Lorna Holden, the Eriskay Pony Society Registrar, has won the RBST Champion of the Year Award, one of the 2024 RBST Scotland Food & Farming Sustainability Awards which were announced at the Royal Highland Show on Thursday 20th June. The award recognised the person or business who had been a real champion over the previous year for rare and native breeds of farm livestock, poultry or equines in Scotland and was aimed at reflecting the wide range of people and organisations involved in the promotion of native breeds. Amongst other qualities, the judges were looking for individuals such as administrators who had enhanced the prospects of a watchlist breed through support and encouragement of others, or a volunteer who had successfully showcased the great opportunities and attractions of native breeds.
The awards were presented to winners by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Mairi Gougeon MSP who said: “I’d like to congratulate all of today’s winners and nominees for the important work that they continue to do to protect the most historic breeds in Scottish agriculture.”
Martin Beard, RBST Vice President Scotland, said:“The creativity and commitment to supporting native breeds displayed by these winners is highly impressive and we are delighted to celebrate their work with these awards. Entries for all the categories were of exceptionally high quality and we congratulate all those shortlisted as well as the award winners.”
Lorna took on the demanding role of Registrar in 2020 and has amazed members and pony owners with her hard work ethic and her ability to cope with anything which is thrown at her. She is the strength and stay of the Eriskay Pony Society, keeping track of ponies and people and always making time to support the many projects running at the same time. As Registrar, Lorna has a vital job to do recording ponies from birth to death with the necessary accuracy and she is an essential part of the EPS machinery, never afraid to tackle new technology and systems. Lorna has been instrumental in getting the DNA testing of Eriskay ponies off the ground and has been the main contact for the exciting work being done with Nottingham Trent University which entailed the collection of DNA samples from as many ponies as possible.
Lorna works closely with Dr Andy Dell regarding the Society’s use of SPARKS, making sure that owners have a copy of the sheets showing which are the best matches for their pony or ponies. Not only does Lorna send out the relevant sheets but also speaks to owners who have doubts about breeding or who are worried about what is involved with looking after a foal. If the owner cannot take a stallion for their mare, then Lorna does her very best to find out where the mare could be taken to be covered. Offering owners the advantages of a Breeding Grant is often a great help to enable foals to be bred and few can resist Lorna’s enthusiasm and persuasion! If a pony needs to be travelled somewhere for the correct genetic match, Lorna is often the first to offer to take the pony using her own transport even if it is hundreds of miles.
Lorna spends any spare time she has looking after her own ponies and has shown that Eriskay ponies are well able to compete at the highest levels, competing in BHS Trec with great success. She has also been a regular participant on the annual Eriskay 2-day trek taking place in scenic locations all around the country.
Unfortunately, Lorna could not get time away from her very busy work commitments, so the award was collected on her behalf by Mary McGillivray who had nominated her. Lorna was later presented with her award by EPS Vice President Donald McGillivray. The Eriskay Pony Society is delighted that Lorna’s work and commitment has been recognised in such a prestigious way and we send her our warmest congratulations.
THE ERISKAY PONY SOCIETY 