Carrick Highland Ponies
Maybole, Scotland

THE BEGINNINGS

Sheila Macintosh Smith, whose stud name Carrick, has become so wide spread and well known.

Her original career was as a florist. After training at the West of Scotland Agricultural College she went to London for a years Constance Spry course, then returned to the town of Ayr where she opened up a florists business which she ran for ten years.

Sheila had been riding and trekking on ponies for many years before this, and in 1958 bought a highland pony, Staffin Princess for use under saddle. She in fact became Sheila's' first brood mare. Her progeny by the stallion Pride of Garnock was a filly, Skye. This mare and the next four half sisters by Strathord were all kept for breeding.

Everything moved in 1968 from Hollybush to Standard Farm in the district of Carrick. Here there was more than a little for Sheila to do - no electricity, no mains water or telephone, and reached by the roughest roads.

Her first stallion Strathord, winner under saddle at the Royal Highland Show in 1970. His performance was a model for the kind of pony she intended to breed - good temperament and good active riding pony suited above all to work in the saddle. The stud increased in size with two more daughters and a granddaughter of Skye, and in 1974 the stallion Glentrool, another ridden class winner.

Ponies were only one activity on the farm. Sheila's' botanical background showed itself in her involvement in "green" things well before this became generally fashionable. Her wish was to maintain natural habitat within the needs of running ponies, white Galloway cattle and latterly fibre goats. She exported Galloways to Germany and ponies to France with notable success, especially the young stallion Carrick Bruist's wins under the saddle at the Salon de Cheval. The Carrick name well represented over the channel with several mares sold to France in the 1980s'.

Showing her ponies was one of Sheila's' great pleasures in life and in typical fashion she would not let inconveniences such as distance get in the way. Some years there would be two trips to the Highland Show with her trailer to deliver ponies; then two journeys back again at the end. All achieved with what her friend Margaret Mills calls "her little smile". An abiding image remains of a jeep, full to the gunwales with people and (mostly) dogs, being shoved into spluttering life (no starter motor): Sheila off home to pick up more ponies. But all, ultimately, backed up with a wry humour.

She served three times on the Highland Pony Society Council and brought a lifetimes' experience of riding, showing and breeding Highlands to Society business. In a way she gave the impression of being too wise for the minor politics of the pony world; the energies of her diminutive (four feet ten) and determined frame were more directed towards the wider canvas of the animals and Galloway landscape and environment she loved. 

Contact me to learn more about Sheila and Carrick bred horses

Telephone Jane +44 (0)7974 838728 +44 (0)1655 889687
 or Rhona +44(0)7867 721287

email me at jane@carrickhighlandponies.com

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This site was last updated on 25 June 2009