Sindy Paul can remember the first time she saw Chantilly, on an evening in 1967.
“Chantilly arrived at All Around Farm at dusk. The van opened, and down the ramp came the most magnificent seal brown pony with four white socks and a white blaze that I had ever seen,” Paul said.
“Being at All Around Farm, I was accustomed to great horses and ponies—Spindletop Showdown was in the stall next to hers overlooking the courtyard at the main barn at All Around Farm,” Paul continued. “But Chantilly had such charisma and such presence about her that all you could do was feel awed by her. I briefly rode her as it was getting dark, but I immediately knew that she was the most incredible pony to ride. Everything was effortless perfection on her part.”
And today, at the Devon Horse Show (Pa.), another small pony’s name will be added to the Chantilly Challenge Trophy in honor of that spectacular pony from the past.
Chantilly and Sindy Paul at Devon. Photo by George Axt
Chantilly, who showed from 1964 to 1973, was the first pony inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. She won at every major horse show in her day—Devon, The National Horse Show (N.Y.), the Washington International (D.C.), the Pennsylvania National, Ox Ridge (Conn.), Fairfield (Conn.), Warrenton Pony Show (Va.), Piping Rock (N.Y.), Deep Run (Va.), and more. Two of her trainers—Eileen Beckman and Milton “Junie” Kulp Jr.—are also in the Hall of Fame.
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Chantilly and Sindy Paul at the 1971 Pennsylvania National. Photo by Budd
The pomp and circumstance seemed a long way off when Beckman first saw her running loose in a field. Beckman decided to take a chance on the then-scruffy pony, who had been bred and raised by Robert Coles in Keswick, Va. She was by Brigadier II and out of Briquette. Her grandsire, King of the Mountain, was a Hackney pony whose offspring were famed in Virginia for their jumping ability.
Chantilly arrived at Beckman’s farm in a cattle trailer, with baling twine looped around her neck in lieu of a halter. Beckman and her daughter Laura broke and trained Chantilly and turned her into a winner. “As soon as they started showing her, she started winning. She was beating every pony down in Virginia,” Paul said.
A trainer at the legendary Waverly Farm, Eddie Bywaters, bought her from Beckman and Karen Quinn Ellis, the daughter of another Waverly trainer, showed Chantilly to the year-end small pony title of Virginia. Ellis remembered that out of 28 shows in 1966, Chantilly was champion 26 times and reserve twice.
Kulp bought her in 1967, and Paul was picked to show her. Then in 1968, Paul bought her. “One year we were champion at 20 out of 21 shows, this despite competing weekly against my other ponies Moon Comet, Farnley Hi-Li, Squeaky, Driftwood and Midget as well as Tidbit who was also at All Around Farm ridden by Caren Zinman and Liseter Gold Coin and Liseter Goldilocks ridden by Maryann Steiert—all excellent ponies in their own right. With every class, grand championship and championship won she would always give me a hug as if to say, ‘Congratulations! We did this together. You are my child, and I will take care of you,’ ” Paul said.
Chantilly and Sindy Paul.
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Chantilly and Sindy Paul.
“You name a show, she was champion and grand champion. In 1970, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeder’s Association started a grand champion hunter award, from all the divisions, and she won it. She beat all the big conformation hunters and working hunters,” Paul said.
By 1971, Paul had outgrown Chantilly, and the pony moved on to Trish Gowl, who showed her to similar success until 1973.
“Chantilly in my mind is special,” Paul said. “She was a great, consistent champion from the outset with every rider, regardless of the weather—sun or rain, hot or cold—day or night, outdoors or indoors, in a ring or over an outside course, in the model class, under saddle class or over fences. She was champion at every major show. All of this despite each of her riders being a child still in elementary school who by virtue of their age was a relatively inexperienced rider just starting to learn.
“Chantilly was extremely bright and kind,” Paul continued. “She consistently did her best in every class at every show. She knew she was great but never acted like a diva or mareish. She knew as we stood at the in-gate with Junie giving us our final instructions that it was about to be her chance to demonstrate her greatness doing what she liked to do best—showing. Like Laura, I knew as soon as we entered the ring what the trip would be like. And of course, she looked forward to the carrots, apples and love that she received every day that I spent with her.”
