It was a case of deadlock amidst the judging of Scotland’s heavy horses on the opening day of the Royal Highland Show.
Competitors and judges locked horns alike as the call was made not once but twice for an umpire to step in and decide on final championship line-ups. Beverley Halls and Sandy Baird were the first to reach a stalemate in the Highland pony arena giving Mary McCall-Smith the final sway to pull forward the popular stallion Glenbanchor Gillebrighde as Highland Pony supreme.
This five-year-old stallion, sired by Moss-Side Quercus Rubra (by Moss-Side Iain Mor), which is owned and was shown by Inverurie’s John Reid, had already stood as champion of champions at the Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s show at Thainstone in the spring.
“He’s just unmistakably a true Highland,” said Mary. “He’s very ‘pony’, very correct and I just really love him.”
Indeed, when Mary judged the male breed ring at the Highland in 2012, she took Gillebrighde through the ranks to stand as reserve male and then reserve overall for the breed.
“He’s very pleasing to the eye and he is so true to type,” agreed Mrs Halls, who had championed the stallion from the male ring.
On the losing side of the battle Mr Baird had found favour instead with the female leader Heald Town Bonny, an eight-year-old daughter of Major General of Whitefield, from Tracy and Ivan McMillan.
“This mare had lovely presence and she moved well,”said Mr Baird.
In the judging of the Clydesdale horses Ronnie, Mike and Pete Black, from Newton of Collessie collected the Cawdor Cup championship for the fifth time but the second in their own right. Their winner, which took another umpire decision to prevail as overall for the breed, was the yearling Collessie Jennifer bred from former Royal Highland champion Ormiston Mains Amber.
“She’s just a filly that is full of quality,” said female judge Tom Fountain, from Marston Montgomery.
“It’s hard to find fault with her.”
Ultimately agreeing with Mr Fountain’s observations, Cheshire’s Philip Moss took her forward over another Cawdor winner Doura Master Eddie from Charlotte Young in his role as intermediary.
“It’s fabulous to have two Cawdor champions at the top of the breed,” he commented. “But I just felt the filly is outstanding. She was just that little bit more fresh in her limbs. I really think she will go on to be one of the all-time great breed champions.”
Finishing tantalisingly close to his first ever Ingliston championship, Dollar-based Robert Sibbald showed Shielhill Diamond Jubilee to take the reserve female Clydesdale honours.
Robert co-owns the home-bred three-year-old mare by Mollinhillhead Celebrity with his grandmother Mrs Rimmer. This was their best result at the Highland so far.
The tussle for top spot between these two top Clydesdale females is now proving somewhat of a regular occurrence.
On their last head-to-head at the National Stallion Show, in March, it was Jubilee that prevailed to stand as Clydesdale breed supreme. At the Winter Fair in November the roles were reversed once again with Jennifer just pipping Jubilee to the overall plaudits.
“This mare is a really great example but for me, on the day at Ingliston, the yearling filly just came into the ring with that touch more X-Factor,” added Mr Fountain.
Doura Master Eddie, the top male and reserve overall, was commended by male breed judge Walt Bedford as both “tall and handsome”.
“I thought he thoroughly deserved to take the overall win,” he added. “It’s rare you’ll get a stallion that is busy at stud coming out to look and perform so well. That really has taken some doing.”
Emotions ran high in the Shetland Pony ring when Westpark Royal Star bounced back from colic to take the clear overall championship lead for HP Sleigh & Son, of St Johns Wells.
This nine-year-old was bred by Harry’s aunt Marjorie Martin.
The stallion, which was reserve male and reserve overall at the Highland last year, suffered an impaction colic in May following a successful outing to Fife Show.
“It’s thanks to our vet Hamish Hunter and everyone at Ardene that he’s not only still here but has bounced back so brilliantly,” said Harry. “The win means so very much to the whole family.”
Westpark Royal Star’s 2015 success brings the Sleighs’ tally of top Royal Highland wins shared between the Shetland and North Country Cheviot sections close to 50 championships, since 1892.
RESULTS
CLYDESDALES Overall Ronald H Black, Newton of Collessie, Ladybank, with Collessie Jennifer, an April-born yearling filly, sired by Redcastle Brelee Majestic and home-bred out of Ormiston Mains Amber, which was reserve champion at the National Stallion Show and overall at the Winter Fair. Beaten only once during her foal season, she stood overall champion at Kilpatrick, supreme at Forfar and the North of Fife, champion at Lanark and also reserve at Kilmarnock. Reserve: Charlotte Young, Hall Farm, by Ayr, with Doura Master Eddie, a three-year-old colt, sired by Glebeview Sir Charles, and bred by Victor Scott out of Bannview Dawn. Winner of the Cawdor Cup in 2014, he progressed to stand reserve male at last year’s Royal Highland and then second at the National Stallion Show this year.
Male Charlotte Young, with the reserve overall champion Doura Master Eddie. Reserve: Robert Hamilton, Dillars, Lesmahagow, Lanark, with Dillars Jura Bay, a yearling colt, sired by Carnaff Ambassador and bred by Jim Rochead out of Cloghan Lady Sabrina, which previously shown as Malcolmwood Jura and was fifth at the National Stallion Show.
Female Ronald H Black, with the overall champion Collessie Jennifer. Reserve: Robert Sibbald and Mrs Rimmer, Thorn Farm, Dollar, with Shielhill Diamond Jubilee, a three-year-old filly, sired by Mollinhillhead Celebrity and homebred out of Shielhill Sheer Delight, which earlier this year stood supreme champion at the National Stallion Show. Last season Jubilee was senior champion and reserve supreme at the Winter Fair, overall at the City of Aberdeen, champion at Kittochside, first at Braco, reserve female at Perth and second at last year’s Royal Highland.
HIGHLANDS
Overall John A Reid, Jackstown Cottages, Rothienorman, Inverurie, with Glenbanchor Gillebrighde, a five-year-old stallion, sired by Moss-Side Quercus Rubra and bred by the Hon Mrs AD Leslie Melville out of Glenbanchor Lady Fiona. Bought as a foal, he stood male champion and reserve overall at the Royal Highland, supreme native at the Black Isle and champion at Nairn as a two-year-old. Last season, he was overall champion at the Black Isle and this year he began his campaign with a supreme at the Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s Spring Show. Reserve: Tracy McMillan, Rising Bridge Road, Rising Bridge, Accrington, with Heald Town Bonny, an eight-year-old mare, sired by Major General of Whitefield and bred by Caroline Ashcroft out of Hobcroft Koko, which was on its first major show outing but which recently stood first under saddle at Irwell Vale Show. Shown by Ivan McMillan.
Male John A Reid, with the overall champion Glenbanchor Gillebrighde. Reserve: Feona Laing, Gaich Farm, Dulnain Bridge, Granton-on-Spey, with Cuileann of Dunrui, and 11-year-old gelding, sired by Moss-Side Dorlach and home-bred out of Keila of Dunrui, which was shown at the Royal Highland under saddle as a five-year-old, finishing second, but which has not been shown since. Shown by Sarah Jane Ross.
Female Tracy McMillan, with the reserve overall champion Heald Town Bonny. Reserve: Heather Gow, Donora Farms, Pitscandly, Forfar, with Staffa II of Alltnacailleach, an 11-year-old mare, sired by Viscount of Whitefield and home-bred out of Kilda of Whitefield, which last year stood champion in-hand at the Highland Pony Breed Show and previously won at the Royal Highland as a broodmare in 2012.
SHETLANDS
Overall HP Sleigh & Son, St Johns Wells, Fyvie, Turriff, with Westpark Royal Star, a nine-year-old black stallion, sired by Westpark Rising Star and bred by Marjorie Martin out of Westpark Emerald, which stood reserve male and reserve overall Shetland at the Royal Highland and reserve supreme at New Deer last year. This season he was reserve at Fife. Reserve: Donna Lochtie, St Serfs Road, Tillicoultry, with Hawkdale Dixie, a nine-year-old black yeld mare, sired by Rosermus of Transy and bred by Mr and Mrs Bell out of Hawkdale Destiny, which last year stood supreme at Kittochside and reserve overall at Kinross.
Male HP Sleigh & Son, with the overall champion Westpark Royal Star. Reserve: Eynhallow Stud, Eynhallow, Westown, Carse of Gowrie, with Eynhallow Dutch Prince, a three-year-old colt, sired by Warrackston Bob and home-bred out of Eynhallow Bloom, which was reserve junior champion at the National Stallion Show. Last year, he stood junior open champion and reserve overall junior champion at the CSSPG Summer Show.
Female Donna Lochtie, with the reserve overall champion Hawkdale Dixie. Reserve: Louise Wilson, Cassindilly Farm, Ceres, Fife, with Thordale Kiki, a five-year-old black mare, sired by Millhouse Independent and bred by the Thordale Stud out of Millhouse Raw Deal, which was champion at Fife Show and third at Ayr.