The Food Museum in Stowmarket celebrates first birth of critically endangered Suffolk Punch horse in 100 years

A museum is celebrating the first birth of a critically endangered breed of horse at its site in 100 years.

A female Suffolk Punch foal, named Abbots Juno, was delivered at The Food Museum, in Stowmarket, on Saturday.

Juno is one of only 12 fillies born so far this year and could play a vital role in ensuring the breed survives into the future.

Emma Lodge, growing officer at The Food Museum, said: “Mother and foal are doing well.

“We feel incredibly lucky to have such a rare breed animal at the museum and to play a part in the continuing survival of the Suffolk Punch.”

The Suffolk Punch is listed as critically endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust – placing it more at risk than the giant panda.

The museum’s other resident Suffolk Punch horses, Zippo and Faith, arrived in 2019 and 2022, respectively.

Suffolk Punch horses were bred at Abbot’s Hall estate, where the museum now sits, between 1909 and 1924.

Bred as draft horses and famed for their size and strength, Suffolk Punch numbers declined in the 1940s following the advent of mechanised farming, Ms Lodge said.

Lisa Harris, collections manager for The Food Museum, combed through the site’s archives and found that the last horse, Combs Vesta 4th, was born in April 1924.

This meant it was almost exactly a century since the last birth.

Ms Harris said: “We’re excited to welcome a new Suffolk horse to the estate and to continue Captain Longe’s legacy of supporting this rare breed.

“The Suffolk horse is hugely significant in the history of food and plays an important part in telling the story of food production.”

The newborn filly’s name pays homage to Combs Vesta 4th while also commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Not only was Juno the sister of Vesta in Roman mythology, it was also the name of a beachhead during the Battle of Normandy.

Visitors to The Food Museum will be able to see Juno and Faith from Saturday at 11am.

The ‘Meet The Horse’ sessions will be followed by feeding demonstrations for all the park’s animals.

Entrance is £10 and provides year-long access to the site.