The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Equestrian
Smiths create impressive stud after taking on first mare Waterstolls Beauty back in the mid-1980s
One of Britain’s oldest native breeds is the Fell pony – originating in Cumbria, it was originally used as a farm pony carrying bulky goods such as wool and also as a pack pony carrying slate, copper and iron ore from the mines.
Nowadays it is a popular and versatile riding pony and one of the leading studs is based near Braco in Perthshire. The Bracklinn Fell Pony stud was established in the mid 1980s by the Smith family.
Father Ian bought his first Fell mare when he was farming 800 ewes and 20 cows on the 1,500-acre Calziebohalzie Farm between Doune and Callander. Ian had always been interested in ponies when growing up and often stole his sister’s Highland mare to ride, but he was attracted to the good temperament and hardiness of Fell ponies and purchased Waterstolls Beauty from Cumbria.
Many of the current herd of eight mares and five fillies originate back to this foundation mare, while others have been sold and gone on to be successful with other breeders and producers. Beauty was the dam of Bracklinn Black Beauty (Jude) which bred Bracklinn Norah, one half of the four-times winning St Johns Wells Trophy pair at the Highland Show.
Jude was sold in foal to Stuart and
Fell ponies are famous for their fast trot over long distances and many agricultural shows in Cumbria still have races
Gwen Rae who have the Nicholwalls stud near Stirling, where she produced a colt, Nicholwalls Black Jack, which has been extremely successful in the show ring, including reserve champion Mountain and Moorland in hand at the Highland Show last year.
While Ian focuses on the breeding side, son Alistair and his younger sister Kirsteen enjoy showing them, and they have had phenomenal success, often travelling down to the hotbed of the breed in Cumbria and picking up top tickets at the breed show.
Bracklinn Jackpot by Carrick I’m Yer Man has been the most successful stallion the family have bred. He and Norah won the St Johns Wells Trophy for two ponies by the same sire, four times, winning it outright.
Jackpot was out of a mare which Ian picked up by virtue of a phone call from Roanna Clark in Oban who was selling Southholme Beauty as she no longer had time to ride her. Not only did she breed Jackpot but also some very good fillies.
For the last two years this stallion has come out under saddle with Hayley Reynolds and qualified for both the Royal International and Horse of the Year show both seasons. He has now been retired from the show ring to concentrate on stud duties.
Many of the Bracklinn ponies are sold for riding. One memorable sale was a bay mare, Bracklinn Red Lady, which the Smiths were unsuccessful in getting in foal so she was sold to Cumbria where she made a name for herself in trotting races.
Ian said: “Fell ponies are famous for their fast trot over long distances and many of the traditional agricultural shows in Cumbria still have races. Red Lady won many races before being sold to France where she is now breeding quite happily.”
Ian gave up the tenancy of the farm about 19 years ago and since then he has worked night shift at Glenochil prison. However, Alistair owns about 20 acres just outside Braco and they rent some more grass locally to summer the mares and foals.
The ponies are outwintered on about 40 acres at Glendevon where they receive no hard feeding or hay, only a multi-vitamin dose once every six weeks.
Alistair works full time as a farrier with clients all over central Scotland. His other passion is his flock of 15 pure Texel ewes and about 50 Lleyn ewes which he uses as recipients for his Texel embryos. Ian helps with the sheep which trade under the Feddal Road prefix, selling to a top of £5,000 for a tup lamb at Carlisle in 2014 and last year three lambs sold at Lanark to average £1,800.
This year a young show team of a three-year-old filly, a yearling colt and a yearling filly will keep Alistair and Kirsteen busy. They had success at their first show of the season, the NPS Spring Show in April when the colt Bracklinn Avenger was overall supreme and the three-year-old, Drybarrows Authentic reserve.