The National Equine Forum (NEF) organising committee has chosen an irresistible picture of a rescued Shetland pony, Arthur, as the worthy winner of its recent photography competition. The image, taken by Amy Newton, a volunteer at Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue, will feature on the programme cover for the 33rd National Equine Forum, which takes place on Thursday 6th March 2025 (#NEF25).
Talented amateur equine photographers from around the world submitted more than 100 evocative equine images, ranging from scenes of some of the UK’s native ponies in their natural environments, to cheeky donkeys and majestic horses. Entries were received from Ireland, the Isle of Man, USA, India and Australia, as well as from the UK. Three of the pictures submitted have been accepted by the British Equine Trade Association for their 2025 calendar competition.
Arthur, the subject of the winning image, was found abandoned in a cow field in the Devon countryside and now lives happily at Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue, a registered charity set up in Devon in 2014 to rescue miniature Shetland ponies from abuse, abandonment and neglect.
“Arthur is a very calm, gentle pony who is extremely empathetic towards other people and horses,” said Amy Newton. “We are all so excited that he has won the competition and that we will see his gorgeous face on the NEF programme!
“Given his lovely temperament he has undergone training to become our flagship therapy and petting pony. In short Arthur is an all-round superstar and is very popular with the sponsors of our permanent resident ponies.”
“We all agreed that the composition and quality of the photograph of Arthur would make for an excellent cover image for NEF’s 2025 programme,” said NEF publicity officer Sarah Shephard. “Not forgetting the overall handsomeness of the subject himself! It’s also great to be able to celebrate one of the UK’s precious native breeds in this way.”
Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue will not only see their beloved Arthur on the cover of the NEF 2025 programme and associated promotional material, but the charity will also receive a special hamper for Arthur and his friends as their prize.
The National Equine Forum is an annual event bringing together representatives from all echelons of the equestrian industry, including government, equestrian sport, veterinary science and welfare. It has been running for 30 years and is organised by a committee reflecting various sectors of the equestrian industry.
Find out more about NEF and details of the programme for #NEF25