The Winter Equestrian Festival, held annually at Wellington International, is home to a very special area that is endearing to equestrian families and communities everywhere called Pony Island.
While the International Arena hosts Olympic riders and Grand Prix show jumping, Pony Island is where many young riders, junior competitors and developing athletes get their start. Success at Pony Island often becomes the foundation for progression into junior hunters, equitation finals and eventually FEI-level competition.
When it comes to Warmblood horses, Andrea Nason and her husband Al Guden of Hyperion Farm are no strangers to the highest level of competition, and they also understand the importance of young riders getting an early start. Their farm and family home is located just hacking distance from Wellington International and may be best known for the Grand Prix dressage horse, Sagacious HF, who competed in more than 150 FEI Grand Prix events and took many top U.S. riders, and later young riders, to Europe and beyond.
One of those riders was Andrea’s daughter, Caroline Roffman, who has racked up countless FEI dressage wins and represented the U.S. team in Europe. Most recently, Hyperion Farm has gained attention with their upcoming licensed KWPN-NA stallion, Onassis, a homebred stallion that is drawing attention from judges, selectors and breeders alike.
Caroline and her husband, Grand Prix show jumper and trainer Ben Meredith, introduced their own daughters, Mae and Mila, to riding before they were four years old. The young riders quickly became the inspiration behind their grandmother Andrea’s next equestrian venture, sparking a passion for ponies that would create opportunities for future generations of children to discover the sport she loves.
The journey into pony breeding began by chance. After seeing photos online of Andrea’s granddaughters enjoying their ponies, one of Caroline’s students reached out and invited her to look at a Welsh pony stallion that was for sale. “Put him on a lunge line and let me see him move,” Andrea replied.
With her trained eye for selecting champion Warmbloods, Andrea quickly recognized the extraordinary conformation and movement of the little stallion and immediately fell in love with Brookside Teddy Munchkin, also known as Teddy.
Teddy is a 13.1 1/2 hand Section B Welsh pony stallion who is impeccably bred. He is a medium pony sired by Telynau Elgar (2005 USEF Leading Pony Hunter Breeding Sire) out of Brookside Maggie Mae by Telynau Royal Anthem. His royal bloodlines have given him his exceptional kid-friendly personality, beautiful coloring, outstanding conformation and 10-plus jumping style.
Andrea soon realized that for Teddy to reach his full potential, he must be entrusted to the best Welsh pony trainer available. It didn’t take long for her to find Cheryl Maye and her husband Paul. They have been running Maye Show Ponies in Fairfield, Virginia, since 2001. With their combined passion for Welsh ponies, they have turned the business into one of the most highly recommended and successful multi-disciplined Welsh pony training barns in the U.S. Cheryl said that she is excited to have Teddy in training at her barn for the 2026 summer show season. She is confident that they will achieve the goal of making him into the champion he was bred to be.
Most recently, Teddy competed with the team from Maye Show Ponies at the Bel Air Welsh Pony Classic in Maryland, winning the Champion Section B Welsh Pony Stallion title and then went on to win Supreme Champion overall.
Andrea said that she will be excited to welcome Teddy back home to Wellington this fall to be ready for the 2027 season, where he is expected to continue showcasing the talent, presence and athleticism that have already made him a sought-after stallion.
During his summer competition schedule, frozen semen will be available through WellGrove Equine in Loxahatchee Groves, providing breeders with an opportunity to incorporate Teddy’s exceptional bloodlines into their programs. Renowned for passing on his outstanding temperament, athletic ability and versatility, Teddy consistently produces foals that excel as family-friendly partners for riders of all ages and ambitions.
Until Teddy returns to Wellington, pony aficionados are invited to follow his journey and follow the achievements of his growing legacy of offspring at www.brooksideteddymunchkin.com.
