Fell pony
breed information
www.FellponyInfo.com (Home)
(previously Fellpony.com)
|
Fell pony
breed information www.FellponyInfo.com (Home) (previously Fellpony.com)
|
|
|
The
Fell Pony Society by Laura Hart - August 2002 THE EQUINE JOURNAL - Article published November 2002 Click here for photos and an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of this Equine Journal article Article as submitted: From the length and
breadth of Britain and from around the globe, people gathered with just one
thought; to learn more about the rare British native pony breed – the Fell
pony. This event, held in the north
of This convention took place in and around the northern regions of The convention began with the 31st annual
Fell pony breed show on Saturday August 3rd.
Classes included in-hand, mounted, group progeny, driving, Handy Pony (is
similar to American ‘Trail’ showing) and costume.
This show is also a qualifier for the Ponies
(UK) Summer Championship Show held at Sunday, August 4, was a Driving Clinic and Livestock Transportation
presentation at the Cumbria Campus of the The driving clinic was lead by Jane Brindley who is well known for being the
long-time owner of the famous Fell pony Edenview Moon Stroller.
Moon Stroller was much loved and celebrated for his spirit, willingness,
and longevity. He was born on The livestock transport presentation was part of a British program called N.V.Q. (National Vocation Qualification) training, which is like our American on-the-job training programs. Many useful topics were covered such as proper weights in a horse trailer, air flow, heat/humidity, and special skills, Physical/physiological, Behavioral, combined stress during transport, numbers of horses allowed in various size vehicles, protection of horse during transport Monday, August 5, was the “Murthwaite Stud High Fell Walk”, which was truly spectacular and unique because Murthwaite is one of the few Fell studs left were the ponies still live and breed semi-feral out on the open fells (hills). Owner, Thomas Capstick who has bred Fells for about 35 years, led a group of about 70 convention attendees up on the fells to see his ponies. Ponies from the further fells were herded in using quad bikes – an inspiring and breathtaking sight. That evening was the
official dinner and auction to launch the convention.
Bob Charlton, Chairman of the Fell Pony Society, gave a welcome speech
and introduced many council members and judges who were in attendance.
This was a social evening with an opportunity to interact with the
officials from the Society. The next day was a tour of the “Fell Pony and
Sue
Millard ran this event. Millard
is a University lecturer, artist, Fell pony judge, author, and historian, and web
master/writer for the on-line version of this museum.
She gave a talk explaining her involvement with the museum including the
murals she painted for it many years ago.
The The museum is full of old farm implements and the Fell section contains such items as bits, harness, saddles, sidesaddle stirrups, stud cards, and photographs. It is housed in the Great Barn at Dalemain, a building dating from the Elizabethan era, therefore people must be careful where they walk due to old floorboards! The evening’s
event was dinner and a tour at Jennings Brothers, Castle Brewery in Cockermouth,
including a slide show titled “Prince of the northern fells; in the footsteps
of the drovers” by David Anthony Murray.
Murray
focused on one of his
many projects called ‘Net Quest ‘99’, which was a project in which he
traveled for 167 days covering 1,740 miles along ancient drovers’ paths,
packhorse routes, bridleways, and hunting tracks.
He began in This talk was very
engaging because The next day,
Wednesday August 7, was an open house at the Lownthwaite Fell pony stud, which
has been in existence since at least 1889 and where they still run their ponies
semi-feral on the Fell breeder and
judge, Bert Morland, gave a Judging clinic that day.
As ponies were lead in for him to comment on, he would share comments
about how to find a good Fell, such as, “Look in front (at a pony), head-on
– you should be able to look into the nostrils, eyes, and ears.” That evening was the “Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s Seminar on the Fell Pony Syndrome”. The “Rare Breeds Survival Trust” is a charity formed in 1973 and currently supports over 70 breeds of animals in Britain. A full team of experts was assembled to communicate the current status of research on this Immunodeficiency disease. The next day, Thursday August 8, was the “Appleby Agricultural Society” Annual Show held in Appleby-in-Westmorland. As well as this show, Appleby is well known for the 300 year old Appleby Horse Fair held each year in June. Traditionally the fair was an annual event where Gypsies gathered to sell their horses and also as a meeting place where they congregated from all over the country. This Appleby Show,
which was on our convention schedule, had many attractions and competitions such
as Dairy and beef herds, Fell and Shetland ponies, hunters, Driving classes,
Dogs, Dry Stone Walling, Walking Sticks, art, crafts, photography, wines,
various homemade foods, various children’s competitions, and horticulture.
Trade stands included: Animal
rescue, children’s games, foods, arts and crafts, toys, furniture, products,
music, clothing, etc. There was
Falconry demo, parade of vintage tractors and vehicles, and a Gymkhana The next convention
event immediately followed the show - an open house at the Linnel Fell stud,
located in Hexham, in the Robert Blackett Charlton is the current owner of the Linnel stud. Bob’s great grandfather, another R. B. Charlton (there were at least three of these ‘RBs’ in succession), bought Linnel around 1890. He (Bob’s great-grandfather) had lost a leg when 18 years old and therefore became interested in driving ponies subsequently here were fell type ponies around their home for many years. The first Linnel-prefix pony was registered with the Fell Pony Society around 1915. Bob’s grandfather authored the well-respected, out-of-print book titled “A Lifetime with Ponies” which chronicles the Charlton family’s history with ponies up until that point. Bob currently serves as Chairman of the Fell Pony Society council. Tours were given of
their farm and ponies. Old family photographs and memorabilia related to their
history with Fell ponies were on display. August 9, Friday began with a
‘walk’ up Blencathra, a 2847 foot mountain located in the The person who had
given up on the hike (who just happened to have been the North America Liaison
Officer) became the butt of most of the jokes at the event that evening; the
‘Sing Song’. The Sing Song was
an evening of music, jokes, food, and just basic good ‘crack’ (a British
word meaning a good time, party, and conversation). The
final event on the convention calendar was the Fell pony showing day at
the Lowther Horse Driving Trials and Country Fair on August 10, Saturday.
Fell pony classes included Brood mares, Foals, Geldings, and Young
Handlers. HRH Prince Philip, competed in the
“Teams of Four Ponies” driving class with four of the Queen’s Fell ponies.
He came in fifth out of a field of nine teams.
George Bowman, world-renowned driving competitor, was also a competitor
in this year’s trials with his team of Cumberland Cobs in the “Teams of Four
Horses” class. Lowther Horse Driving Trials are the
oldest & longest running trials in the 2001 was the first
time in 30 years that Lowther was not held due to the Foot and Mouth
outbreak.
Lord Lonsdale and his family own the Lowther estate, and many other areas
around FELL
PONY MUSEUM/DALEMAIN: www.fellpony.f9.co.uk/ Article reproduced with permission of the Equine Journal
- Keene, NH,
USA |
