A Horse Named Q: The Exmoor Pony Society Races To Save a Rare Breed of Pony
An Exmoor pony with Q, played by John de Lancie in STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. Images: Michael Dewhurst / Paramount.
MARCH 15, 2023 - We’ve seen Q as a snarky, omnipotent trickster, a self-indulgent demi-god, a retiree with one last big bang to perform before he dies, but… do you remember the time that he reproduced? We remember the Voyager episode The Q and the Grey where he did just that.
Well, now it appears that Q will be cryogenically freezing some of his ‘reproductive fish’ to help keep the species alive! Because, after all, no one is really omnipotent! And no, it’s not that Q, but rather his namesake.
Dr, Sue Baker and Nigel Hill, Chairman of the Exmoor Pony Society, pose with a couple of Exmoor ponies. Image: Courtesy of the Exmoor Pony Society.
Here is a brief excerpt from the press release about how a rare breed of ponies is going where no equine has gone before.
He’s a very special breed of horse. Q is set to be the first to donate genetic material to The Exmoor Pony Society's gene bank this month. Q is, of course, an Exmoor pony stallion, named after his owner's favorite Star Trek character.
The much loved Exmoor pony is Britain's oldest native breed - and faced extinction post-war with just 50 ponies remaining. Under the guardianship of a registered charity, the Exmoor Pony Society (EPS), numbers of registered ponies have climbed to around 4000.
However, with only 600 actively breeding ponies and a very small gene pool, the Exmoor is still classed as 'priority' (formerly 'endangered') by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust – making the breed extremely vulnerable in the event of a disaster, whatever that may look like (climate, virus, etc).
A new initiative from the EPS (developed with their Scientific Advisory Panel) will create a cryogenic gene bank, a lifeline that could prevent extinction in the event of a catastrophe. But it's complex, onerous and expensive. The EPS has contributed £50,000 to this innovative project and is campaigning to raise another £50,000.
Father and daughter, Q with show-winning mare Badleybridge Ab Fab and owners Sandy Wooderson (L, with Q) and Madeline Haynes (R). Image: Courtesy of the Exmoor Pony Society.
No doubt he’s preparing in the barn, watching such great hits as: Spirit, Hidalgo, War Horse, Dreamer, Secretariat, Racing Stripes and The Black Stallion.