The Amazing Tippbarlake Exmoor Pony Gathering!

Dawn Westcott • August 10, 2018

On 6 Aug, spectators and riders came to experience the Floyd family's Tippbarlake ponies gathered in from the moor

The Tipparlake Exmoor pony gathering enjoyed some amazing media coverage this week. Many thanks to SWNS and to BBC Spotlight, Ben McGrail at ITV, the Daily Mail, BBC North Devon Radio, Western Morning News, Somerset Live, Metro and everyone else who promoted the footage and photographs of the largest herd of Exmoor ponies in the world cascading down to Lancombe Crossing on Brendon Common, on their way to the Floyd family's farm at Brendon Barton .

Crowds gathered to watch the spectacle of over 100 beautiful Exmoor ponies being gathered from around 3000 acres of Brendon Common and coming off the moor. The event is becoming a popular draw for both spectators and riders and this year people came from all over the UK to experience it.

People have asked why the herd is being gathered in August and this is a very good point. One of the reasons for gathering moorland herds in August is to give the breed society more time to try and identify mares and foals from their DNA profiles in their database.

Many foals from last year are still without parentage verification and proper passports so we hope better results c an be achieved this year , enabling these beautiful authentic true moorland type Exmoor foals to find good homes when they are gathered and weaned in the autumn. It is essential that foals have passports so they can leave the farms - and delays in receiving their paperwork can result in lost sales and at worst, the culling of subsequently unwanted foals.

If DNA parentage verification fails - despite the foals having been sired by a registered Exmoor stallion out of a registered Exmoor mare and meeting the breed standard - they are nevertheless not able to be recognised as an 'Exmoor pony' and this severely limits their opportunities, and value.

In this day and age, there is no reason or excuse for obstructing the registration and passporting of perfectly good quality, purebred but endangered breed Exmoor ponies.

Brendon Common is one of the largest and wildest moorlands of Exmoor National Park, where the ponies are truly semi-feral and have to be tough and robust to survive and thrive in the challenging conditions and terrain.

The Tippbarlake herd contains some of the oldest and consistently semi-feral bloodlines and safeguarding their future is a passion shared by the whole family.

The Tippbarlake herd gathering is part of the Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival . Organised by The Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group and Exmoor Pony Project . For more events please see the Calendar here: http://www.mepbg.co.uk/2018-heritage-exmoor-pony-festival

Filming and photographs by Dawn Westcott www.wildponywhispering.co.uk

#HeritageExmoorPonyFestival #MoorlandExmoorPonyBreedersGroup #MEPBG #ExmoorNationalPark #TippbarlakeHerd #ExmoorPonies #Exmoor

Pictured below: Members of the Floyd family during the Tippbarlake pony gathering. From left (standing) Wendy Floyd, Nigel Floyd, Chelsea Savage, Maria Floyd, Taylor Floyd, Andrew Floyd, Lexy Floyd and Ross Crang

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New Heritage Exmoor Pony & Equus Survival Trust DNA Project

By MEPBG • November 28, 2021
DNA profiling for Exmoor ponies to authenticate lineage and safeguard their moorland heritage.

New DNA Profiling for MEPBG Exmoor Ponies

By Dawn Westcott • November 22, 2021
We are pleased to announce the start of The Heritage Exmoor Pony & Equus Survival Trust (EST) DNA Project
. The purpose of the project: The Equus Survival Trust (EST) is to provide funding and establish a DNA parentage baseline for the moorland Exmoor Ponies stewarded by the Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group (MEPBG) i n the Exmoor National Park .

 The Equus Survival Trust will create a database of the DNA markers and the parentage relationships and provide pedigree & DNA parentage test information to breeders, owners, and potential owners.
 Statement of Intent / Scope of Project: 1) DNA Parent Test all ponies (until grant is exhausted). Owners of ponies will receive copies of DNA reports. 2) Solve relationships between the ponies sampled and/or create foundation base lines for ponies that cannot be fully parent verified due to missing parents, but who have been inspected by MEPBG and qualify as purebred moorland Exmoor Ponies. 3) Compile a DNA database with census information & DNA markers; MEPBG Liaison will receive a spreadsheet of this data to share with member breeders/owners. 4) Update database annually with any additional pony census /DNA 5) EST will allow accredited genetic studies of the gene pool data with appropriate accreditation of EST & MEPBG. This project offers an enormous opportunity for the MEPBG Exmoor ponies to establish correct DNA baselines for their herds (pedigree, purebred, true to type Exmoor ponies) , in a format which allows accessible research by the herd owners and also to accredited experts, as agreed with the herd owners. Molland Moor - Moorland Herd 99 Exmoor Ponies The Heritage Exmoor Pony & EST 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. It is exciting to be DNA profiling the Molland Moor herd and establishing the all important DNA baseline for these lovely ponies. Molland youngstock are available for sale now. More information and contact details for the Molland herd and the Dart family at https://www.mepbg.co.uk/moorland-herd-99

Withypoole Herd 23 Exmoor Pony Gathering

By Dawn Westcott • October 17, 2021
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NEW Exmoor stallion joins Tippbarlake Herd

By MEPBG • March 11, 2021
Stunning young moorbred Herd 23 stallion, Withypoole King, bred by the Milton family, has joined the Tippbarlake herd mares on Brendon Common.

MEPBG Runs Out of Patience 

By MEPBG • November 8, 2019
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2019 Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival

By Dawn Westcott • February 24, 2019
This year, the Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival runs from June through to the end of September. We're currently adding events to the Calendar and already have a host of wonderful Exmoor pony experiences available, which you can find here http://www.mepbg.co.uk/2019-heritage-exmoor-pony-festival The Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival is organised by the Moorland Exmoor Pony Breeders Group (MEPBG) and the Exmoor Pony Project and its aims are to celebrate the Exmoor Ponies of Exmoor National Park and promote the moorland foals looking for good homes in the autumn. This year, you can watch the magnificent Tippbarlake Exmoor pony gathering , enjoy watching (or taking part in) Exmoor pony classes at local and county shows (inc a special Exmoor Pony Parade) , treat yourself to a ' Connecting with Exmoor Ponies & Yourself' workshop, take part in a wildlife photography workshop on location, join the Wild Pony Whispering Walk on the Dunkery Commons, and the National Trust's amazing Foreland Herd Walk. There's something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming you to our events. 2019 Heritage Exmoor Pony Festival Calendar of Events http://www.mepbg.co.uk/2019-heritage-exmoor-pony-festival

Inspecting the Foreland Exmoor pony herd 

By Dawn Westcott • November 9, 2018
An opportunity to see how the West Exmoor National Trust's Exmoor pony herd is doing - at their autumn gather and check

Beautiful Exmoor Ponies - NEW Short film

By Dawn Westcott • November 6, 2018
Some amazing Moorland Exmoor pony footage for Exmoor pony lovers - enjoy!

Farmers gather in the Exmoor pony herds 

By Dawn Westcott • October 27, 2018
Finding good homes for the small number of Exmoor of foals is boosted this year by the NEW MEPBG Certificate of Authenticity
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