Glynhafan Hermione LOM/AOE/OD

Photo courtesy of Kate Bemis Photography
(2003 – )
Owned by Kaitlin & Elizabeth Hofer
Inducted: 2016

Photos

Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Hofer
Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
Photo courtesy of Naimark Photography
Photo courtesy of Pony Prints Plus
"Equestrian ambitions tend to be more often dashed than realized. As anyone who is involved with horses knows, it seems there's more that can go wrong than goes right. Sometimes, however, talent, persistence and luck can pay off, as they have for Elizabeth Hofer of Saddle River, New Jersey, and her daughter, Kaitlin," wrote Nancy Jaffer on January 24, 2014 in "Mother-daughter team sweeps national Welsh pony championships" for The Star Ledger.

That same talent, persistence and luck continued to pay off in 2015 when Glynhafan Hermione LOM/AOE/OD showed why she is one of the top Welsh ponies in the country and earned recognition as a National Horse of Honor by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Glynhafan Hermione, known as Bunny, is a 2003, 13.0 7/8 hand section B mare, by Glynhafan Red Hawk out of Glynmagic Lorelei. She was bred at Glynhafan Farm by Glenda Armstrong and is proudly owned by Kaitlin and Elizabeth Hofer. Elizabeth is not only Kaitlin's mother, she is also Kaitlin and Bunny's trainer.

In 2015, Glynhafan Hermione showed her versatility by competing in Breed, Hunters, English Pleasure, and Western Pleasure divisions, and earning top honors in all of them. She repeated her 2014 USEF Horse of the Year wins, once again claiming Grand Champion Welsh, and three Horse of the Year (HOTY) National and Region 1 Championships for Welsh Hunter Section A&B, Welsh Pleasure Section A&B, and Welsh Pleasure Adult Section A&B. She is the National Champion in three divisions of the Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America, including English Pleasure 12.2-14.2, Hunter 12.2-14.2, and Western Pleasure, and National Reserve Champion in Adult English Pleasure A & B. She is once again High Point Section B.

Elizabeth Hofer was looking for a short stirrup mount for Kaitlin when they discovered Hermione. Elizabeth recollected, "We first saw Bunny at the 2008 Bel Air Welsh Classic where she swept both the Adult English Pleasure and the Adult Hunter divisions. Kaitlin tried her there, and they seemed a good match, so she came home with us - luckily, we had room for her on the trailer!" Even with the late start for the season (June), Hermione ended up with her first USEF Grand Champion Welsh, and USEF National Champion in both Welsh Hunter Adult A & B and Welsh Pleasure Adult A & B, plus a WPCSA National Reserve Champion Adult English Pleasure A & B.

Her USEF record is impressive. She has been Grand Champion Welsh an unprecedented 5 times- 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. She holds 12 National Champion and 4 National Reserve Champion titles in four divisions- Welsh Hunter Section B, Welsh Pleasure Section B, Welsh Hunter Adult Section A & B, and Welsh Pleasure Adult Section A & B. She is also a 2015 USEF Horse of Honor.

Her WPCSA record is equally impressive - she has 15 National Champions and 8 National Reserve Champions in Short Stirrup Hunter, Hunter 12.2-14.2, English Pleasure 12.2- 14.2, Western Pleasure, Adult English Pleasure A & B, and Adult Western Pleasure A & B. She has been High Point Section B 4 times- 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015. She has won Supreme Championships in Breed. And she has completed all her lifetime awards- Legion of Merit (LOM), Award of Excellence (AOE), and the Order of the Dragon (OD) which requires 10,000 points.

A decade later, with trophies and ribbons to fill a room, Elizabeth said, "Bunny's good at a lot of things - hunter, halter, english pleasure and western pleasure. We've learned a lot of things together. She never needs to school. She is incredibly brave jumping- she will jump any course cold, and even jumped a fence when the brush box blew down right in front of her! Kaitlin and I have been so lucky to own her. She is truly special."

Whether at a show or at home where she is a saint for leadline and therapeutic lessons, Glynhafan Hermione gives her all.