Heather Hill Farm is located in Woodside, California. Although owner Pat Holmes had worked with and shown ponies and horses of various breeds for many years, Heather Hill Farm and the Welsh started officially in 1971.

The first Welsh was a rescue pony section A he was being mishandled by his family and they were threatening an early demise when Pat came along and bought him for a small price. He was fully registered and a very nice pony who Pat and her young riding students showed with much success and enjoyment. He found a new home that appreciated him and he left Pat hooked on Welsh. Pat bred a few Section B ponies before switching to Cobs.



Mrs. W. A. Swinerton, owner of Mary's farm, a Section B breeder sought Pat out for training and showing her first foals from her foundation stock. Mary's Farm Section B's became a force to reckon with at the Welsh Shows and Open Pony Shows in California through the later part of the '70s and early '80s. One of the young riders to show the Section B's was Laura Stevens. Mrs. Swinerton then imported a few Section D's and Pat continued to train and show for her,ultimately handling the dispersal of her ponies and Cobs in 1996.

Concurrent with training Mrs. Swinerton's Cobs Pat imported her own two Cobs from Ann Wheatcroft in the UK. Sydenham Lark and Cyffylliog Pendefig arrived in 1982. The plan was for them to be Pat's combined driving pair. That never materialized but Fig did show in Driving, Pleasure both English and Western , Hunters and was unbeatable in his in hand classes. The first mares were Llanarth Rhonwen and Okeden Mai. Bristol Belle was purchased as a foal for a future brood mare and at the time of Mrs. Swinerton's dispersal Scole Sarah and Kentchurch Marisa were added to the Cob program.