The province has welcomed its newest Newfoundland pony – a little filly named Opal.
The foal was born to Princess Tammie, a mare belonging to Paige Payne of Parsons Pond.
Newfoundland ponies are an endangered breed. All-terrain vehicles, and municipal bylaws preventing roaming, helped to hasten a rapid drop in numbers, with many ponies shipped off to mainland meat factories back in the 1980s.
Earlier this year the Newfoundland Pony Society lamented that no new foals were expected to be born in their native province this summer, but happily, they were mistaken.
Payne immediately reached out informing the society that her mare was in foal by sire Spirit of Topsail and was due in the summer.
It’s a girl! She is the only Newfoundland Pony foal born this year in #Newfoundland. Meet sweet Opal, born today in Parson’s Pond. Congrats to Paige Payne, her amazing owner. ?@LindaSwainVOCM? ?@downhomelife? #rarebreeds #critically endangered #ponies pic.twitter.com/toJUVmrGk3
— Newfoundland Pony Society (@nfld_pony) June 26, 2021
