Eriskay ponies are few and far between and it is no surprise that they are on the critical list of the Rare Breed Survival Trust.

In the 1960s there seemed to be no pure-bred stallions and only a handful of mares. Eriskay is quite an inaccessible island and there were no visits from any stallions, but they found a colt on South Uist and found a few ponies on Eriskay where they identified five female lines. Today there are around 500 ponies with 21 stallions, which is a small number for the gene pool.

Within the Eriskay Pony Society there’s many enthuisasts, especially Donald and Mary McGillivray from Comrie in Perthshire.

They have been involved in Eriskay ponies for over 30 years. “We first saw Eriskay ponies on the Rare Breed Survival stand at the Royal Highland Show in 1978,” remembers Mary. “Donald is from Islay and had seen the ponies for sale at the calf sale at Oban market. The intention was to help the breed but we really fell for them – they’re very friendly, people orientated ponies.”
Not long afterwards they bought a pair of ponies, a mother and they broke their first pony, Peggy, to harness and not long afterwards a stallion visited for the mares.

“They are quite different to the Highland pony, finer boned and smaller – only around 12-13.2hh. Most are grey, with some black which is a very dark brown and most are born black or brown in colour. They are slow to mature, they’re six before the bones are set and they are not backed too early,” said Mary.

One entire colt was kept, Braincroft Fingal, who was loaned to various families and also visited the outer Hebrides and Islands. He sired 55 foals throughout Britain and semen has been collected and stored for the future in case there’s any problems finding suitable stallions and to keep a strain of bloodlines.

Mary is a past chairman of the Eriskay Pony Society, the aim of the society is to encourage breeding groups although only 13 foals were registered in 2009.

“The society owns two stallions and organises the movement of these stallions – putting them in places where people can use them,” explains Mary. “All colts are inspected by the society and the vet and we need to be careful that the stallions are true to type with a good temperament – that’s their selling point.”

With Eriskay pony classes introduced at the Royal Highland Show in 1992 there has been steady support for the section, with a small band of enthusiasts who ensure the classes are well attended each year.

Mary and Donald have shown at every show since the classes were introduced, winning the champion and reserve tickets. Their most recent championship was in 2008 with their home-bred mare Braincroft Thrift, who is out of the RHS champion Braincroft Sundew. Both mares are entered for this year’s show.

“Showing at the Highland is a good way to get the ponies out and seen, a lot of people have seen them at the show and been attracted to them. The society have an input and will suggest judges for the Highland who have an interest in native ponies,” said Mary. “There’s lots of shows in the south and there’s a southern show. We run our breed show at Strathallan Castle at the same time as the NPS Championships, we have our own ring and it’s good fun and lets the younger people get involved.

“In showing it’s all very well having a showy pony which will catch the judge’s eye but it must have a nice temperament. They’ve been family ponies, used to life on the croft and are part of the family.”

At home Donald and Mary have five ponies, Lucy and Cuirstaidh were bought in and are from the foundation stock of the stud, although both are retired now they have bred many foals. Cuirstaidh’s last foal is Braincroft Cameron which was pairs dressage champion at the British Riding Club Championships last year.

They also have Braincroft Sundew and her two daughters Thrift and Mayflower, in time Mary hopes to breed with them.

“The bloodlines are so intertwined it can be difficult to work out which stallions to use to avoid inbreeding when there’s so few ponies. I do want to continue breeding, it’s been a few years since we’ve bred anything. Ponies also need to have a modern role, they can be driven and there’s a pair competing at national level,” added Mary, who enjoys going for long hacks around the countryside with Sundew and last year took part in the Creiff Drovers Tryst which took in a 20-mile ride around Perthshire.

“Eriskays are superb childrens’ ponies, real characters and endearable that give lots of fun,” added Mary.

The Eriskay ponies can be seen on Friday morning in ring 6a at the Highland Show, and the judge is Mrs Winsome Aird.