Northern Exmoors
A quarter of a century ago the total worldwide Exmoor pony population numbered about 500, most of which were living on Exmoor itself. Things have changed dramatically since then. There are now around 3,000 ponies worldwide. They can be found in Canada, the USA, Sweden, Holland, Germany and Denmark as well as all over the British Isles. Although the numbers have increased, many of those ponies are
Northern hills. They are more than capable of surviving the rigours of winter weather with very little help from their human connections. Their unique dentition (their teeth meet almost on the perpendicular, unlike most breeds whose teeth slope) and strong jaws enable them to eke out a living where most other equines would struggle. As ridden ponies the larger individuals will carry up to 12 stone. Their sure-footedness and stamina make them ideal for disciplines such as Long Distance Riding and Trec. Their height of 11.2hh – 12.3hh is handy for dismounting and remounting for hazards such as awkward gates.
YEPT ponies grazing at Terrington
geldings so the actual breeding population remains relatively small with around 200 foals registered each year.
Northern England, where they have become popular as riding ponies and conservation grazers, now boasts a significant percentage of the population. There are a number of breeders in the North, unlike the situation 25 years ago when the only herd breeding on a regular basis was the Dean family’s Herd 14 which, to this day, still roams freely over the Cumbrian fells. There are now a dozen small Exmoor studs in the North mostly on hill ground. These studs play a vital role in ensuring the maintenance of the ponies’ inherent hardiness away from Exmoor. In effect, they provide a genetic safety net should there be a serious disease outbreak or other catastrophe on Exmoor.
Exmoors are particularly well suited to the rugged landscape and extreme weather of the
The increase of Northern interest in the breed began at around the time that the first Northern Exmoor Show was held in 1987. The show was organised by the, then newly appointed, Exmoor Pony Society Area Representatives, Jill and Ian Graham. Twelve ponies were entered at that first show including the late First Time, Jill and Ian’s foundation
stallion who took the honour of being the first ever Northern Exmoor Show champion. First Time went on to win many championships all over the country and sired over 50 foals including a number of champions. The show has gone from strength-to- strength and these days, regularly attracts entries in excess of forty ponies. This year’s show is on Sunday July 1st at Mill Lane Stables, Brayton, near Selby, North Yorkshire. The schedule will be available on the Exmoor Pony Society website
www.exmoorponysociety.org.uk . The show is an excellent opportunity to see a variety of ponies at close hand and to talk to their owners.
Two of the North’s major county shows now have breed classes for Exmoor ponies, Cheshire Show, held in late June and the Great Yorkshire Show (GYS) in the second week of July. Both usually attract a good entry of top quality ponies as does the National Pony Society Area 4 Show at the GYS showground on August bank holiday Monday. In years gone by it was very rare to see an Exmoor succeeding in mixed company but in recent years, Denise Sykes’ Cosmic Helix, bred in Nottinghamshire, has
Sue Burger on Kylestrome
been Reserve M&M Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show and Di and Harry Woodward’s Hawkwell Anything Goes was Reserve M&M Champion at Cheshire Show. Many Exmoors are now holding their own in mixed M&M classes.
Based near Bamburgh, Northumberland, Gail Whetter has successfully produced many top ridden Exmoor ponies, most notably Subhainn, bred in Scotland with whom she represented the breed at Olympia in 2000 and 2001 The North has provided a good share of recent
Sue Burger with the Rossmill herd on the hill
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