Dressage at Devon 3rd Annual Mountain & Moorland Competition

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Mountain & Moorlands As "Sport" Ponies. . .? 

Some may ask, "Is appropriate to judge an M&M pony or cob as a 'sport horse'"?

Promoting native ponies as "sport horses" is nothing new. The first M&M studbooks were established for this very reason by the Polo Pony Society, later aka Polo and Riding Pony Society, later yet aka National Pony Society. i.e, 100 years or so ago.  Back then they apparently thought native ponies were very suitable for riding sports. And what is especially important for a good ridden pony for whatever discipline (like dressage)? Correct conformation and movement. It doesn't matter what the breed is, all native pony breed standards, like any sport pony or horse standard (which are one and the same), insist on this as a primary focus -- if the natives didn't have this they would not still be here today. They needed the same traits to survive all those eons in the wild (plus a good measure of hardiness! :))  And it is thus no coincidence that conformation and movement also make up 90% of the score at Dressage at Devon. (At this particular event numerical scores earned are weighted as follows:  Movement 60%, Conformation 30% and General Impression 10%.) 

The USEF/USDF "dressage sport horse" standard, like that used at Dressage at Devon, is probably not at all what one thinks -- it makes no difference whether it is a horse or pony, the standard is the same, and it is pretty generic!  In fact, there is absolutely nothing contradictory in this standard compared to any M&M breed standard:

From USEF Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Regulations: DR10 -- Judging Specifications
"6. Conformation is to be evaluated in terms of potential trainability,
potential performance and predisposition to unsoundness. Function, not
fashion, is to be emphasized. Weakness or conformation faults with a
predisposition to unsoundness or to difficulties in training shall be
penalized. Blemishes are not to count unless resulting from conformation
faults.
7. Gaits are to be evaluated in terms of purity, quality and correctness.
Purity and correctness are more important than brilliance at this level.
Correct gaits contributing to ease of training and the horse remaining sound
and usable are more important than gaits which are merely superficially
flashy. Purity and quality are judged mainly in profile. Correctness is
judged mainly while the horse is coming to and going away from the judges'
position."

Thus, this "dressage sport horse standard" is perfectly in line with all M&M breed standards.  The same emphasis on "form and function" is also
fundamental to any native pony breed. The judges are not (supposed to be!)
looking for flashy, high-level dressage movement - just a sound, trainable,
free-moving horse or pony with correct conformation, which are all that is
required for basic dressage. We expect these traits in all the M&M breeds, no matter what discipline for which they are used.  So go get 'em guys and show them what the natives are made of!  Dressage is not just for horses anymore. . .!