My herd number with the Exmoor Pony Society is 309. I bred my first foal in 1996 and have currently bred thirteen registered foals.
Meet Herd 309
Pictures can be found on the gallery page
Avery 309/1. Born 1996. Sire Hawkwell Poseidon (12/162), Dam. Curdiff (34/13)
Avery was sold to a friend in 2000 and went on to win the M&M inhand class at the Royal Highland Show the same year. Since joining the Dick Vet tgrekking section he has been a successful trekking and showing pony. Reserve ridden champion at the EPS Scottish Area Show in 2005, he has attended the Royal Highland Show as trekking section representative inhand and ridden, as well as being chosen as the Exmoor representative at the official opening of the SNEC.
B'Elanna 309/2. Born 1997. Sire Heathpool Marischal (93/15), Dam Curdiff (34/13)
I knew B'Elanna would make a good mum when at the age of three she took on the responsibility of looking after her 8 week old sister, Ezri, when Curdiff died. She produced two foals for me, Helix and Innis, before I sold her. She is currently with the Dick Vet trekking section.
Chakotay 309/3. Born 1998. Sire Heathpool Marischal (93/15), Dam Curdiff (34/13)
Chakotay was sold to my friend Meg as a three year old. He moved to a field just outside Tyndrum with Exmoor friends Leach Ime and Morlich. He is still with Meg and recently was part of the Bridle Party at her wedding.
Caledonia 309/4. Born 1998. Sire Heathpool Marischal (93/15), Dam Bella (198/2)
Caledonia was broken in as a four year old and loaned to the Dick Vet trekking section in 2003, where she spent the summer in Glendevon learning the ropes. After a winter trekking back near Edinburgh she had settled into the role of trekking pony and was enjoying another summer of trekking when she accidentally backed off the bank of a river, breaking a bone in her hock. After four months of hard work from the guys in the trekking section and the Dick Vet school she was pronounced sound and returned to Heathpool, a farm near Peebles where she was born. She has now had three years off work and has produced two lovely filly foals for me. Lilliesleaf and Minuet.
Dunedin 309/5. Born 1999. Sire Heathpool Marischal (93/15), Dam Bella (198/2)
Noisey from day one as a foal, I thought Dunedin had the potential to be a stallion. With this in mind he came in for more handling and showing as a yearling, culminating in a VERY noisy appearance at the Royal Highland Show in 2000 where he came third in his class, qualifying for the parade in the afternoon. He behaved impeccably at this point although he didn't stop shouting! He duly passed his stallion inspection and I used him as a stallion for three seasons before gelding him since I did not have the facilities to keep him entire. He took to gelded life very well, moving in with half-brother Pendragon at the Edinburgh Equestrian Centre and becoming a riding gelding. He was sold in 2006 to Rachael, near Caithness who is enjoying him immensely and letting him be the number one pony he always deserved to be.
Dax 309/6. Born 1999. Sire Heathpool Marischal (93/15), Dam Curdiff (34/13)
Dax was sold as a yearling to a friend of mine and is currently doing well at both dressage and TREC in the West Midlands.
Ezri 309/7. Born 2000. Sire Heathpool Pentland (93/19), Dam Curdiff (34/13)
Ezri's mum died when she was 8 weeks old and fortunately big sister B'Elanna decided to look after her. Since B'Elanna didn't have any milk, not having a foal of her own, we had to try and tame the WILD foal. Quite easy when you are hungry and missing your mum! She quickly took to being fed a porridge of milk pellets and extra goodies from a bucket and thrived, becoming quite a little madam. I think she knew she was special! She was sold as a pair with sister B'Elanna and a couple of years later they both ended up in the Dick Vet trekking section. Ezri is currently on loan to learn a new career in showing and other exciting non-trekking activities.
Gaoth 309/8. Born 2002. Sire Heathpool Pentland (93/19), Dam Bella (198/2)
Gaoth, or Little G as he is now known, was sold as a two year old to my friend Jackie, whose boyfriend had already bought Gaoth's mum for her as a Valentine's present. He is now doing well in sunny Cheltenham.
Helix 309/9. Born 2003. Sire Dunedin (309/5), Dam B'Elanna (309/2)
My first grandchild! Born on the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Nature paper describing the structure of DNA there as no other name this pony could have had except Helix! She spent recent years as a companion pony to my friends' youngster but has started work to become a model citizen. She was placed at the EPS Scottish Area Show in 2007 and we are planning more outings in 2008. Other plans for 2008 are backing and putting in foal - watch this space!
Howdid 309/10. Born 2003. Sire Heathpool Pentland (93/19), Dam Heathpool Voritia (93/38)
Voritia (EPS Scottish Area Show Supreme Champion 2006) had a foal at the age of two, just as we were exclaiming how well she was looking. He had to be called Howdid (that happen) after all that! Howdid has been sold to a friend in the Lothians and is currently learning the ropes as a riding pony. He attended the SEPRC rideout in Carron Valley in 2007 and was one of the best behaved ponies attending!
Innis 309/11. Born 2004. Sire Dunedin (309/5), Dam B'Elanna (309/2)
Innis died in 2006. A really sweet, quiet boy, he is sadly missed.
Jura 309/12. Born 2005. Sire Dunedin (309/5), Dam Heathpool Rhona (93/27)
Jura is the nephew of Pendragon, Rhona being P's full sister. He is very similar in looks and temperament to Pendragon, I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun with him! He passed his stallion inspection at the end of 2007. While still waiting for the first women in his life he has taken the first steps to being a riding pony with a backing which was uneventful as Uncle P's, everything I expected it would be!
Lilliesleaf 309/13. Born 2007. Sire Heathpool Xenophon (93/40), Dam Caledonia (309/4)
Lilly is a lovely chunky tomboy. She made her showing debut at the NPS Scotland Youngstock show in November 2007 and behaved brilliantly. Second in the yearling Dartmoor/Exmoor class at the Royal Highland Show this year.. She behaved really well at the NPS Scotland Youngstock class to come 6th in a welsh dominated class. Her 2009 outings are now being planned with her new owner.
Mercalli 309/14. Born 2008. Sire Sweetcombe Sundew (215/19), Dam Heathpool Rhona (93/27)
Mercalli is everything I hoped for when I sent Rhona down to meet Sunny. He has earnt the nickname the big ginger punk chunk and it suits him very well! He and Rhona recently travelled back up from near Middle Rasen in Lincs to Peebles and had a very uneventful, relaxed trip - not bad for a first outing for him. Already like his uncle P he is full of cheek and quite a bold beast, I'm looking forward to having a lot of fun with him. Having behaved brilliantly at the NPS Scotland Youngstock show I'm now looking forward to taking him to SEPRC Youngstock day next February as well as planning a few shows, not to mention a potential introduction to Uncle Pendragon over the christmas holidays!!!
Minuet 309/15. Born 2008. Sire Heathpool Xenophon (93/40), Dam Caledonia (309/4)
Minuet almost rejoiced in the name of May the Fourth (be with you) because of the date she was born, but I restrained myself and stuck with the original plan. She is shyer than her full sister Lilly but quite similar in looks, definitely has the family bottom!