1985: So Soft Ponies
LOFTY
Yellow pegasus pony with yellow mane and tail, pink hot air balloon and stars symbol.
Like Ribbon, Lofty was another little pony introduced and made use of throughout the popular television series and movie of 1985-6 and 1987. Lofty the onscreen character was originally voiced in My Little Pony The Movie by Sue Blu, but later her voice artist was changed. Her character was always fairly indistinct on the cartoon.
For no apparent reason, Lofty was never sold in the UK or made as a "non so soft" version. She was, however, featured in comics and other stories and she was featured in the Fact File. Here it states that she had 'a knack for making mischief' and that she liked to take friends on hot air balloon rides 'through the rainbow where exciting surprises await them!' In all honesty, however, my memory of her in the comic is also not that vivid. She may well have had her hot air balloon - but I don't recall any startlingly magical journeys off the top of my head!