Rescue pony Graham is new star of competitive scene

When Welsh cross-breed Graham was rescued by World Horse Welfare in 2017, he was underweight and living in a filthy, dark stable.

But thanks to the dedication of the team at the charity’s Penny Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre on Preston New Road he made a full recovery, and was soon unrecognisable from the scruffy, forlorn colt he once was.

Now he is enjoying a new life as a competitive carriage driving pony in Team Khoja, owned by mother and daughter team Nichola and Amelia Waddicor.

A World Horse Welfare spokesman said: “Once Graham reached four-years-old, the team began his education in earnest and his potential as a future driving pony quickly shone through. Once he was ready, the team got him put to a carriage and he took to it like a duck to water.

“Graham had only been driven twice when Nichola and Amelia met him, but they could see his potential straight away.”

Nichola said: “For some reason Graham just took our fancy, so we applied for him online and then had a call from the team to have a chat about him. We traipsed up to Penny Farm in the middle of January to see him and Amelia just fell in love with him.

“Graham’s absolutely full of it – he’s so inquisitive and bold, which is always good for driving. He’s so lovable, he’s adorable, he really is. He’s so up for it and so willing, and that’s what you want in a driving pony. They’ve got to want to do it and he absolutely loves it; his ears are always forward looking for the next thing and we’ve got high hopes for him.”