FOR the past 40 odd years the Eccles name has been synonymous with championship winning Dales Ponies.
David Eccles has demonstrated his prowess at breeding and showing the endangered, sure-footed ponies having won hundreds of rosettes, trophies and shows since he started.
Now, at the tender age of 17, his youngest daughter Emma is showing she has what it takes to follow in his footsteps after being named Best Young Achiever of the Year by the Dales Pony Society.
Handing over the silverware at a special awards ceremony last October, vice-chairman of the Dales Pony Society Ernie Coulthard commended Emma on her professionalism.
He said: “The professional way she shows is a credit to the society and has shown young people and old how to do it properly.”
The accolade came after a successful show season for the father and daughter team who picked up 70 first-place rosettes, seven sashes for champion and reserve champion along with 15 trophies to display at their home at Hardberry Hill, near Middleton-in-Teesdale.
Proud dad David said: “We thought we would just go to a few and say we are still here. We went to seven shows and we got champion and reserve champion at six of them.
“I didn’t grow up with ponies and I had to improve myself. I listened to what the old boys said and with this job you have to come up the ranks.
“There are ten things you have got to make note of and I call them my ten commandments, if you stick to them you can’t go wrong. My old saying is let the ponies do the talking, but I’m really proud of Emma and what she has achieved.”
Emma, who also won the Dales Pony Society ridden pony of the year title on Westwick Polly, said: “It doesn’t just come to you; you have to work hard. When I listen to what dad says and I get to show and I compare our ponies with others and pick the faults, that’s how I’ve learned. It is all I have known.
“I started off on a Shetland, Little Candy. When I got too big for her, I got a Palomino and I was riding her to build my confidence and then my dad got me a coloured and I have moved on to the Dales ponies now.
“The last year I have been breaking in a four-year-old and they are not the easiest to handle but I follow what my dad says and it all seems to go well.
“Hopefully we will do more this year.”
