New Forest Pony Performance Grades: What Do They Tell Buyers?
By the SportHorses.co.uk editorial team
New Forest pony performance grades are best read as evidence of a particular achievement, not a complete assessment of a pony for sale. Ask which award is being claimed, whether it concerns the pony itself or its offspring, and what record supports it. The Society’s published scheme separates individual performance from progeny recognition; its older guidance needs checking before you plan an application. Source: New Forest Pony & Cattle Breeding Society.
For a buyer, the useful question is not simply whether a pony is ‘graded’. It is what that description adds to the picture of the animal you are about to ride. For a breeder, the same distinction helps separate a promising family from a proven individual.
What is the difference between a performance grade and an Elite award?
A performance grade concerns an assessed or recorded achievement; an Elite award needs decoding because the Society’s scheme also recognises progeny. Its undated Elite Scheme explanation describes performance awards based on a pony’s own achievements and progeny awards based on points accrued by its offspring. It says individual performance awards are open equally to stallions, mares and geldings. Confirm the applicable scheme details with the Society rather than treating this undated overview as a current rulebook. Source: Society Elite Scheme explanation.
Use the following as a viewing checklist, not as an alternative grading schedule. The distinctions come from that published explanation. Source: Society Elite Scheme.
| Description in an advert | What to establish before relying on it |
|---|---|
| Dressage performance grade | Which grade, which evidence route and when it was awarded? |
| Jumping performance grade | What assessment and supporting result does the seller hold? |
| Individual performance award | Is the award attached to this pony’s own achievements? |
| Progeny award | Which parent holds it, and what does it say about the family rather than this pony? |
| Performance Tested Stallion | Can the seller supply the Society’s confirmation of that specific status? |
Avoid silently upgrading one description into another. A parent’s recognition can be useful background, but your decision should still rest on the pony in front of you.
Read the award as evidence, not as a promise of the partnership.
What does the Society’s published dressage guidance actually say?
The page headed ‘Performance Grades 2019 – Dressage and Eventing’ describes both test-sheet and British Dressage competition-record routes, applying to pure-bred and part-bred New Forest ponies. This is explicitly older guidance: use it to understand a historical claim, and ask the Society for the requirements that apply before submitting anything now. Source: Society performance grades guidance, labelled 2019.
For the test-sheet route, that 2019 text requires four original Preliminary sheets for Dressage Grade One, or four original Novice sheets for Grade Two, with a minimum score required on every sheet. It states that Grade One must be achieved first, although tests at both levels can be ridden at any time. Those details can help you question an older award accurately; they are not a verified statement of today’s application process. Source: Society’s 2019 guidance.
The same guidance requires the pony’s full registered studbook name on the sheets and a BD Listed Judge whose name and signature appear on them. For a buyer, the practical lesson is to request evidence that can be matched to the pony, rather than relying on an abbreviated stable name. Ask the Society to clarify any mismatch or missing confirmation. Source: Society’s 2019 guidance.
How should breeders read family recognition?
Breeders should distinguish repeated family achievement from a single season’s visibility. The Society’s undated Elite explanation says annual results are only a snapshot and identifies the cumulative sires list, looking at progeny over several years, as potentially more important to the scheme’s aim of finding consistently successful lines. It also acknowledges a geographical bias towards the south in the events being captured. Source: Society Elite Scheme explanation.
That acknowledgement matters when interpreting an absence of awards. Do not assume a blank entry proves lack of ability, or that a conspicuous family automatically suits your breeding objective. Ask what evidence exists, how it was gathered and whether it relates to the discipline you want to pursue.
A useful breeding note has two columns: established evidence and your interpretation. Put the documented award in the first. Put your hopes about rideability, suitability or the next generation in the second. Keeping them separate makes a stallion discussion more precise without pretending that breeding decisions can be reduced to a league table.
What should you request before travelling to view a pony?
Request the exact award description and supporting record before arranging the viewing. This is a suggested buyer’s process, not a Society application checklist:
- Ask for the full registered name and the precise wording of the claimed award.
- Request a copy of the award confirmation or relevant result, including its date.
- Establish whether the evidence concerns this pony, a parent or other offspring.
- Ask what the pony has been doing since the recorded achievement.
- Write down the questions the paperwork cannot answer, then discuss them with your trainer.
Imagine an advert describing a pony as dressage-graded. Instead of assuming it is ready for your intended level, ask to see the supporting evidence and discuss the work it is doing now. At the viewing, agree a sensible trial that reflects the intended rider’s experience. A successful historical test and a suitable present-day partnership are different questions.
Keep identity checks separate from performance interpretation. Our guide to horse passport checks when buying in Britain offers a related reading route. For the examination stage, see the UK pre-purchase vetting guide.
What questions commonly arise about these grades?
Does ‘Performance Tested Stallion’ mean the same as licensed?
Do not treat the terms as interchangeable. The Society’s undated Elite explanation defines Performance Tested Stallion status through achievement of both Dressage and Jumping Grade One, while discussing stallion inspection and licensing separately. Ask it to confirm the specific status being claimed. Source: Society Elite Scheme.
Can I use the older online schedule to enter a grading?
Ask the office for the current schedule and tests first. The Society’s ‘Show Jumping and Dressage’ page explicitly describes its schedule as an example and directs readers to contact the office for current details. Source: Society grading information.
Does a grade replace a viewing or vetting?
No: use it as one part of your assessment. Your proposed partnership, the trial and the questions you put to your vet require separate consideration. Keep the documented achievement in view without asking it to answer questions it was never designed to address.
For your next shortlist, carry the same distinction into every advert: what is established, and what still needs checking? Explore more British buying and breeding guides to prepare those conversations before committing to a viewing.
