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Equines arrive at Barnsley College from Cannon Hall

Posted: 10/04/2025

We’re excited to welcome four new arrivals to our Wigfield Farm campus—two miniature donkeys and two Shetland ponies from Cannon Hall Farm!

One of them, Casper, is a palomino Shetland colt who was born during Channel 5’s Christmas on the Farm and was originally known as ‘French.’ He’s joined by Finnian, another Shetland pony, along with two miniature donkeys, Flower and Platinum.

They’ll be living at our Wigfield Farm campus, providing students with valuable hands-on experience in equine care, stable management, and animal behaviour.

Rob Nicholson, best known as Farmer Rob, a series regular on Channel 5's Springtime on the Farm, said: “It's a wonderful new home for them, and it's fantastic that they're moving just down the road to a place where young people are so enthusiastic about looking after them.

“They're going to have a great life in a great home, which makes us incredibly happy. We couldn't be happier that they're coming to Barnsley—especially to Barnsley College, where I had the privilege of studying in 1984.”

Our new arrivals will make learning even more exciting for students in our Animal Management courses, including the recently introduced Animal Care and Management T Level.

Liz Squires, Programme and Farm Manager at Wigfield Farm, added: “We are thrilled to welcome these wonderful animals to our facilities as it allows our students to engage with real-world animal care with more breeds, developing the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the industry.

“They will now have the unique opportunity to work directly with the donkeys and ponies as part of their studies, preparing them for future careers in veterinary care, equine management, and related fields.”

For more information about our Animal Management courses, visit our subject page or contact the Information Unit by emailing info@barnsley.ac.uk or calling 01226 216 123.

Photos from the arrival of the equines:

This page was last updated on: 2nd May 2025 10:25am