New Forest ponies bred in their native habitat are enjoying an upturn in popularity with a record price achieved for a forest-bred colt foal at the recent Beaulieu Road foal sale.
The colt Crabbswood Zack (pictured) was sired and born while his dam roamed free in the New Forest and sold for a record 510 guineas. The previous highest price achieved at the sale was 475 guineas for a colt foal bred at stud. The highest price filly at this year’s sale was Lyndhurst Beauty, who sold for 430 guineas.
Crabbswood Zack had finished second in his class in the pre-sale foal show, where the colt Oakwood Rock stood champion and the filly Kingsgarn Kim took reserve. All of the class winners were forest-bred.
Panel judge Malcolm Fry said: “There are good quality foals here. They are all good movers, with a good length of rein and a credit to being forest-bred.”
All ponies entered into the pre-sale show, which is organised by the New Forest Pony Publicity Group in conjunction with the New Forest Livestock Society, had to be halter broken to take part, which has helped improve their saleability.
Mandy Pidgley of the New Forest Pony Publicity Group said: “The pony prices were up in the hundreds again. I am very pleased the breed is now being recognised.”
