A “beautifully moving” pony rose to the top of the supreme championship at Brechin Castle Equestrian’s autumn show.
The decision of organiser Val Blewitt to postpone the event from September, due to adverse weather, paid dividends and good weather was enjoyed throughout the day.
Ultimately, 16-year-old Kyle Brooks, from Kirriemuir, took the overall plaudits with his mother Terri’s two-year-old Cosford Major Mouse.
Previously champion this year at Kirriemuir Show, he progressed through to the supreme after collecting the in-hand pony championship, which was judged by Fiona Reed.
“The champion is a lovely quality pony of true show pony type,” commented Fiona.
She said he is correct in his limbs, moves beautifully, and it was nice to see a youngster with good covering, which had clearly been allowed to grow and mature naturally.
Terri was gifted the pony, sired by Cosford Versace and out of Cosford Miss Mouse, as a five-month-old foal by her husband Austen as a birthday present.
He has been handled, produced and shown by the family from scratch, and last season collected wins in the in-hand youngstock and in-hand part-bred mountain and moorland classes as a yearling at Inchcoonans autumn show and also won the part-bred Welsh yearling class at the native foal and youngstock show.
Terri handed the reins of the low-mileage youngster to Kyle to show as she has been suffering back pains.
“He did an amazing job. I’m so proud of my son,” said Terri.
“Kyle has a great manner around the ponies.”
The family also enjoyed the continued success of daughter Annabelle, who won the ridden pony championship with Bracon Toy Town.
Just scratching the surface of their numerous plaudits, Annabelle and Rupert have previously stood supreme at Inchcoonans autumn, supreme at Kinross and reserve supreme at the WHW Show.
Reserve supreme at Brechin was Edzell’s Lisa Moir and her reserve coloured champion Penrheol Bella.
Lisa’s father Norman McEwan purchased the six-year-old Welsh
part-bred at Thainstone mart after she had come down on the boat from Orkney.
“We usually show Highlands so it is quite different for us to be showing a wee coloured pony,” said Lisa.
“I was so overwhelmed when we were pulled forward for reserve supreme. I was smiling for days.”