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2006 DAM LEGION OF MERIT

Margaret Almond writes of Loafers Lodge Olivia foaled in 1990 by Severn Donegal and out of Glendower Joyful Snowdrop LOM (x Liseter Radiant).  Hands down Olivia is my favorite pony.  She was named after Olivia de Havilland, the actress who played Melanie in Gone with the Wind.  If she’d only have been a lawn ornament it would have satisfied me.  Olivia, however rose to the occasion and made a mark in Welsh history.  Olivia had a good halter career, as a 2 yr old she was high score Section A filly.  She contributed to her dam’s LOM, helping Joy be the first Section A dam LOM.  In 1994, Olivia’s first foal arrived, Loafers Lodge Calliope by *Springbourne Carousel.  Calliope almost equaled her dam and was reserve high score filly at 2.  Calliope got the requisite 300 points in halter and ridden by a very young Emily Gill, she now has gone on to the hunter world.  Loafers Lodge Melanie 1995 by Loafers Lodge Spring Ahead was sold and lives around the corner producing nice half Welsh.  Loafers Lodge Cinderella 1996 by Talomo Cricket LOM was a surprise gift for Denise Walsh. Cinderella and Denise have represented Welsh in the carriage driving at the Devon Horse Show.  Cinderella’s points were from halter and performance.  Loafers Lodge Picture Perfect 1998 by *Twyford Cadog contributed mostly halter points and was sold on as a child’s pony.  Olivia delivered Katarina in 2002 by Dragoncroft Welshman LOM and then a medical condition she’d been hiding became very apparent.  She couldn’t eat correctly, as a result she couldn’t keep her weight up with the foal nursing.  After a trip to New Bolton (the University of PA’s Veterinary Hospital) all we knew was she couldn’t open her mouth wide enough to chew properly.  The doctors there didn’t know what to do, I despaired of Olivia being able to raise her foal and picked out a burial site.  When we got home from the hospital we decided to give it our best effort.  Olivia now comes in from the field every morning and gets a couple of measures of Equine Senior, she’s able to consume that over the course of hours and then I let her back out with the herd.  She gets a little thin with a foal but not bad.  At the age of four, Katarina was broken and shown in English and Western pleasure.  Katarina was reserve national champion English Pleasure in 2006. Thanks to Emily and Meg Gill, Katarina got Olivia’s 3rd leg with points to spare. Katarina is now doing "pony Therapy" at Angel Heart Farm where young children with chronic and life threatening illnesses can participate in equine activities.  We were managing Olivia’s medical problem so effectively that we put her back in foal. She gave us Loafers Lodge Ashley in 2005 by Gallod Sunny Jim. Ashley had an untimely death and only contributed a few points to his dam’s award.  I guess it’s good that Olivia is my favorite because of her special needs.  Don’t let me kid you, she’s my special pony waiting at the gate every morning.