An “excellent example” of a filly swept the board in the Highland Pony ring at the recent Tayside Foal Show, held at Forfar Market.
Catching the eye of breed judge John Reid, of Jackstown Cottages, Rothienorman, as soon as she entered the ring, Whisper of Whitefield took the overall honours for Blairgowrie breeders Messrs GM Baird.
“She’s an excellent example of a filly foal and I liked her as soon as I saw her,” said Mr Reid.
The dark April-born filly was home-bred out of the Glen Aigas-daughter Gaynor of Whitefield and stands among the first foals to hit the ground at the Whitefield Stud by the Baird’s stallion HS of Fourmerk.
This was Whisper’s first outing.
“The top end of the ponies shown were very good quality,” said Mr Reid.
Taking the reserve overall breed honours was Catriona Lackie’s yearling filly Meagaidh of Mullachbuie, shown locally from Pitscandly, Forfar.
Out of Fourmerk Highland Storm and sired by Glenmore of Roisbheinn, Meg is Catriona’s first home-bred filly.
Capping a successful season, she has now won on four of her five outings having also taken first placings at the National Stallion Show, Aberfeldy and at Blair Castle.
Within the foal championship, Sandy Baird’s home-bred colt foal Whitefield Prince Warrior took the reserve rosette home to Strelitz, Burrelton.
He was bred out of Nadine of Whitefield and is another to be sired by HS of Fourmerk.
In the Shetland Pony ring there was nothing to surpass Harry Sleigh’s two-year-old standard black pony Wells Vitesse, which was on her first show outing since taking the breed supreme at the Royal Highland Show, in June.
This May-born filly was home-bred at St John’s Wells, Fyvie, out of Wells Vita a broodmare which has since been sold to Holland and was sired by the renowned five-time Royal Highland champion stallion Wells Highlight.
Shown only very lightly as a yearling last year, Vitesse won her class and took the reserve junior championship at Echt Show and also stood second at Turriff.
She now stands unbeaten for her two-year-old year.
Taking the reserve overall plaudits was Cassindilly Jessie for Louise Wilson, of the Cassindilly Stud, at Ceres, St Andrews.
This May-born filly foal, which is a daughter of Southfieldgate Valiant, was home-bred out of one of Louise’s “best breeding mares” Jasmine of Milton.
“Whilst she might not be one of the most showy of mares, she has left us some lovely youngstock,” said Louise.
Indeed, a full sibling to Jessie is the three-year-old stallion Cassindilly Jester, which himself notched up numerous wins as foal and throughout his youngstock years. Most notably, Jester stood junior champion at the Royal Highland
Show, male champion at Perth and was supreme at the Central Group Youngstock Show when he was two. This year, he was the overall breed champion at the Winter Fair, while at the same show Jessie, in turn, lifted the foal championship.
Tayside Foal Show was her only other outing.
Best of the miniature ponies, with the only small pony they have at Braes of Kerryston, Broughty Ferry, was Ken and Anne Scott.
This was Kerryston Eddie, an April-foaled colt sired by Myreton Talisman and got from the Dutch-bred mare Virhisgarden Fleur-de-Lis, which the Scotts bought following a judging trip to the Czech Republic and Denmark.
Eddie was third at Angus and won at Kittochside and Alyth, where he was also best foal. He then took second at the CSSPG’s summer show.
equestrian@thecourier.co.uk Results
Highland Ponies
Champion: Messrs GM Baird, Whisper of Whitefield. Reserve: Catriona Lackie, Meagaidh of Mullachbuie. Two-year-old: 1 J Allan Baird, Whitefield Lord Underwood; 2 V Headspeath, An Tellach of Abernethy; 3 Mrs A Barron, Kincardine Rona. Yearling: 1 C Lackie, Meagaidh of Mullachbuie; 2 K Lawson and W Sinclair, Lochlands Moondance. Filly foal: 1 Messrs GM Baird, Whisper of Whitefield; 2 WJ and K Allan, un-named; 3 K Lawson and W Sinclair, Lochlands Arizona Lady. Colt foal: 1 S Baird, Whitefield Prince Warrior; 2 K Lawson and W Sinclair, un-named; 3 Messrs GM Baird, Western Isle of Whitefield.
Shetland Ponies
Champion: HP Sleigh, Wells Vitesse. Reserve: Louise Wilson, Cassindilly Jessie. Champion miniature: Ken and Anne Scott, Kerryston Eddie. Black two-year-old: 1 HP Sleigh, Wells Vitesse; 2 W and P Robertson, Hedderwick Princess; 3 Louise Wilson, Cassindilly Roxy. Black yearling: 1 HP Sleigh, Wells McCoy; 2 Nina MacDonald-Lewis, Hools Royal Perfection; 3 W and P Robertson, Northview Eve. Black foal: 1 Louise Wilson, Cassindilly Jessie; 2 S Murray, Burnbank Skylark; 3 J and B Laing, Eynhallow Charlie. Coloured or miniature foal: 1 Ken and Anne Scott, Kerryston Eddie; 2 NS Wilson, Milday La-La; 3 K and S McKay, Alichbrae Cassius. Coloured or miniature yearling or two-year-old: 1 Ian Spence and Sue Pye, Warrackston Tiger Lily; 2 J and G Wilson, Myreton Galaxy; 3 K and S McKay, Alichbrae Evangeline.