THERE were crowds five people deep around the ring at the Chagford drift sale last Thursday (October 10) when semi-wild ponies from Dartmoor sold to new owners.

Chagford-based auctioneers Rendells, conducting the sale, said it had been ‘the most successful for a very long time’ with ‘buoyant’ sales to buyers from as far afield as Cumbria and Norfolk.

The average price for each pony was £88, up £70 from the dark days of the market back in 2014 when only 80 ponies sold.

‘We were pleased to see so many vendors going home having enjoyed such a successful day,’ said auctioneer Peter Farnsworth.

Horses are still sold in guineas with one guinea the equivalent of £1.05.

‘The quality of the ponies was noticeably impressive,’ he added. ‘Top price of the day was 520 guineas for R A Steed for an outstanding example of a coloured filly. Donkeys sold to 275 guineas for C Harris.’

Volunteers from the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association were photographing and microchipping ponies so they could leave the sale field with their new owner, while meeting government rules on pony passports.

Charlotte Faulkner from the association said things had gone more smoothly than last year’s sale, when her association had to install a ‘pony photo booth’ at short notice after Defra (the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) brought in a new requirement for passports for ponies brought off the moor.

This year Mrs Faulkner had been able to secure agreement that people could leave without a passport, provided they had a preliminary document containing each pony’s microchip ID and photograph.

‘We have had more time to prepare this year,’ said Mrs Faulkner.

‘I started preparing on November 14 last year for this year’s show saying that this was the way I wanted to do it and Defra only agreed last week.

‘Thank goodness they recognised how important this is to Dartmoor and the valuable part of our culture and heritage it represents.’

She praised the turnout, saying: ‘It shows that people care enough that they want it to happen. It is such a precious part of our lives and we are fighting for that. The important thing is that it gives the ponies the chance of a future off the moor.’

Rendells are the last remaining firm to sell semi-wild drifted ponies within the Dartmoor National Park by auction and Mr Farnsworth stressed that the sale was very much a community effort.

‘The 2019 sale has been the most successful for a very long time and this is a credit to the relentless hard work of Charlotte Faulkner and her team from the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association; without their efforts the sale would not be able to take place.

‘The auctioneers would also like to thank the Dartmoor community for their help not only in supporting the sale but also with their naturally seasoned expert horse handling abilities.

‘We thank all involved for helping secure the future of this iconic breed.’

The market for pedigree Dartmoor ponies at private sales is also more buoyant this year. Clare Stanton, spokesperson for the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust said: ‘The Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust has recently received more enquiries for private sales for Dartmoor Pony Society pedigree and supplementary registered ponies bred on the moor than we have seen for many years.

‘We have facilitiated the sale of a number of ponies for several farmers, with their value being far more appreciated.’