Tanatside Pony Club - Cheltenham and Maesmawr Hall - 1966

The Tanatside Pony Club’s mounted games team practise in b&w at the Trant farm Maesmawr Hall, Welshpool, and compete in colour at Cheltenham.

Welshpool’s Bernard Hodge coaches the Tanatside Pony Club’s mounted games team at Maesmawr Hall. The team - John Jones, Rowland Fernyhough (later an Olympic rider), Philip Jones, David Jones and Rosemary Trant - are preparing (in b&w) for the Prince Philip Cup at The Pony Club Horse Trials Championships, September 1966, Cheltenham, where they compete (in colour). Rosie gives a triumphant leap in the saddle when they win a place at the Horse of the Year Show, Wembley.

The Tanatside Hunt branch of The Pony Club, located in the area between Llanfyllin and Welshpool, was inaugurated in 1935 and is still going strong. This footage of the club was filmed by Rosemary's father, Ion Trant, originally from Dovea Farm, Tipperary, Ireland. He farmed Maesmawr Hall, Welshpool (plus the adjoining farm, Cefn Du and a hill farm, Esgairdraenllwyn at Llaithddu, Llandrindod), with his wife Janet (nee Owen). Conscious of an emerging gulf between town and country, Ion Trant welcomed school visits to the farm. He also created the "Country Close-Up" series for children (BBC - 1956-62), often featuring his own three.