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This year we have only bred one foal, Merlyn, and we did not want him to be on his own after weaning. We went to the Cob Sales at Builth Wells (14-16 October) with the intention of buying a filly foal as a companion and possibly to take her to shows as a foal and later. For years we have also been looking for a grand old fashioned mare with lots of bone as a wife for our elderly stallion Ystrad Dewi Flyer. In between rushing around looking, bidding, cups of coffee and danish we took a few photos. They do not do justice to the Cobs in the crowded environment but they do capture some of the atmosphere of the Sales and can be seen in the Photo Archive. On Friday and Saturday we did not see any foals we wanted to buy and our only bid on Saturday was for Felinmor Floella Magic, a fifteen year old mare pictured below. We have often promised ourselves that we would never buy another elderly mare which merely became an ornament but Floella had been served by Blaengwen Brenin, one of our favourite stallions. In the event it was disclosed that she was not in foal and we stopped bidding at a modest price and she sold for 1700 pounds.
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On Sunday we bid, with more commitment, for Ystrad Dewi Venus, a black eight year old mare in foal to Trevallion Valentino. We have owned four Ystrad Dewi Cobs and would have loved another but our every bid was instantly topped by a very determined bidder and so we stopped at 4500 pounds. Luckily, back at home, Flyer did not know how badly we had let him down!
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We felt that we had no option about buying a companion for Merlyn and, at the very start of the day, we saw a filly, Gwernfythan Melody, trotting up and down and we fell in love with her. We quickly checked the other filly foals on our list, some had still not arrived, and concluded that the only other possibilities were lots which came before Melody. We were not able to buy any of the earlier lots cheaply as an insurance and so it was all or nothing when Melody came into the ring. We kept on bidding far beyond what was sensible or justified or affordable but every bid was topped. As Tina Turner singing Simply the Best boomed out over the tannoy and the price had passed 4500 pounds we tried delaying our bid until the hammer was about to fall but it made no difference and Melody was sold to France for 5100 pounds (and then there is commission and VAT!). Now we were now desperate, with not many lots to go, and no companion for Merlyn
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We raced around the last lots and Nantymynydd Enfys, pictured below, looked and moved much better than when we had first seen her at the start of the day. We decided to buy her whatever.
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We were just going into the auction ring to bid for Enfys when we saw a smart liver chestnut standing in the queue. We thought that it must be a colt! It was a filly, and on our list, but Fflur Dyma Hi had not been in her stable first thing. With our enthusiasm for Melody we had never been back. She looked too good to be true and, when we returned to the emptying auction ring, we had to get her. Only a few bids and Dyma Hi was ours for 1300 pounds and no VAT. Here she is at home! When we put her in a field for the first time she stormed around with really extravagant action. We have no doubt that you will be seeing more of Dyma Hi.
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