At this year’s GWCT Scottish Game Fair, visitors can explore the vital role these ponies play in field sports and conservation.

Working Hill Ponies Demonstration

Main Arena demonstrations will showcase the ponies in full tack, alongside ghillies wearing traditional estate tweeds. View timetable

Fred Taylor Award

Fred Taylor  Memorial  Competition

Attendees will get to meet these kind natured animals and admire their beauty during the Fred Taylor Memorial Competition. Results from 2025 Competition 

What are Working Hill Ponies?

Highland hill ponies, native to Scotland and listed as a vulnerable breed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, are cherished for their strength, intelligence and resilience. As the largest of the mountain and moorland pony breeds, they are uniquely adapted to navigate Scotland’s rugged uplands, where their sure-footed ness and power make them indispensable on working estates.

These hardy ponies are traditionally used to carry equipment and assist with deer extraction in remote, steep terrain – areas often inaccessible to vehicles – making them a sustainable and low-impact choice for land management. Carefully trained by experienced handlers, they work closely with ghillies during stalking season and are often ridden for estate work throughout the year, making them reliable all-rounder.

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