Shetland Pony History 

Shetland Ponies.

A HISTORY OF SHETLAND PONIES AT FENWICK STUD.

Fenwick Stud is generally considered to have been founded in 1925 with the first arrival of Arabian horses, it actually all began some six months e Although arlier, in October 1924. This was when the first shipment of Shetland ponies arrived at Fenwick Stud and it signalled the beginnings of a long, and important, breeding programme that is still in existence today - over 85 years later.

Fenwick Stud is the longest, continuous, Shetland breeding stud in Australia. These days it is quite difficult to find a pony bred in Australia that does not have a Fenwick pony somewhere in its' pedigree. Mrs. Dora Maclean was the woman who founded the Fenwick Shetland and Arabian studs ( although at the time of the first imports she was still Miss. Dora Gibson.). Dora inherited the property, known as Fenwick, from her father Samuel Gibson who took over the land just North of Melbourne in 1898.He named it Fenwick after the small town in Scotland in which he grew up.

Dora's interest in Shetlands was fuelled by that of her second cousin Mrs.Maclellan who ran Shetland Heights Stud which was founded by Colonel Thomas Small in the 1890's. This stud was based on the bloodlines of some of the very first Shetlands to be brought to Australia by the Lyall brothers, William and Andrew, in 1858. For many, many, years Shetland Heights and Fenwick were very interactive. Mrs.Maclean and Mrs.Maclellan were forever trading ponies which, of course, assisted greatly in the expansion of bloodlines available to both breeders. Although Shetland Heights has not been breeding continually since the death of Mrs.Maclellan in the late 1930's, it is still in existence at its original location at San Remo on Victoria's Eastern coastline. These days the property, and the handful of remaining ponies are in the care of Mrs.Maclellan's' grandson, Robert, his wife, Beverly, and their niece, Lisa Maclellan.

The first shipment of ponies to arrive at Fenwick on October 23rd 1924 were all from the Penniwells stud of Mrs.Etta Duffus in Elstree, U.K.. These first four ponies were FLOURISH OF PENNIWELLS (Haldor x Floreat), her colt FAVOURITE OF PENNIWELLS, another weanling colt, MAY DUKE OF PENNIWELLS and ROSARY OF PENNIWELLS (Huzzoor of Penniwell's x Rhynd Rossie) who was a yearling filly.

The next consignment of ponies arrived later on that same year. There were six ponies in total including the mares FAITHFUL OF AUCHLOCHAN (Blackbird of Auchlochan x Fidelity), FLASHLIGHT OF AUCHLOCHAN (Phoebus of Auchlochan x Fidelity), FLAME OF AUCHLOCHAN (Warrior of Auchlochsn x Flashlight of Auchlochan) and BRIAR ROSE OF EARLSHALL (Bessbrook of Earlshall x Breed of Earlshall). All of these mares having several crosses to the famous stallions ODIN, THOR and JACK who were amongst the first ponies ever to be registered with the Shetland Pony Stud Book in the U.K.. Also in this second group of imports was the stallion PAT OF TRANSY (Silverton of Transy x Princess Patricia) who had been shown successfully in Scotland for ten years before coming to Australia, aged 12. Probably the best known of his progeny would be the stallion FENWICK ATHOL PAT (Faithful of Auchlochan imp).

Through the late 1920's and into the 1930's a further eight ponies were imported by Mrs.Maclean. Among them were the mares SILVER STAR (Bellarmine of Earlshall x Silver Sand) and SARA (Crown Derby x Sylvia). This latter mare was to be the foundation for much of the broken coloured stock bred at Fenwick over the years. In the stud today the majority of our broken coloured ponies trace back to SARA imp.

The stallions that were imported during this time included DIBBLITZ OF PENNIWELLS (Blitz x Diddy) sire of the great little stallion FENWICK AUSSIE DIBBLITZ iiu. Also imported were the two greys WHITE OLAF OF MANAR (Olaf of Manar x Nola of Manar) and VERT OF EARLSHALL (Darnell of Earlshall x Vaila Emma). Mrs.Maclean was in fact the first person to introduce grey Shetlands into Australia. Nearly all of the grey ponies at Fenwick today trace back to one of these two stallions.

In the years following World War II the Harviestoun Stud was to play a significant role in influencing the breeding programme at Fenwick. 1947 saw the importation of HARVIESTOUN SOUTRIE (Balgair imp x Satia of Transy). In 1952 HARVIESTOUN PAT imp

(Dollar Boy x Harviestoun Pixie) was purchased in partnership with Mr.J.Owen of N.S.W who later bought him outright after he had stood for several years at Fenwick. Finally, in 1955, there was the purchase of HARVIESTOUN PEDRO imp (Balgair imp x Harviestoun Pixie) from Mr.Duncan of the Hanson stud in S.A.. Although he was never owned by Fenwick, HARVIESTOUN SATTOC imp (Harviestoun Puck x Harviestoun Shean) who was imported by Mrs.Lewis of Fairway stud, also left his mark at Fenwick.

The late 1940's saw the last of the Shetland importations to Fenwick, however, new bloodlines continued to be introduced via importations from other breeders. This practice is still being continued today. YARRA LEA ROSGAIR (Balgair imp x Harviestoun Rosette imp) was bought in the 1950's. The 1980's saw the purchase of several ponies introducing a variety of new blood including the stallions KOOLANGATHA STAR CREST (Fasque Fire Crest imp x Porina Tignabruich) and THORPEVILLE BALGAIR (Rodney of Marshwood imp x Expectation of Wetherden imp) and the mares MEADARA PATS' MAYDIT (Meadara Nicholas x Shanusti Moon Shadow), MILLBRAE DESTINY (Fairway Raffles x Fernleigh Desire) and KOOLANGATHA EMERALD (Wells Vintage imp x Wells Elveena imp).

In the Australian Pony Stud Book from Volume 1. through to Volume 15. there are 673 registered Shetland Pony mares and stallions that were owned, bred, imported and registered by Mrs.Maclean and Fenwick Stud. Today the stud is run by Dora Maclean's granddaughter, Vicki Johnson. There are 6 stallions standing at stud and 35 brood mares. Each year between 5 and 10 foals are produced. Fenwick is a stud steeped in history and dedicated to continuing the tradition of breeding true to type Shetland ponies of all colours and sizes for many years to come.