Marshwood Challenge Trophy

Marshwood Perpetual Challenge Trophy. Presented to the Royal Melbourne Show by Major Maurice Charles Cox and his wife Betty, 1974 for the Best Shetland Trophy. Both Maurice and Betty were Shetland pony lovers and experts. They both actively worked to maintain high standards of ponies. They did this in Great Britain by starting a stud for Shetlands in 1922, both taking on the role of president of the Shetland Pony Major Stud Book Society and starting a scheme to use the best stallions for breeding. Major Cox drew on his experiences examining Shetlands all around the world when he wrote The Shetland Pony (first published in 1965). The Coxes promoted the Shetland pony elsewhere too. Major Cox judged Shetland ponies at shows in Australia Sweden and France. He probably last judged in Australia at the Easter Show in 1981. By this time Major Cox must have been in his late 70s as he was a reserve cavalry man in 1918. It may be that Major Cox was judging Shetland ponies at the Royal Melbourne Show in the 1970s, and brought this silver footed salver made in Scotland in 1916 with him as a trophy for the best Shetland pony at the show.