Rob Mearns and 5 year old mare Twiggy have won the Fred Taylor Memorial Trophy for Working Hill Ponies at the GWCT Scottish Game Fair.
This year saw a near record entry of 16 ponies. In second place was Dalhousie Estates, with Balmoral Estate taking third.
The event which was first staged in 2013 was conceived by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Association of Deer Management Groups in memory of the late Fred Taylor, dedicated pony man and head stalker on Invermark Estate. Since then it has become the ‘blue riband’ event for working hill ponies in Scotland.
Tom Turnbull, Chair, the Association of Deer Management Groups, said:
“It was an absolutely fantastic turnout this year and probably among the highest in this event’s history. It’s a superb way not just of remembering Fred but also keeping the long tradition of using ponies on Scottish upland estates and, indeed, the interest in breeding and training them, alive. They are a wonderful part of upland moorland management and it’s a fantastic spectacle to see them at Scone with the stalkers and ghillies in their estate tweeds and the sparkling, spotless deer saddles and tack.”
As well as the Fred Taylor Quaich the winning estate receives free use of an Isuzu DMax pickup for 6 months, a bronze medal from the Highland Pony Society, and a bottle of Whyte & Mackay whisky, Fred’s favourite tipple.