Rhodri Jones

~ Words by Samantha Mattocks (The Arabian Magazine) ~ written February 2008

The Jones family is one of the most well-known Arabian horse families, not just in the UK, but also around the world. With parents Sue and Emrys having been judges and breeders of Arabians for many years, it was inevitable that their children – Ryan, Rod and Rhiannon – would follow them into the horse world. Rod, now 30, agreed to talk exclusively to The Arabian Magazine about his life in the Welsh hills and also his plans for the future, which include a wedding this summer.

“The only memories that I have ever had have been around the horses, so it was perhaps inevitable that this would be the career path I chose,” he says. “However, that said, I’ve always done my own thing and I have had my own goals. It is important to remain your own person, even when you work as part of a team.”
Born in 1977, Rod was always surrounded by Arabian horses. His parents, Sue and Emrys, were already enthusiasts of the breed by the time their children were born and it wasn’t long before they caught the enthusiasm that had captured their parents. “My first memories are all around horses,” says Rod. “From the very beginning, we were helping my parents, brushing tails and manes and leading horses in from the field. It never occurred to me to choose anything other than work with horses as I have known them all my life.”
When Rod was five years old, his parents bought he and Ryan a 13-year-old section A mare, which was backed for the boys to ride. “She was not your typical child’s first pony, that’s for sure!” Rod laughs. “To start with, we had to tie sacks of sand to the saddle as she was too crazy for anyone to get on! When we eventually backed her, my father always had to ride her first before we got on.
“I don’t really remember the very first time that I rode a horse, but one of my earliest memories is of riding this little pony, Babs, which involved lots of bucking and running off and pulling to eat grass! When I was 10 years old and Babs was 18, we were invited to go hunting. This was my first ever hunt: we set out at 11am and there was no stopping her! When we were supposed to return around 4pm, there were sparks flying from her shoes as she galloped all the way passed the pub! We also did the ridden pony club with her and all the pony club games. I never had any riding lessons as a child so all in all, it was this little pony who taught me how to ride!”
As well as getting in the saddle early, Rod’s halter showing experiences also began early and he was in at the deep end, his first show being the British National Championships. “I first started showing 20 years ago, with a Shahpoor filly foal at the Nationals. I asked my parents what to do and they told me to ‘just follow the one in front.’ However, we were pulled in first so there was no one to follow! Winning my first show was an amazing feeling and from then on I never looked back.
“The year after, I showed the same filly at the National Show at Kempton Park, where I beat my father who in fact had the better filly! These were two experiences that I will never forget.”
Over the next few years, Rod went on to show more of the Bychan horses at all levels throughout the UK and as he gained in confidence and ability, he began to cold show for other people. “My first major championship was a British National Championship with a colt foal of Mrs Hedley’s,” Rod recalls.
Once Rod reached 16 years old, he began working and showing at many places throughout Europe, the Middle East and America. “During this time, I learned many different training methods and also gained valuable knowledge in all aspects of training and producing Arabian horses,” he says. “Working abroad and also here in the UK over the years has taught me so much and I value each experience as something to learn from.”
Rod has since gone on to develop his own style of showing, training and conditioning and he has achieved a high level of success with them. “I can’t comment on other people and the way they train their horses as I don’t know what methods they use,” he explains. “All I can say is that I know what works for me – hard work, long hours and a careful selection programme. It sounds a cliché, but I feel that you never stop learning and I am always open to new methods in my aim to improve what I do, both in the show-ring and when conditioning horses at home.
“Another thing that is important to me is to remember that when it comes to a new horse, everyone is different and so you must be sure to take the time to assess each one’s capabilities.”
In 1994, Rod started taking show liveries and showing on a regular basis for a select group of clients. “One of my first show liveries was Ali Khan** (Al Hakkim* x Sharene) for his new owners and the other AZ Passion for Sue Hatch,” he recalls. “I had considerable success with both: Ali Khan** was joint second with FS Bengali**** in Aachen and AZ Passion was also joint second. This was my first time showing at the All Nations’ Cup! After this I knew that I wanted to continue producing and showing horses for other people.”
Over the years, there is one sight in particular that many never tire of seeing: Rod showing Sally Etchell’s popular stallion, Vodolej**. The pair seem to have a natural affinity and it is rare to see a photograph where they have all their feet on the ground! “Vodolej always gets an amazing reception wherever he goes,” explains Rod. “And it has been a privilege to show him at prestigious shows both here in the UK and in Europe. A highlight has to be showing him at the All Nations’ Cup in 2004 and also at the British National Championships in 2006, where even the judge applauded him. He is one of a kind.”
Rod inspires loyalty in people and he admits that he has been very lucky with his longstanding clients. “I like to think that I have an honest, open relationship with them and in return, they have happy horses and are sure of 100% commitment from me.”
As well as showing horses successfully for his parents and for clients, Rod has his own stallion that he has enjoyed huge success with: Master Design GA (Versace x BEA Society Belle). While Master Design has more than proved himself in the show-ring and is currently making his mark in the breeding barns, Rod has had to contend with comments about the stallion’s SCID status, something he has chosen not to comment on until now: “A lot of things, both negative and positive, have been said over the years about my stallion being a SCID carrier and I have chosen not to respond. All I will say is that I defy anyone to have seen Master Design in the show-ring at Scottsdale and to have left him there. We have never hidden his status as a carrier and he is everything that I want in a horse and he is more than worth his weight in gold to us.
“Master Design passes on his kind, calm temperament, his gentle nature and extreme smoothness and length of neck to all his foals. They also possess good movement, pretty faces and a good length of leg. Due to the careful selection of visiting mares, 99% of Master Design’s foals tested are SCID clear.”
Now five years old, Master Design’s show-ring highlights include being placed in the Top Ten at the World Championship for four years running, Supreme Champion and Best in Show at the Emerald Cup in Brecht, British National Champion Colt, Scottsdale unanimous Champion Futurity Yearling (beating over 100 colts), Supreme Champion three times running at the North West Group C Show and in 2005, he took second place in his two-year-old colt class at both the Sharjah and Dubai A Shows. An impressive yet gentle horse, Master Design is sure to continue being in the spotlight for the right reasons as time goes on.
One of Rod’s proudest moments was breeding Divine by Design RR (Master Design GA x Focus Galliana) with his friend Raymond Fox. A very feminine, very beautiful filly, Divine by Design was set to make her show-ring debut at the cancelled 2007 British National Championships. “She will be out this year,” smiles Rod. “She’s growing up very nicely!”
While talking about breeding, Rod touches on one of his main concerns over the changes which are taking place in the Arabian breed today. “Some people are breeding just for the extreme face, which is done at the expense of anything else. We have to be careful we don’t go too far.”
In 2007, Rod purchased another colt from the US, this time in partnership with Raymond Fox, Nigel Grogan and Beverly Walton: MPA Giuliani (Giovanni x Rohara Whispers). Now two years old, Rod is looking forward to showing him this year. “Giovanni is a grandson of Versace and while I’ve never gone for these bloodlines in particular, I have gone for what I have liked and they just happen to be the Versace lines!” Rod says. “The only horses in the US that I have so far found to be typey enough for Europe have been from the Versace and Padrons Psyche*** lines.”
Rod’s life changed in 2003 when he met Kimberley Smith at Aachen. Kim is a long-time friend of Sally Etchells and has been riding and showing horses since before she was a teenager. The two clicked and Kim moved down to Bychan Arabians in South Wales and together, they work as a team with the horses. “I proposed to Kim on Christmas Day 2006 and she said yes,” smiles Rod. “We are getting married in July this year and we are very much looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together.
“We share the same dreams, ambitions and work ethics. When I am working and showing abroad during the year, Kim continues with all the training and conditioning of all the show horses. We each receive our own show liveries, but we work together as a team to produce them all. We both consider ourselves to be very lucky to have found someone who we can truly share our lives with.”
As well as working together on the show liveries, it is important to both Rod and Kim that the horses should be versatile in what they do. Rod, in particular, is a regular at the local hunt and last Boxing Day, he rode Khamilla Bint Kerim, Sally’s 13-year-old mare, to the hunt. “Both Kim and I feel that all our horses at home, especially the stallions, should have an active and interesting life outside of the show-ring/breeding barn,” explains Rod. “One way in which we do this is hunting as it provides them with a different form of exercise and a different aspect on life, as well as grounding them in manners as they are around many other horses.
“The ridden side is something I have always enjoyed. But to do ridden and to do it well takes a lot of time, effort and commitment. The time, especially, is something that, at this point, I don’t have as my main focus is the halter showing. I feel it is very difficult to combine the two successfully in the same season, but I would never rule it out. Master Design has been backed by Kim and he loves being ridden around the hills, so you never know what the future holds!”
Rod has also turned his hand to racing, training Shay, a Shahpoor son, and even riding him in one race. “Despite dieting for six months, I couldn’t get my weight down enough! But I rode him at Lingfield, where I was nine pounds overweight. Shay raced for three seasons and was placed every time.”
When asked about the future, Rod answers in the quiet, calm way you expect of him. “I would like to think that the future will bring continued success and happiness for us, wherever we may be. All I hope for is to continue showing the horses with success.
“Like many others, one of my main ambitions is to produce and show a horse to a World Championship. So far, I have been lucky enough in my career to not have experienced many regrets; the only thing I would have done differently is to have worked in America from an earlier age.
“I have also been lucky enough to have experienced many special moments in my career to date. There are too many to mention, but some highlights include working and showing in America. I had four class winners at Aachen in the same year, which was amazing, and winning a British National is always special, as was taking Amazonn* to Champion in Saudi when I was 18 years old. I know I am very lucky in the opportunities that I have had.”
Rod has had to grow up in public, learning his craft while under scrutiny from others. He has done this with aplomb and is a natural and gifted horseman who can truly turn his hand to anything equestrian. With Kim by his side, the future can only be positive for this popular young couple and having already achieved a second place in a strong mare class in Saudi Arabia this year, 2008 should be as successful as ever.
“Key horses in my life have to include Master Design, Ali Khan, Hanniyah, Yannah, Love by Design. For those I have admired from afar, I have to list Laheeb**, Kwestura** and Pianissima*.”
“I guess one of my biggest successes in the UK is winning a British National Championship in every halter section! Further afield, taking the Reserve European Championship with Hanniyah in 2004 was very special.”
“To relax away from the show-ring, I do the hunt relay with the Royal Welsh, among others. I also like to relax with my close friends – they are the ones who are there for you no matter what happens.”
“These days, my season lasts all year long with showing in the UK and Europe through to the US, Israel, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.”
“I showed in several young handler classes and despite trying my best, I never won once! I was regularly beaten by my brother Ryan and by Chris Lowe. However, this did not deter me and I would go away and practice and come back determined to do even better! I guess I did improve a little as some of the judges who judged me back then are now my clients!”