The Birkett Bank Fell Ponies - T. W. Relph & Sons Ltd
A Happy New Year to you all, the Trustees, supporters, all our friends everywhere and the Hill Bred Fell Ponies.
Instead of listing the FPHT events in 2023, I thought I would write a story about Cumbrian living history.
Most local farmers in Cumbria will go to T. W. Relph & Sons Ltd, near Penrith for their agricultural needs but did you know about their historical links to Fell Ponies.
For four generations they were keenly interested in Fell Ponies and bred the Birkett Bank ponies near Threlkeld from the 1920's and 1930's. The Birkett Bank ponies roamed the Helvellyn range of fells for many years with the best breeding line coming from Birkett Bank Heather-Bell who was the mother of the famous stallion Linnel Lingcropper. Joseph Ralph and Roy Charlton were great friends both working hard to support the breeding and promotion of the Fell pony. Mr Relph was elected secretary of the FPS in 1934 and held the post until his death in 1956. He attended the meeting in London in 1938 with the National Pony Society and was greatly instrumental in obtaining the first grants for Fell ponies by the Betting Control Board which later became the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
Joseph Relph was famous as well for his sheep-dogs both in trials and in films, the same dogs could be seen working the fell crags above Birkett Bank which is a true sign that they were great all rounders. Mr Relph was founder of the Northern Dairy Shorthorn Society. He was a great nature lover and the only birds he disliked were carrion-crows on account of their cruelty to sheep. His Fell ponies were not often seen in the show-ring in later years but they won prizes at the National Pony Shows and were sold around the country. His ponies up until the 1950's did all the work on the farm and always used for shepherding. He used to tell a story of mists coming down when he was riding his pony home and he could not see his way at all. The pony tried to turn down the hill-side before he thought it should be and he sent the pony on for some distance before realising he must be wrong and then let the pony do what he wanted, who immediately turned round and went back the other way which did prove to be down to the fell gate to his farm.
W.A. Relph took on the farm after Joseph Relph passed away and he carried on breeding Fell ponies to about 1969. The Birkett Bank ponies will be in most modern day breeding pedigrees of our ponies going back now but we should praise them. This small group of farming and countryside folk who looked after the Fell ponies in very difficult lean years in the 1940's and 50's and the Relph family are still helping with loaning gates and hurdles to the Fell Pony Heritage Trust so we can take a real pony to events and show as many people as possible how wonderful this breed is. Wishing everyone a great 2024 and the FPHT will keep working hard at Keeping the Fell Pony on the fells.