The Fell Pony’s Enduring Stewards
This new book was published in November 2024, the result of a fruitful collaboration between FPHT and FPSNA.
The Fell Pony is the native British pony of the historic counties of Cumberland and Westmorland. It is said to have run on the northern hills for centuries. Yet far from being completely wild, these ponies have been stewarded over the years by dedicated breeders, with some being with the breed for as many as six generations. Since the formalization of the breed in 1898, and possibly as far back as the Romans, the breed has been stewarded both by hill breeders – those that keep them on their native fell – and lowland breeders. Each of the enduring stewards featured in this book, whether upland or lowland, has their own unique focus. Together, they provide a fascinating and realistic portrait of what sets Fell Ponies apart. It is hard not to be left with a feeling of gratitude for the enduring legacy of these breeders.
The Fell Pony Society of North America began telling the stories of long time breeders of Fell Ponies in 2007 in its newsletter: The Fell Pony Express. The article series was initiated in support of the breed’s establishment in North America. So far, the breeders with more than thirty years of experience have all been in the UK. This book, a collaboration with the Fell Pony Heritage Trust, makes the stories of these enduring breeders available to a broader audience for the first time.
To purchase a copy of the book, please contact us to place your order and make payment, many thanks.
In the fall of 2023, I had a fateful conversation with Libby Robinson, chairperson of Fell Pony Heritage Trust. I have known Libby since shortly after I bought my first Fell Pony twenty-five years ago. Libby owned Sleddale Rose Beauty briefly before Beauty was exported to the United States. I bought Beauty a number of years later. Libby and I share an interest in working ponies, and eventually I came to understand, as Libby has for her lifetime, the often-forgotten role that Fell Ponies have had in the cultural history of their home terrain. Just as for Libby, this forgotten role motivates me daily in my work on behalf of Fell Ponies.
In 2007, I was asked to write a series of articles for the Fell Pony Society of North America’s newsletter, the Fell Pony Express. Each article was to feature a Fell Pony steward who had been breeding for more than thirty years. Over the next seventeen years, the collection of articles grew to twenty-six, all about breeders in the UK. FPSNA’s leadership began to recognize the treasure trove that the articles were and wished to put them in book form to make them available to a wider audience. Volunteer resources, however, were thin and needed elsewhere, so the idea remained dormant.
During Libby’s and my fateful conversation, Libby expressed a strong need for a book about hill breeders. I told her about FPSNA’s collection of articles and the organization’s desire to create a book from them. I said that if she and FPSNA, namely the chairperson Melissa Kreuzer, could come to an agreement, then I would volunteer to put the book together. So began a very fruitful collaboration between FPSNA and FPHT and the three of us that resulted in the November 2024 publication of The Fell Pony’s Enduring Stewards: Long-time Breeders of Cumberland and Westmorland’s Native Pony.
As it turned out, Libby’s involvement in the project proved crucial to overcoming many logistical hurdles. It was also extremely beneficial to have a UK eye on the project that had originally been focused on a North American audience. All of the breeders interviewed for the chapters, or their next of kin, reviewed their chapter and gave approval, just as they had with the original articles. It was meaningful for me to reconnect with the people who had been so generous to me with their time, stories, and photographs years before or to meet other family members who assisted us with permissions.
When I finally had the manuscript put together, Libby and Melissa reviewed it. Both of them were overcome with emotion, as I was putting it together, seeing all of the stories of these long-time stewards in one place. Libby immediately came up with the idea that FPHT should host a luncheon to give out complimentary copies of the book to the breeders. Melissa quickly agreed that FPSNA would help fund the event as well as pay for the complimentary copies.
On 11 December 2024, the luncheon was held in the Pennine Room at Rheged Centre, Penrith. Seventeen stewards were represented: Robert Newall (Dene), Bill Potter (Greenholme), Bob and Marjory Beaty (Stennerskeugh), Greta Noble (Heltondale), Bert Morland (Lunesdale), Barbara Bell and Hilary Lightfoot (Waverhead), Sarah Charlton (Linnel), Glenis Cockbain (Townend/Carrock/Haltcliff), Bill Lloyd (Hades Hill), Christine Robinson (Kerbeck), Wendy Dickinson (Wansfell), Margaret and Ian Dixon and Charlotte Pattinson and family (Guards), David and Gail Thompson (Drybarrows), Janet Wood (Ralfland/Orton Hall), Barry Mallinson (Hardendale), Eileen Walker (Rackwood), and David and Katherine Wilkinson (Brackenbank). Those that weren’t able to attend had books delivered to them.
Melissa and I were sadly unable to attend the luncheon, so we were incredibly touched to receive an email from one of the attendees soon after the event was over: “I've just returned from Rheged and before I take my coat off, I just wanted to thank you for bringing together the articles in your book The Fell Pony's Enduring Stewards. How lovely to have all the articles gathered together. It is something I will treasure, and it will be lovely to pass on through the family. It's a super publication and going to prove a great distraction in my efforts to make progress with Christmas preparations! Thanks go to Libby for hosting the event and making the arrangements. It was a lovely social occasion, and I’m glad you gave me the opportunity to be a part of it.”
As I reflect back on the book project, one thing stands out: this was a collaborative effort between two Fell Pony organizations, one on each side of the pond. It was especially meaningful for me that even the luncheon was a collaboration. I hope this collaboration between FPHT in Cumbria and FPSNA in North America can serve as an example of what is possible when we work together on behalf of our ponies instead of fighting amongst ourselves. Every chapter of the book is completely different; every breeder has their unique perspective born from a half-a-lifetime or more stewarding our ponies. It is worth accepting our differences and at the same time celebrating our shared passion for the Fell Pony because it truly takes all of us to move this breed forward.
Jenifer Morrissey
