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Pajon Ponies
www.geocities.com/pajonponies

The Rosedale Stud
www.rosedalestud.com

Feature > Signature Stallions

Rosedale Royal Flare by Pat Clay, Pajon Ponies
Varndell Right Royal x Downland Flair

Rosedale Royal Flare was laid to rest December 14th in the pasture where his daughters and granddaughters live. Somehow he had broken a vertebra in his neck and was in severe pain so the sad decision was made to have him put down.

The Rosedale Stud in Wales bred Flare in 1980 and I saw him as a yearling in the fall of ’81. During that trip I became a diabetic but the ten days I spent in the hospital all I could think of was how much I wanted that pony. He was my Christmas present to myself and came to us in the spring of ’82 after getting his stallion certificate from the Welsh Pony & Cob Society in the UK. He spent the rest of his life with us except for a few trips to the States to stand at stud.

Pajon Ponies had 41 foals sired by Flare and in total he had 71 Canadian registered offspring. Plus he had 20 foals registered in the US, thus making him one of the most influential stallions in the past 20 years.

And what an influence he had! Flare’s bloodlines can be found all over Canada and the US, both in the performance world and in breeding herds. Championship after championship has been awarded to his offspring and their get. Flare had it all; type, movement, size and disposition which he passed on. He was used in most all disciplines including Hunter, Jumper, English and Western, and of course, halter.

Not only did Flare contribute greatly to the Welsh Section B breed but he had a great influence on Sport Ponies. It was very unusual for one of his offspring or one of theirs not to be awarded Sport Pony Champion. One year at the All Breed Pony Show in a class of 26 entries, the top six placings were all sired by Flare.

One of our favorite activities was to go riding in the mountains with him and his daughters. Often guests of ours rode him. He also partook in a long distance ride of 125 miles, endurance rides, cattle penning – although he wasn’t too sure about the steers that were bigger than him - and dressage. He was broke to drive but we did not peruse that with him. Natalie, at fifteen, rode in the Battle of the Breeds at Spruce Meadows and he took it all in stride, showing off his lovely extended trot in the compulsory skills event.

After that Natalie showed him under saddle and as she said, he always gave more than 100%. He never fussed or had to be disciplined. In his last show season at the age of twenty he attended two shows and was Supreme Champion at both.

Flare was that dream pony that all breeders wish for and I am thankful that we had him as long as we did. Luckily we have frozen semen stored and hope to create a few more Flare foals in the future.

It has been hard for us, as well as all of Flare’s fans, to realize that he will no longer be part of our lives.

Editor's note: If you have a special memory of Flare or his offspring that you'd like to share, please send it in to editor@sportponycanada.com and we'll publish it in our Letters next issue.