BROWNBREAD STORY

Merlin gained his place in the Lifetime Ridden Performance Awards by gaining:-
Category 1 - four wins in Ridden classes
Category 2 – N/A
Category 3 - a win in Handy Pony
Merlin qualifies in two sections as he was born before 1985.   Merlin’s dam Udina was amongst the earliest imports from Tyrol.  Strudl was imported from Tyrol in the early seventies.

Merlin's Story

Sadly Brownbread Story or Merlin as he was known to most people died on June 16th 2003.  He had slowly succumbed to arthritis, but had managed to lead an interesting few months walking around the village, munching the grass verges, being patted and talked to by his many friends in the village.
Having reached 29 years,  he had had a very full and interesting life, always an animal that loved being with people, be it a shows, pulling the cart on the many drives we undertook around our area, or being in the shafts of the carriage for Weddings, Father Christmas trips, or just social outings.
We bought Merlin for our daughter Lisa to ride in October 1980 from Mr Cummings.  At the Breed show at Chatsworth the following year Lisa’s first and only large show they won the Best Ridden Haflinger Class.  Three weeks later Lisa died at pony club, it was such a shock to all of us involved with Lisa and her horse.  We both vowed we would not sell Merlin, as he was such a gentleman and given so much pleasure to Lisa in her short life.
He wasn’t going to be hidden away in a stable, so I learnt to ride very quickly, and Colin did all the mucking out, transport and running around.
Merlin competed in the Best Ridden Haflinger class consecutive years, winning each time with a different person riding him.  He also won Best Gelding in hand one year. 
Finding it rather solitary riding alone and having met a wonderful person called Gill Nelson, we decided with the help of people like Tom Crane, Jim Dobson and John Parker to break Merlin to harness.  His first success was winning the Novice Driven class at the Ascot breed show.  We entered the Windsor Horse Show in our second year driving.  He didn’t win that year but over the next two years his highest place was third in the World Breeds class.  He also competed in the Novice Class for junior drivers with a young girl from the village called Melanie Bonus, and he also came second at the breed show.
A truly wonderful, and noble friend.
Lis and Colin Brotherton

PHOTOS