Competition is divided into sections based on height and type, and include being judged under saddle in standard pleasure horse classes, as well as in related events such as sidesaddle or in-hand.
Riding ponies were originally developed in the United Kingdom and are now bred all over the world.
When pony classes were added to horse shows in the early 1920s, breeders began crossing Welsh and Dartmoor ponies with small Thoroughbred and Arabian horses.
From the 1930s into the 1950s, Arabian blood was again introduced to improve stamina and refinement, which included one of the most influential sires, Naseel.
Over the years, the native breeds formed their own societies, and the NPS became dedicated to British riding ponies.