SALES AND SHOWS

Each year, Bill keeps a few filly foals for future breeding. He will not use them until they are six years old. Others are sold to buyers who visit the farm while the foals are suckling. Most, though, are sold at six months old, at the annual Fell Pony Sale at Crooklands in late October. The sale draws a huge and enthusiastic crowd from all over the UK. Top price in 2016 was 1,600 guineas, for Greenholme Kate, a filly foal from the Greenholme stud, owned by Bill’s two nieces, Rebecca and Bethany, while his batch of foals attracted a lot of interest, selling at a top price of 1,150 guineas. There are Fell pony breed shows throughout the summer, with the most important being the stallion show on the second Saturday in May, and the breed show for young stock on the second Saturday in August, both at Dalemain, near Ullswater. As well as showing his own ponies, Bill was a judge for 40 years, including twice at the Royal Show. “The first year I was dreading it, but it was the biggest disappointment of my life. There were maybe five or six ponies in each class, and they couldn’t waddle, let alone trot, they were so fat. I came back to a local show the following weekend and there were 16 in a class, every one better than at the Royal Show.”