Report - 2018 Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival
Report on events and activities from this year's festival and upcoming Celebrating Exmoor Ponies Exhibition at Toucan in Minehead
The Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival, organised by the Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group (MEPBG) and Exmoor Pony Project, running throughout August, concludes with the Celebrating Exmoor Ponies Exhibition in Minehead during September and October.
Aiming to raise the profile of the endangered breed Exmoor ponies of Exmoor National Park, the festival kicked off in early August with author Dawn Westcott’s ‘Wild Pony Whispering Walk’ with real-life Exmoor pony characters Monsieur Chapeau, Monty and Princess Khaleesi. After a bracing climb up to Webber’s Post, walkers enjoyed lunch with spectacular views of Dunkery Beacon and the Horner River Valley.
Christina Williams led a walk and talk on her family’s Molland Moor to see the long-standing Exmoor pony herd there and learn more about the environment they live in and how it’s managed.
The spectacular gathering of the Floyd family’s magnificent free-living Tippbarlake Exmoor pony herd from Brendon Common drew an enthusiastic crowd, with the highlight seeing the ponies cascading down through Lancombe Crossing on their way up to Scobhill Gate.
Next came the MEPBG Exmoor Pony Show at Brendon Show , which went ahead despite an appalling weather forecast. Exmoor mare Yellowcombe Lapwing (Mr & Mrs NG Westcott) stood MEPBG Overall Supreme Champion and Overall Reserve Mountain & Moorland Champion, 2 year old gelding Farleywater Kenai (Mrs M Adams & Mrs H South) stood Overall Reserve Supreme and Moorbred Champion, gelding Monsieur Chapeau (Mr & Mrs NG Westcott) stood Non-Pedigree Champion and Reserve Moorbred Champion, and moorbred Que Sera Sera (Mrs B Rawle and ridden by Tara Hernaman-Wood) stood MEPBG Best Ridden Exmoor.
Local photographer Jamie Waters revealed how to get the best wildlife photographs at his popular workshop out on the Dunkery Commons, which included Red Deer and Exmoor ponies.
Later in August, West Exmoor National Trust Ranger Josey Field l ed a walk and talk on the breathtaking cliffs at Foreland Point , explaining how their Exmoor pony herd helps with the area’s conservation, and it was well attended despite another bout of inclement weather.
Jamie Waters led a wildlife walk out on Dunkery for people keen to understand more about the diverse flauna and flora within the dramatic 5000 acre moorland.
There was an amazing age range, from 16 to 90 years old, at Dawn Westcott’s Connecting With Exmoor Ponies Workshop , where participants explored herd dynamics and how to better understand and work with Exmoor ponies, building their trust and confidence. It was also a lovely opportunity to reunite the now thriving orphan foal, Tippbarlake Lady Luna , with one of the walkers, Rowan Wilde , who was in the group that discovered her during last year's Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival walk in the Hoar Oak Valley.
To conclude this year’s festival, from 18 September a group of photographers and artists will be displaying their work at the Celebrating Exmoor Ponies Exhibition at Toucan Wholefoods Cafe in Minehead for six weeks. Exhibits include paintings, canvasses, silk screen, felt artwork and photographic prints and some will be available for sale.
“The aim of the Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival is to promote awareness of the Exmoor Ponies of Exmoor National Park and, particularly of the small number of foals looking to find good homes after the autumn gatherings. This year the focus has been on getting people out and about to see the ponies, and better understand them, and we’re very encouraged by the interest, with some foals already being reserved to new homes.” said Nick Westcott, MEPBG Chairman . ‘The best time to purchase them is at weaning time in the autumn, when they need a helping hand to make the transition from the moor and become successfully socialised.”
More information about the Exmoor pony herds and how to handle and train Exmoor ponies can be found at www.mepbg.co.uk and www.wildponywhispering.co.uk.
Below: Images from the Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival Events. Our thanks to photographers - Geoff Baylis, Pandora Maund, Millie Ker and Dawn Westcott.
The Wild Pony Whispering Walk on the Dunkery Commons
The MEPBG Exmoor Pony Show Supreme Championship at Brendon Show
The Connecting with Exmoor Ponies Workshop
Rowan Wilde is reunited with rescued orphan wild-born foal Tippbarlake Lady Luna, who is now a yearling
The 'Celebrating Exmoor Ponies Exhibition' runs at Toucan Wholefoods Cafe in Minehead from 18 Sept to 30 October 2018.
