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PRYDYDD BONNIE JEAN

1998 Dam Legion of Merit

PRYDYDD BONNIE JEAN (*Coed Coch Prydydd x *Criban Old Silver) was foaled in 1971 at Gayfields.  Her dam was leased from Jean Branch after being chased all over the pasture of her previous lease‑holder, Rachel Smith, mother of former Olympic rider Melanie Smith.  When we finally caught her she was still nursing a crossbred yearling foal later known as Liberty Bell when he and future Olympic rider Greg Best won many hunter pony high honors including at least one Horse of the Year Hunter Pony Championship.  Mrs. Branch retained the right to name Criban Old Silver's first foal at Gayfields, hence her lack of prefix.  Bonnie Jean won our first halter championship, Sec. A Jr. Champion Filly, at Tulsa, astounding us by beating several of Mr. Cowan's best Texas Bright Light fillies and Mr. Orear's Dandardel girls.  We thought we had "arrived!" However, despite her famous British Sec. A parents and grandparents (including Coed Coch Glyndwr, Bowdler Brewer, Coed Coch Pioden and Criban Old Gold, she grew over 12.2hh and became a Section B.  She was a mainstay of our show string during the years when Janet and Dyke trained and showed the ponies.  Bonnie had her first foal when she was five, the well known hunter pony Gayfields Blue Nile.  In all she had twelve foals. 

She had a special relationship with Miriam Williams of Madoc Stud who showed her during the 1982 show season, very successfully, even though Bonnie was carrying a large *Brockwell Spider foal.  At the final show of the year Bonnie was so huge she could have simply been "stuck" between the shafts and pulled the cart without a harness!  Even so, she triumphed for Miriam by being Reserve Champion English Pleasure pony showing against the top two pleasure ponies in the country!  Miriam talked to Bonnie, insisting that she have a bay filly in the spring, as we had only had colts from her by Spider.  Obedient to her friend, Bonnie produced Gayfields Old Glory.  Years later when Miriam wanted a daughter she spoke to Bonnie about having a filly "just like you" and Gayfields Bonnie Bach was the result...the only filly she ever had that had her bay roan color and almost identical markings.   Miriam and Bonnie Bach (1618 points) contributed one of Bonnie's Legion of Merit "legs" and Gayfields Old Glory (362 points) contributed the second, but it took Miriam's purchase of Gayfields Family Linen and their 1998 show ring campaign in virtually every division (garnering 311 points in two shows) to get the third one.