History

The early years 1943 – 1960

Merrie Stud goes back to W.W.2, when in 1943 my parents decided to move to the New Forest and we settled at Meadcrest in Brockenhurst, a lovely big house & garden with about 12 acres of land. Five years later we moved to Ossemsley Manor Farm at Wootton, smaller house, but with good buildings & about 60 acres and finally in 1961 to our present farm at Corhampton in the Meon Valley some 30 miles from the Forest.

The first pony to bear the name “Merrie” was Merrie Socks, bought for my 6th birthday in 1944. The name Merrie (meaning cherry) came from Meadcrest, which was previously called Merrie Mead. Believing it unlucky to change the name of the house, Merrie was adopted as our prefix. About that time a few more ponies were purchased several of which ran on the Forest around Brockenhurst. The best mare from those days was Merrie Maggie, from the late Mr. Frank B ennett. A big brown mare she ran on Christchurch marshes with the famous stallion Brookside David, and later with Newtown Spark in the field provided by the New Forest Pony Society for the wining stallion of the show. You paid £5 for the privilege of using the Champion stallion. Very few stallions stood privately then. We also used Goodenough and Denny Danny in this way. The field was discontinued as the private studs became established and classes for Stud stallions were introduced.

During the 40’s & 50’s you could add your own prefix if the pony was not already registered when you bought them, so the breeders of many good ponies did not get the recognition they deserved.

Between 1947-1950 we bought several mares whose descendants have had a considerable influence on our present Stud. Merrie Martha, by Ocknell Bob, out of a wild old mare known as “Roany”. A quality grey mare of about 12.3, she was successfully shown during the late 1940’s and 50’s. Her exceptionally free action has passed down to her descendants to-day. She had 16 NF foals registered Merrie Misty, born on the Weirs, Brockenhurst, by Lyndhurst Iron side ex Brockenhurst Lassie, was bought by me from Mr. Johnny Bradford for the princely sum of £7. She of all our mares probably had most influence on our modern Stud, being the dam of Merrie Mistral, the sire of Merrie Mercury. We had great success by line breeding her to Mercury, producing Champions both here & abroad. She continued breeding until she was 26, producing a total of 18 foals.

Newtown May was bought off the forest as a 4 yr old from the late Mr. Bertie Peckham after she had won the non hand fed class. A big for those days thoroughbred type mare, she produced some lovely up to height ponies. Merrie Marshall, who stood for many years as a stallion in Sweden, and Merrie Mariner whom we used and later sold to Scotland were her best known sons. A daughter Merrie Mary Anne was the first New Forest Champion at the Royal Show in 1959. These three were all sired by Merrie Mistral. She also had Merrie May, a strawberry roan exported to Holland and one of the first mares to go. A Champion there and brilliant in every sphere. She was a favourite of the late Mr. Hemmes, who imported many good ponies to Holland. Merrie Minuette by Denny Danny was a very pretty Welsh type mare and had a strong influence on the quality pony type of our stud. She was grandmother to Merry Mars exported to the States and then to Canada where he had considerable influence. Finally by purchasing Brockenhurst Shirley, by Mudeford Streak we brought in the Brookside David line. She produced to Goodenough, my father’s favourite mare, Merrie Maureen, who sadly died shortly after producing Merrie Mercury. The first stallion I can remember was Merrie Matador, born 1950 out of Merrie Margot by Forest horse. He was a big blue roan and ran on the Forest at Brockenhurst,before being gelded. He was the sire of Merrie May and Merrie Midinette the dam of Canada’s Merrie Mars. Our first Stud stallion was Merrie Mistral (1953) by Denny Danny ex Merrie Misty. He was reserve Champion New Forest at the first Ponies of Britain Show in 1954. He became the first stallion exported to Holland in 1958 to be succeeded at Merrie Stud by Merrie Mercury…………….