TheWelsh pony was rescued in 2013 by the Andalucian Rescue Centre for Horses (ARCH) after being abandoned by their owner.

? Alan Johnson of the Uniting Church in Garden Lane presenting a cheque for PS150 to Managing Director Graham Brewer withwelsh pony, Benita.

Harsh conditions and poor quality fodder have meant that theWelsh pony has remained small in stature, but given that people were considerably smaller and lighter in the past, adults have tamed and ridden these nimble little creatures since time immemorial.

WELSH Pony and Cob riders from Clwyd will this weekend step up on to the winner's podium after a season of sustained success.

He said: "Being made president of theWelsh Pony & Cob Society in 2011 was one of the greatest accolades bestowed on me.

TheWelsh Pony locomotive is so old that its design dates from the dawn of steam traction on narrow-gauge railways.

TheWelsh Pony Rescue and Re-Homing Project has been doing just that - in the hope of raising funds to help feed the ponies it rescues.

On a points basis, the pair won the first ridden and Welsh As sections for the Scottish and NorthernWelsh Pony and Cob Society and were named overall champions.

But Ruby theWelsh pony has been taken into care after straying onto council land, officials have revealed.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said the four-year-old greyWelsh pony, named Baby Boo, was found by her owner after breaking through a metal gate in her panic to escape.

To help ease the financial pain theWelsh Pony & Cob Society is offering free microchips with all registrations until the end of the year - though owners will still liable for veterinary costs.

Carl, a light greyWelsh pony was among the final four ponies to leave Ellington Colliery, Northumberland, in February 1994.