100 Exmoor Ponies Gathered for Annual Inspection, Air Ambulance — SkimNews
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- Tippbarlake Exmoor Pony Herd gathered its roughly 100 ponies at Brendon Barton on Sunday for the annual inspection to check health and welfare, with the herd living freely on Brendan Common year-round.
- Kristina Auckland, who manages the herd with her family, said the gathering is a generations-old Exmoor tradition and chose Devon Air Ambulance as this year's charity because it is "absolutely crucial" for rural residents, farmers and visitors.
- Public viewing was free from Scobhill Gate starting at 10:00, with attendees asked to donate to Devon Air Ambulance; Auckland said spectator numbers have "steadily increased" in recent years, which she attributes to social media alongside returning local families.
- The ponies play a conservation role on the moor — Auckland noted they are "born to eat" certain grasses and help manage habitats, calling them "a really important part of Exmoor's heritage."
Why it matters: The gathering converts an ancient husbandry tradition into a fundraiser for Devon Air Ambulance, the emergency service Auckland calls essential in a region where farms and visitors are far from hospital care. Auckland used the event to spotlight a conservation function of free-roaming Exmoor ponies — managing moorland habitats — that extends their value beyond heritage alone.
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