William Potter - Farmer and Fell Pony breeder
Some lives are built in quiet dedication, shaped by tradition, land, and a deep understanding of horses that runs through generations. Bill was nominated for his years of dedicated work as a breeder of the Greenholme Fell Ponies and for his commitment to keeping these ponies in their natural environment, a way of life he shared with Libby Robinson through his story.
Bill was born into the tradition of breeding the native Fell Pony on his father’s farm in Cumbria and has had them all his working life. He is one of five children who went to school on the milk float pulled by one of the farm’s working Fell ponies. At fourteen, he left school and began working as a horseman, ploughing areas tractors could not reach with a Fell pony. By sixteen, he had bought his first pony, using him to ride and to shepherd his father’s sheep across the open fell, beginning a partnership that would shape the course of his life.
In 1957, Bill and his three brothers began breeding Fell ponies under the Greenholme prefix as part of their working farms. The breeding herd lived out on the fell above the farm, following the same natural yearly rhythm as the sheep. It was not a system imposed, but one that worked with the land, allowing the ponies to develop the strength, instinct, and resilience they are known for.
The Fell pony is not simply part of Bill’s life, it is at the centre of it. In 2021, the brothers counted how many ponies they had registered since they began and reached a remarkable total of 1,150 ponies over nearly seventy years, something that brings him a quiet sense of pride. He values seeing his ponies thrive with new owners who support the breed, maintaining the true characteristics that define them, active in stride and pace, with kind natures, sweet heads and small ears, ponies that are tough, versatile, and deeply connected to their environment.
Farming in the uplands brings its own challenges, particularly when it comes to maintaining traditions such as breeding Fell ponies in a wilder, more natural way. These ponies have existed alongside changing landscapes and farming practices for hundreds of years, and Bill believes they should remain part of a future that values nature friendly farming. It is not the easiest path, but it is the one that preserves what matters most.
Spending time with Bill, what becomes clear is that his work is not driven by recognition, but by a deep sense of responsibility to the land, the ponies, and the generations that will follow. His advice is simple and direct. If you want to learn, ask the hill breeders questions. Because understanding does not come from a distance. It comes from listening, from experience, and from those who have lived it.
