-I think that's the most important

-thing of all.

-It's easy to prepare them for a show

-and enjoy showing them...

-..but others may not be

-the best ones in their year...

-..and if we don't show them,

-we sell them.

-We sell them on the internet.

-You have a website, don't you?

-You have a website, don't you?

-

-Yes.

-Our Facebook page is handy too.

-Dad's a bit of a Facebook addict

-at the moment!

-Do you help out

-with that side of things?

-Yes. Dad's a bit slow and Mam

-can't even turn on the television!

-I do try to help them

-join the 21st century!

-Ann has established a dental surgery

-next to the stables.

-She's far enough from the horses...

-..but close enough

-to keep en eye on her boys.

-We know about the Menai bloodline.

-You've kept your own identity...

-..by registering your own ponies

-under the Friarly prefix.

-When I married Peter, I'd had

-my father's ponies for years.

-I couldn't just let them go...

-..so I decided to keep

-the Friarly bloodline alive.

-I'm really glad I did it.

-How do you keep control of Peter

-and your sons?

-It must be a tough job!

-It must be a tough job!

-

-Yes. I do my best.

-Peter tells me you're the boss.

-Really? That's good to know.

-What does the future hold

-for your family stud?

-Have you made any plans?

-Have you made any plans?

-

-That's a big question.

-I'm lucky that both my sons

-share my passion for horses.

-It seems likely that they'll follow

-a different path from me.

-Richard wants to study to be a vet.

-That will take him out of the system

-for at least five years.

-I'm not sure what Thomas

-wants to be, apart from a playboy!

-He says he wants to

-follow in his mother's footsteps...

-..and become a dentist.

-Who knows?

-I hope they keep the business going.

-Four generations of our family

-has bred horses here...

-..and it would be a shame

-if it all went to waste in the end.

-I think you can rest easy.

-The boys seem keen to me.

-I hope so.

-I'd be a happy man if I could

-look down and see it or look up!

-The Menai Stud is interesting.

-Different mountain ponies

-and Welsh cobs are bred here.

-Section A, Section B,

-Section C and Section D horses.

-Section A

-is the Welsh Mountain pony.

-Section B

-is the Welsh Pony Of Riding Type.

-Section A ponies

-are lively and stocky.

-Section B ponies are slightly bigger

-and have riding characteristics.

-Section C

-is the Welsh Pony Of Cob Type.

-These are active and strong.

-Section D is The Welsh Cob,

-Richard's favourite.

-Many consider

-this powerful, agile horse...

-..to be the best

-for driving and for riding.

-The Welsh Cob is known as

-an excellent horse the world over.

-I like to think

-I know a bit about horses...

-..but it's such a wide field,

-there's a lot I don't know too.

-For example, showing horses...

-..and the detailed preparation

-that goes into it.

-So, I've come to Menai Stud

-to learn about this subject...

-..and, hopefully,

-to avoid being eaten by horses!

-Showing season stretches

-roughly from May to October.

-It's a busy time in the stables

-as they prepare the horses...

-..load the vehicles and make sure

-the equipment is in order.

-I'm familiar with a lot of work,

-such as washing and loading...

-..but one of the jobs

-is alien to me.

-This one's going to the show,

-so how do you prepare her?

-We must wash her and we must

-trim the hair under her chin.

-We'll get rid of all this hair

-so she looks the part in the ring.

-Will you shave her?

-Yes, we'll shave the muzzle

-and singe the hair with a candle...

-..to get rid of it all.

-I've never seen anything like this.

-I'm amazed.

-Cardi Llwyd is

-one of the best horses on the yard.

-Peter has high hopes for him,

-so he must look his very best.

-He's a bit ticklish.

-I think

-I'd be ticklish down there too!

-Especially if two men tickled you!

-It's important to us

-that the horses look their best.

-The Royal Welsh is our shop window.

-Do I need to wish you luck?

-Do I need to wish you luck?

-

-Yes, of course.

-You always need luck

-in the Royal Welsh.

-Yes. We need luck.

-We don't know what the temperature

-will be out there, so we need luck.

-We've done all we can.

-The horses look as good as we can

-get them, under the circumstances.

-They're majestic creatures.

-They certainly look good.

-We've been lucky

-for the past two years...

-..so we hope our luck is in

-again this year.

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-The Royal Welsh is one of the

-world's biggest agricultural shows.

-It's the shop window

-for the Menai Stud horses.

-Success at the show

-means success for the business.

-They've won in the past

-and it went well again this time...

-..thanks to some hard work.

-It's good to see the next generation

-from The Menai Stud...

-..literally take the reins.

-Richard tasted success

-amid fierce competition.

-Menai Cardi Llwyd won the

-Stallion 8 Years Or Older class.

-As a commentator, David witnessed

-the celebrations and the tears.

-A smile from Peter.

-Yes - Peter's smiling.

-Richard Jones leading Menai Cardi

-Llwyd, his parents' horse.

-Peter and Ann Jones

-have a day to remember.

-Next, it was Thomas's turn

-with Menai Lady Catkin.

-His horse had been out in the fields

-with her foal until recently.

-It was a last-minute decision

-to show her.

-Incredibly, she was crowned

-the Section C Supreme Champion.

-It went really well.

-It was her first show,

-so it could have gone either way.

-As it was her first show,

-she could have refused to budge.

-Thankfully, it went well.

-Her name will be on that trophy.

-That's a massive privilege

-and an honour for me.

-She's a special mare.

-You'd think she'd been in since

-February but she was in the field.

-The icing on the cake was Richard

-winning on Menai Cosmopolitan...

-..in the Welsh Cobs

-Four Years And Over class.

-I'm crying again.

-He beat over 70 other entrants

-on the final day of the Show.

-This got him his ticket to compete

-in the Horse Of The Year Show.

-As you can see, I can't believe it

-and I'm a bit speechless!

-There are no words to describe it.

-Winning a championship like this

-only happens to experienced horses.

-Winning at The Royal Welsh,

-the most important show of them all?

-I can't describe it.

-If I do get the A level grades

-to get into college...

-..the first thing I'll do

-is ask for a week off!

-We'll see how that goes down!

-After the excitement of

-The Royal Welsh, things settle down.

-But the horse calendar

-never comes to a complete stop.

-There's always

-work to be done on the farm.

-Peter seems worried

-about the stud's future...

-..now that Richard's A level results

-are in.

-Dad's incredibly disappointed

-that I got the grades.

-He's incredibly disappointed

-that I'm going to study to be a vet.

-I'm sure he's disappointed

-for all the right reasons.

-I hope he will miss me

-for the five years I'll be away...

-..but this situation has to be

-resolved one way or another.

-I'm sure they can cope

-for the five years.

-I'm incredibly proud of Richard...

-..for following his dream.

-But at the same time, I wonder

-how things will be here without him.

-We've got to cope with that...

-..and see how it goes.

-I'm looking to keep

-around three cob fillies next year.

-The rest of them must go.

-I'd like to keep them all.

-We have a really good crop

-this year.

-It will be a wrench

-to see the mares go.

-They've been a big part of my life

-down the years.

-Some of these are getting on -

-they're 15 and 16 years old.

-It'll be really hard to see them go.

-My father's advice to me was...

-..to sell the best

-and keep the very best.

-I think that was good advice.

-I'd like to get it down

-to around ten cob mares.

-We must have

-around 20 of them at the moment...

-..and that's too much work for

-someone who's drawing his pension.

-The Horse Of The Year Show

-is the next big competition.

-Will Richard be given time off

-from his course in Liverpool...

-..to come to the show in Birmingham?

-This is the eve of the opening day

-of the Horse Of The Year Show.

-We're waiting for Peter to arrive.

-This is Menai Cosmopolitan's stable.

-There's a lovely buzz, as everyone

-arrives at the NEC and gets ready.

-I can't wait!

-The Horse Of The Year Show is one

-the world's biggest horse shows.

-Everything happens indoors...

-..and this is the first time

-Richard and Menai Cosmopolitan...

-..have competed

-under artificial light.

-They have a trial run

-to calm the nerves.

-It's a new experience to see a horse

-I bred being ridden by my son.

-You must be really proud.

-You must be really proud.

-

-Yes. Bursting with pride.

-He came down here from Liverpool.

-His preparations weren't great...

-..because he's come here

-fresh from his Freshers' Week!

-It's not

-the ideal preparation for this...

-..but they look really great.

-It's time

-for Richard to enter the ring.

-All we can do now is wait

-and hope for the best.

-The class is ending...

-..and Menai Cosmopolitan

-has done as well as any other horse.

-Fingers crossed

-he gets a rosette today.

-No rosette this time...

-..but everyone's proud that Richard

-and Cosmopolitan did so well.

-Peter, you must be proud

-of Richard and Menai Cosmopolitan.

-Yes, I'm extremely proud.

-I was very proud that he qualified

-to come here in the first place.

-He kept everything together

-and put on a really good show.

-Yes - I'm very proud.

-Peter and Ann Jones have had

-a successful and memorable year.

-Our journey with them

-is coming to an end.

-I'm in Strumble Head to see

-the white horses on the sea...

-..and on the land.

-Your Llandysul farm is landlocked.

-Do you enjoy

-coming down to the coast?

-One of the great things

-about this area is it's drier.

-The other thing

-is the climate is better...

-..and there's good grazing here

-practically all year round.

-They really thrive here.

-To be honest, being down here is

-the closest I'll ever get to Heaven!

-I'd be happy to winter here,

-if I were a pony.

-Peter, from your perspective,

-what sort of year has it been?

-It's been extremely good.

-We qualified

-for the Horse Of The Year Show...

-..and we competed there.

-We had success

-with foals being born.

-It's been a good year.

-Richard went to Liverpool

-and he's settled there.

-In Richard's absence,

-we're lucky to have Thomas's help.

-We'll have his help

-for another year.

-This time next year, we really

-will have to assess the situation.

-We've got to

-cut down on the numbers.

-Ann and I won't be able to cope

-with the numbers we have at present.

-We may keep some of the ponies

-and some of the cobs.

-We really have to

-cut down on our workload.

-Cut down on the numbers maybe

-but you'll never leave the business.

-I don't think so.

-No, we won't get out completely.

-I want to have a horse in my life

-for as long as I'm on this earth.

-My life would be very empty

-without horses.

-That's how I feel anyway.

-I live for my horses.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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