A DARTMOOR pony charity celebrated its 10th anniversary recently with a gathering to mark its achievements and look to the future.

It has been ten years since the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust was set up by founder Elizabeth Newbolt-Young, with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and project manager Dru Butterfield.

Since then, the DPHT has made a difference to the lives of not only hundreds of Dartmoor ponies, but also to thousands of people of all ages who have benefited from its 'Ponies Inspiring People' courses, or its educational, guided Dartmoor walks run at Bellever, near Postbridge.

To mark the anniversary, around 70 people gathered at the charity's Information and Education Centre in Bovey Tracey to celebrate its achievements and look at the challenges facing the Dartmoor pony on Dartmoor in years to come.

Special guest Peter Harper, chairman of Dartmoor National Park, unveiled a plaque commemorating a new pony handling barn on the site in the name of founder Elizabeth Newbolt-Young.

He said: 'The Dartmoor pony and Dartmoor National park have always been linked, to the extent that the symbol for the national park has been the pony.

'I am very happy to open the DHPT handling barn.

'It will be a valuable asset to the trust and to all the young people who will benefit from its use into the future.'

The Shilstone Rocks Dartmoor Pony Stud is famous worldwide for producing superb pedigree ponies, but owner Elizabeth had the foresight and determination to try to find a way to tackle the problem of losing the moorland-bred pony.

From 2000 onwards, she became increasingly concerned as she witnessed numbers beginning to decline and the dilution of the ponies on the moor through cross-breeding to create more 'marketable' coloured ponies.

Elizabeth arrived at the celebratory event in a carriage drawn by Dartmoor heritage ponies Chatty and Lark, driven by owner Sue Parrott from Chagford.

She said: 'Once these ponies are gone from Dartmoor they will be gone forever.

'This is the only place that they can be found in their natural environment, unlike the coloured and Shetland ponies which can be found all over the world.'

Elizabeth was joined at the event by her husband Rod, who was also involved in the establishment of DPHT as the original company secretary.

Her daughter Tracey Elliot-Reep, well known for her photographic world travels, spoke about her mother's commitment to the Dartmoor pony and her influence on the lives of all those around her. Elizabeth's daughter Alona Stratton, with her husband Tom Stratton, land agent for the Duchy of Cornwall, also attended.