The future of the UK's oldest native pony breed could be saved by semen being donated by a young horse called Alan Partridge. Alan, an Exmoor Stallion Elsinore, is the first to participate in a new programme to have genetic material cryogenically frozen and stored.
The initiative will create an Exmoor pony gene bank, which will preserve genetic material that could safeguard the breed against future extinction. The scheme has been led by The Exmoor Pony Society, the guardian of the breed since 1921, and the campaign has already raised £50,000 so far.
Nigel Hill, chairman of the Exmoor Pony Society, said: “It is our role to safeguard the future of the Exmoor pony, one of the most iconic native breeds in the UK. The Exmoor is a ‘Priority’ breed according to the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and this means they’re essentially endangered.
