Copper Beech Farm in Tracey’s Landing is among the most successful breeders of Welsh Mountain Ponies (also known as Section A ponies) in the country. It is owned and operated by JudithAnn Hartman, who is also the current President of the Maryland Pony Breeders and the organizer of the Maryland Pony Breeders Yearling Futurity. She specializes in Section A ponies bred specifically for the driving disciplines.
Hartman has two Section A yearlings entered in this year’s show:
Copper Beech Campion – a chestnut colt born on March 16, 2025, by Hartman’s champion stallion Copper Beech Summer Zephyr out of Hartman’s Copper Beech Marigold (Gypsy Rose’s Pride). Campion is undefeated in his 11 outings in the WPCSA Section A Colts division this year, and he was Reserve Grand Champion in two of those. As a result, he is currently in first place nationally for WPCSA Section A Colts.
Copper Beech Porcelain Doll – a bay filly born on March 2, 2025, also by Copper Beech Summer Zephyr but out of one of Hartman’s foundation mares Severn Satin Doll. She already has three WPCSA Section A Yearling wins under her belt and is currently ranked third in the Maryland Pony Breeders Welsh Section A Yearlings division.
Hartman launched the Copper Beech breeding program in the mid-2000s and has been breeding champion Welsh Mountain Ponies ever since. Copper Beech ponies are a blend of Severn, Brookside, and Alliance pedigrees. They owe their temperaments to the Maryland-bred Severn bloodlines, their showiness and movement to Virginia-bred Brookside bloodlines, and their suitability as driving ponies from Maryland-bred Alliance bloodlines.
This genetic chemistry produced Hartman’s current WPCSA (Welsh Pony & Cob Society of America) Legion of Merit and National Champion stallion, Copper Beech Cardiff.
“Cardiff” has won over 20 WPCSA Supreme Championship titles and numerous individual championships in the Hunter Breeding, Green Cross-Rails Hunter, and English Pleasure divisions. He was the High Point Sire at the 2024 MPB Yearling Futurity. His heavily ribboned progeny at yearling futurities over the years include Copper Beech Mocha Java, Copper Beech Molly Malone, Copper Beech Double Double, Copper Beech Summer Zephyr, and Copper Beech Welsh Poppy.
Coming up right behind him is Copper Beech Summer Zephyr (Copper Beech Cardiff x Wilrick Summertime (Baledon Hy-Jack)), a 2022 bay stallion who earned the 2023 WPCSA National Champion Section A Colt title. He is the sire of both of the Copper Beech entries this year — Copper Beech Campion and Copper Beech Porcelain Doll. He is also the sire of Tiz Benedict’s Maryland-bred entry in the Section A filly class, Severn Vesta.
Judithann Hartman is the moving force behing the Yearling Futurity. She has been pushing to include pony breeds other than Welsh, such as Shetlands, Connemaras, and Highland Ponies. She is the show’s ambassador, its administrator, and its cheerleader-in-chief. She shows up with her ponies year after year, and her ponies have been winning year after year. Here are some particular Yearling Futurity winners of note:
Copper Beech Mocha Java (Copper Beech Cardiff out of Copper Beech Turkish Coffee (Courtway Formal Attire)) was Reserve Champion Welsh Section A at the 2025 Yearling Futurity as well as Best Turned Out Pony. This year she has won multiple Champion and Grand Champion titles and is running second in the WPCSA Section A Fillies division for the Southeast Region.
Copper Beech Molly Malone (Copper Beech Cardiff out of Copper Beech Irish Lace (Severn Merrymaker)) was the Champion WPCSA Section A Yearling at the 2024 futurity and was also the WPCSA National Champion filly that year. She is now sitting in first place in the WPCSA Section A Mare rankings for the South-Central region.
Copper Beech Spanish Sherry (Brookside Starbuster x Severn China Doll (Twyford Cadog)) was Reserve Grand Champion at the 2020 futurity. Sihe won Champion WPSCA Section A Mare in both 2024 and 2025, and she is a multiple-ribbon winner in the Hunter and Halter divisions. She is sitting in first place in the 2026 Champion WPSCA Section A Mare title overall.
Another past futurity winner is, Copper Beech Cherry Brandy (Coldplay out of Copper Beech Spanish Sherry (Brookside Starbuster)) won the Best Driving Pony Prospect at the 2024 futurity. She went on to win WPCSA National Champion Section A filly in 2025, and she is sitting in first place in the 2026 WPCSA Section A mare rankings in the North-East region.
Copper Beech ponies are not just stars in Maryland. They are reknowned throughout the US and have won numerous national and regional championship titles. There are far too many to count. Here are some:
Copper Beech Summer Wine (Brookside Starbuster x Wilcrick Summertime) Baledon Hy-Jack)) – a 2019 performance mare who was the 2021 Champion WPCSA Section A Filly and the 2025 Reserve Champion WPCSA Sec. A Mare.
Copper Beech Cold Brew (Coldplay x Copper Beech Turkish Coffee (Courtway Formal Attire)) – a 2020 stallion driving prospect who was the 2023 Champion WPCSA Section A Stallion and the 2022 Champion WPCSA Sec. A Colt.
Copper Beech Ramblin’ Rover (Coldplay x Copper Beech Irish Lace (Severn Merrymaker)) — a 2021 gelding Bronze Medallion earner in the WPCSA performance standings.
Copper Beech Loki (Coldplay x Severn Festive Bow (Severn Merrymaker)) — a 2021 bay gelding harness and driving prospect who was WPCSA Reserve Champion Section A Geldings 2 YOs in 2022.
Copper Beech Welsh Poppy (Coldplay x Severn China Doll (Twyford Cadog)) – a 2023 Elite Gold Medallion-earning filly during her yearling season. She won multiple Best Young Pony and Pony Hunter Breeding classes at US Equestrian-recognized competitions in 2025. She is currently second in the 2026 national rankings for a WPCSA Section A mare.
A sixth winner, one for whom we do not have a photograph, is Copper Beech Double Double (Copper Beech Cardiff x Copper Beech Turkish Coffee (Courtway Formal Attire)) – a 2022 black point-earning show mare who was Champion WPCSA Adult English Pleasure 12.2 & Under in 2025 and is currently third in the national rankings for WPCSA Sec A mare.
Judithann Hartman and Copper Beech Farm are in it for the long haul. Hartman has three home-bred broodmares holding down the fort along with three broodmares from Severn Oaks. The Copper Beech broodmares with foals on the ground are:
Copper Beech Marigold (Gypsy Rose’s Pride x Severn Periwinkle (Twyford Cadog)) – a 2016 buckskin driving mare who was a two-time champion WPCSA Sec A filly at the 2018 PC Silver shows and the 2023 Champion WPCSA Section A Mare. She is the sire of this year’s futurity entry Copper Beech Campion.
Copper Beech Turkish Coffee (Courtway Formal Attire x Severn China Doll (Twyford Cadog)) – a 2015 black mare who was the Reserve Champion WPCSA Sec. A mare in 2023 and who is in turn producing champion Sec. A ponies. She is the dam of the 2025 champion adult pleasure mare Copper Beech Double Double; the multiple 2026 champion Copper Beech Mocha Java; and the champion WPCSA stallion Copper Beech Cold Brew. She is currently running third in the 2026 WPCSA rankings for English Pleasure 12.2 & Under.
Copper Beech Irish Lace (Severn Merrymaker x Severn China Doll (Twyford Cadog)) – a 2013 buckskin Legion of Merit broodmare who was the 2015 Reserve Champion WPCSA Section A Filly in both 2014 and 2015. Five of her progeny are making their way up the ranks in WPCSA shows, three of whom were bred by Hartman (Copper Beech Danny Boy, Copper Beech Ramblin’ Rover, and Copper Beech Molly Malone) and two of whom were bred by Tiz Benedict (Severn Chantilly Lace and Severn Brocade).
The MPB Yearling Futurity is a great place to meet Judithann and her wonderful ponies. Handicappers are betting that a Copper Beech yearling will win either the Section A fillies or the Section A colts — or both!
See you on Sunday.