AN exhibition which has just closed at The Fitzhugh Library shed new light on how important Dales ponies were to the local economy in the later 19th and early 20th century.
Not only were they integral to farmers for a range of duties such as ploughing, hauling hay and pulling carts, but they were also used for town deliveries and at coal and lead mines.
Even postmen used them to make deliveries in the upper dale during the harshest of winters.
The exhibition included a wide range of items and along with research done by volunteer Kim Wollford, it has a great number of historic photos and breeders’ cards.
Curator Cath Maddison said: “The breeders’ cards would give a list of when [a stallion] would be in the area. He would be taken to different villages on different days and he would have days off. I just love the idea of him having days off.”
One of the cards shows that Bar None, a superior high-stepping-cob, would be “serving a limited number of mares” in 1904 for £1 each.
In 1916, a stallion named Mountain Ranger was servicing mares at the Shoulder of Mutton, Barnard Castle, on Wednesday during the day, and at Wind Mill on the night. On Thursday, he attended Tow Law, before arriving in Langdon Beck on Friday and Middleton-in-Teesdale on Saturday.
The card boasted: “He will travel with Board of Agriculture Certificate of Soundness, which is open for inspection to all comers.”
The owner, a Mr JA Bussey, of Baldersdale, indicated he would “not be answerable for any loss or damage through the trying or serving of mares” but every care would be given.
A particularly outstanding stallion was Teesdale Comet and he features strongly in the exhibition.
His origins stem back to 1860 when a “particularly impressive trotting stallion” named Comet Talbot arrived in the north of England from his native Wales. He sired Comet II, who in turn produced some outstanding brood mares and stallions, including Teesdale Comet.
Research by the library says: “With his flowing mane, distinctive colour (dappled grey in his youth, almost white in adulthood), and very high stepping action, Teesdale Comet was one of the most well-known Dales ponies and his stock was extremely sought after and valuable.”
He was bred in 1898 by F Gibson, of Middleton-in-Teesdale, and later fell under the ownership of R Smith and subsequently Leonard Temple.
He was sold out of the area for a number of years but returned in 1908 after being bought by Arthur Watson, of Aukside.
The research says: “Teesdale Comet was such a striking and charismatic stallion that people travelled far and wide just to see him at Middleton-in-Teesdale spring fairs.”
Indeed, the library has a photograph of the magnificent horse at the fair in 1911.
Also part of the exhibition is information about the Dales Pony Society, which was instrumental in preserving the breed when it was in danger of disappearing because of war and modernisation.
It reveals the Dales Pony Improvement Society was formed in 1916 with the aim of preserving the breed because of the need at the time to cross breed them with Clydesdales to create “gunners” for the army and “vanners” for town work.
In 1964, the current incarnation of the society was created and a grading up register was introduced leading to increased quality.
