My name is Kim Renee Cote, and my passion is the Fell Pony of the Cumbria Fells of England.

I have been actively involved in horses for 27 years, riding hunter/jumper and combined training in my earlier years of riding, followed by an interest in dressage. In 1997 I had a riding accident, crushing my heel, and I took a couple years off from riding. In 1999, I once again hit the saddles, but this time with cutting horses. From 2000 to 2006, I was actively involved in showing cutting horses, and was blessed to have a special horse, LL Playing Leopard, who went on to win Canadian Champion and many many championships with his trainers and with myself. “Kopper” was irreplaceable, and when the time came to retire him from the show ring, I realized that my heart wouldn’t last in the sport without my champion ride. I decided to hang up my spurs and to learn a new equine discipline - Combined Driving.

And this is where the Fell Ponies became a reality...

I travelled to England and met with several breeders, climbing the Fells with my baby girl and photographing the native ponies. I went to Lowther Driving Trials and met the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, who was driving a team of Fell Ponies, meeting also his trainer Mickey Flyn and speaking with their grooms on the temperament, care and feeding of the Fell Ponies for Combined Driving.

My ambition became to breed the traditional pony, directly imported from the Fells. I am currently importing my foundation stock, with several youngsters still residing on the Fells. They are bred and born wild, with genetics that are steeped in the way of life of their forebears, produced by traditional breeders of expertise and knowledge whom I trust to provide me with their finest stock.

Please visit again. Mountain Spirit Ponies is developing, as is this website, and we will have more to show you in the near future.

Kim Renee Cote