Moorland Herd 99

Moorland Herd 99 - The Dart Family

Owned by the Dart family, Herd 99 runs on Molland Moor, Exmoor National Park
Molland Moor in Exmoor National Park is owned by the Throckmorton family (Molland Estate). The Dart family has farmed here for many generations and Molland Moor is home to the Moorland Herd 99 Exmoor ponies.

The free-living, semi-feral Exmoor ponies have evolved through living and breeding in their indigenous, natural habitat, developing learned and genetic behaviours and characteristics of extensively grazing animals. This means that they contain important genetic material which cannot simply be replaced by similar bloodlines held elsewhere. 

The Molland ponies are therefore valuable to the gene pool of the endangered Exmoor pony breed and the Molland Estate and Dart family are committed to their preservation and conservation.

No foals have been registered with the Exmoor Pony Society since around 2000, and it is hoped that the DNA Whole Genome Project and the establishment of a  supplement and upgrading system within the Exmoor Pony Stud Book, will enable these ponies to be recognised and embraced back into the pedigree breeding gene pool in the future. 

One of the most famous ponies is the moorbred Herd 99 stallion, Moorland Kingfisher, who is one of the most prolific and influential sires for the Exmoor pony breed. He has sired many champion quality stock and has a number of stallion sons, including Liqueur. Moorland Kingfisher was successfully covering mares right up to his last year, 2013.

In November 2021, The Heritage Exmoor Pony & Equus Survival Trust DNA Project has started with DNA profiling and collection of field data from the long-standing Molland Moor herd of Exmoor ponies, Moorland Herd 99. This herd has become stranded outside of the closed Exmoor Pony Stud Book through failure to establish a DNA baseline for the herd when DNA parentage verification was brought in as a pedigree registration requirement in the early 2000's. 

However, the Dart family and Molland Estate have managed to maintain a healthy herd of resilient, robust, good quality, true to type, free-living Exmoor ponies to this day. With the tiny, endangered Exmoor pony gene pool, it is important to ensure that this moorland Exmoor pony herd receives appropriate recognition and status and is safeguarded for the future. 

The Moorland Herd 99 Exmoor ponies retain the desirable learned and genetic characteristics and behaviours of extensively grazing, free living animals, through living on one of Exmoor's toughest moorlands. These ponies are also awarded the MEPBG (Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group) Certificate of Authenticity - born and bred in Exmoor National Park by an MEPBG herd owner.

Molland youngstock are available FOR SALE now. 

Contact: Mr William Dart
Email dart@champson.eclipse.co.uk
Address: Great Champson, Molland, South Molton, Devon, EX36 3ND. 
Telephone: 01769 550263

Exmoor Stallions Standing

None currently.
Famous stallions bred: Moorland Kingfisher

Contact the Dart Family

Photo Gallery - Dart family's Moorland Herd 99 

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