HISTORY OF THE HAWKWELL 12 Herd EXMOOR PONIES
The first Exmoor ponies were turned out onto the slopes of Dunkery, Exmoor, in the late 1800s - while the Exmoor Pony Stud book was yet to be created.
Hawkwell Stud's founder, William Crockford, exhibited his ponies at many of the first NPS and agricultural exhibitions of the day. His first pony of note was Joey and, despite being smaller than many at the time, he managed to hold his own against his larger compatriots, so William decided that this was the type he would breed towards. Dunkery Beacon is the highest point in the South West and, whilst stunning in the summer, is a harsh and unforgiving place in the winter. Subsequently, a smaller pony is better equipped to survive the hard and bitter climate.
 
Above: Hawkwell ponies in the 1970s; Above right: H.Aclander II (Sire of H. Codsend)
With the creation of the Exmoor Pony Society in 1921, a further stallion and five mares of comparable type were purchased after a draft of the famous Acland ponies from nearby Winsford Hill. Also a young colt was purchased from the now long finished 48 herd of the Williams family. For the next fifty years there was very little new outside blood brought into the herd. This policy soon created a fixed type, differing from the other herds - being small, darker and possessing beautiful heads with large, well placed eyes and very small ears.
 
Above: H. Miranda & H. Sweetpea; right: H. I'm Smartie Too (by Collabear Campion Barle)
The starting point for all the dam lines, and so typical of the type, was Hawkwell Ladybird 12/2. A mare of singular beauty and conformation, all the ponies at the stud today can trace their lines back to her more than once. She was an excellent brood mare and bred three different Breed Show Champions, as well as being a multi-Champion herself. Her career spanned nearly 20 years and she was hardly ever beaten in the days when males dominated the show ring. Hers was a type she passed onto future generations, including her great granddaughter, Hawkwell Sweetworthy, who was the image of her forebear. 'Sweetie' was a prolific winner for the stud, before going on to greater things for the Dashwood and Saunders' Clayford Stud, producing some of the most beautiful ponies.
In the 1940's the stud was inherited by one of the greatest characters in the breed, William Western. Thankfully, during the war, 'Bill' managed to keep the stallion, Hawkwell Aclander 12/34, alive - despite all the problems with poaching for food and America soldiers using them for target practice... Aclander was Bill's favourite pony in the stud and his 'ideal' Exmoor. He was another big winner who managed to pass his genes on to the future generations. His son, Hawkwell Aclander II, was equally influential, especially when mated back to his half sisters. His grandson, Hawkwell Cock Robin, has carried on the tradition. Cock Robin was the last stallion to be born into the 'closed' herd system and he personifies the idea 12 Herd type - being small, dark and very correct, something he passes onto his progeny. Never an enthusiastic showman himself, though winning many County Show Championships, Cock Robin's progeny have excelled. His sons, the multi-Champion Collabear Campion Barle, Siskin and Greenlease Ace, have also gone on to sire excellent progeny themselves.
 
Above: H.Cock Robin; middle and right: Collabear Campion Barle (by H.Cock Robin)
With two major breeding lines in the stud, Cock Robin's being one and the other which descends from Hawkwell Luckwell 12/48, whose dam was Hawkwell Rosebud (also owned by the Dashwood and Saunders partnership). Luckwell was a bigger, stronger sort due to his sire Dubonnet, who was an Acland stallion. Two of his best sons, Dunkery Buzzard and Tawbitts Mr Toff (the sire of Hawkwell Caligula) and sadly dead. However, the enigmatic Jimminy Cricket is still going strong. This line is taller and stronger with the scarce true Exmoor movement.
Again, Cock Robin's females have also proved to be good brood mares, producing quality offspring time and again. These lines tend to be long lived; Hawkwell Tarka the foundation brood mare for Dai and Ruth Thomas' successful 49 Herd was 37 in 2005; Hawkwell Lady Elizabeth had her last foal at 35 years and Hawkwell Lady Margaret stood Supreme Champion at the Royal Bath & West at 21 years!
The most successful cross at present is the Hawkwell Caligula/Hawkwell Cock Robin cross, which appears to be producing the best from both lines. A good example is Hawkwell Smartie Too, who has hardly ever been beaten in both breed and mixed company.
Today the stud consists of 17mares, ten of which still run out on Codsend with the young stallion, Hawkwell Great Gatsby 12/188. He is a slight out-cross, being by the Breed Show Supreme Champion, Guinness, who is Acland bred, but descending from 12 Herd stock and out of Hawkwell Hobby, who is from the Luckwell line. The other mares are kept at home to show or to be bred with in-ground stallions.
If you spent any time' talking ponies' to Bill (William Western), he would recount tales of showing before the war and the trouble one had to go to. A group of breeders, including the late great Fred Milton and Sidney Westcott, along with Bill and helpers, would meet up and walk their ponies to the nearest station, either at Dunster or Dulverton - a trek of at least 10 miles either way! When the Royal Bath & West Show moved in rotation around the South West and Wales, it would create another problem. When it was held in Cardiff or Newport, the group would walk their ponies to Minehead to catch the Steamer for its daily crossing to Wales. Problem enough, you would think, but to make matters worse, the show teams consisted of the stallions, brood mares and youngsters - all travelling together. As Bill would remark, "If you won anything after this, you were quite pleased."
The Hawkwell Stud looks like it is well set for the future, with its enthusiastic guardians, John, Anne, Michael and Cathy Western. Anne, Bill's daughter-in-law, says, "We don't really own them; they are essentially part of Exmoor itself. We are only here to protect them and pass them on to the next generation and to ensure that they are there for the future."
2006 Stud Update
In 2006, two Hawkwell mares went to Hammingden Dragonfly (by Cock Robin) and the mare, Salar (by Cock Robin and out of Tarka) visited Waltersgay Nightingale (by Siskin out of a Luckwell line mare). The rest went to Barrow Boy, who is out of Hawkwell Sweet Pea, a mare with the most fantastic head, eyes and bone.
  
Above left: Tawbits Bettina (2005 Breed Show Supreme Champion); middle: Hawkwell Versuvius (2006 Breed Show Supreme Champion); right: Collabear Countess
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