She may have been the bridesmaid at this year’s Royal Highland Show, but Howgillside Lady Heather well and truly took the centre stage, becoming bride of the 2009 Aberdeen Clydesdale Show at a very sunny Duthie Park.
Tipped by show organisers as one to watch, being a horse with notable winning form, Lady Heather, a five-year-old yeld mare, won the supreme accolade at the show to give sisters Jackie Marshall and Christine Halliday, of Hermitage, Hollee, Kirkpatrick-Fleming, their first championship in Aberdeen.
Reserve female and reserve overall at the Royal Highland Show this year, their home-bred mare has supreme bloodlines on both sides of her breeding, being sired by Cawdor Cup-winning stallion, Dillars Scottie Boy, and out of the Cawdor mare Howgillside Lady Elizabeth.
Lady Heather is one of six Clydesdales owned and home-bred by the Lockerbie-based sisters who have, since they began showing in 1978, won two championships and two reserve championships at the Royal Highland Show.
Their yeld mare topper, which also stood female champion at Aberdeen, was supreme at the National Stallion Show, and was champion at Skelton, Penrith and Cockermouth shows this year. She has been scanned in-foal to Dillars Lucky Strike. The decision for the supreme accolades fell on judges Danny McKay, of Carnaff, Castlecatt Road, Dervock, Co Antrim, who had selected the female winners, and male judge, Peter Ronaldson, of Killimster Mains, Wick.
“She was one of the best all-round mares I have ever seen,” said Mr McKay, of the eventual supreme. “She is just a beautiful mare, and the one I’d like to take home to my yard.”
Reserve supreme was the male champion, the American-bred Great American GW Carver, a two-year-old colt, by the much-talked-about American stallion, Great American Ben Franklin, and out of Springhollows Elegant Contessa, from John Anderson, of Drummygar Mains, Carmyllie, near Arbroath.
Both Great American GW Carver and his sire have been imported into Scotland, and were bred by Great American Clydesdales, which were dispersed earlier this year. Carver was imported by Mr Anderson, a farmer and property developer, in October 2007, after he won as a foal at the World Show in Madison, Wisconsin.
Great American Clydesdales also won a string of championships with him at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, as well as at Michigan Great Lakes and at Milwaukee, before he was imported to Scotland.
Reserve male champion at Aberdeen last year, this year he won at the National Stallion Show, and was male champion at the Royal Highland Show.
He is owned jointly by Ron Brewster, of Bandirran, who showed him in the ring.
Mr Ronaldson, the judge in the male Clydesdale ring said: “He was a big upstanding horse, who stood out as my pick for the day.”
Now in its second year of presentation, the Campbell Challenge Bowl for the best mare and foal, presented by Shonah and Andrew Campbell, was won by Blairgowrie’s Donnie Laing, with the four-year-old mare Blueton Princess, by Greendykes Northern Star and out of Ploughlands Mignionette, with her March-born colt foal, Bud of Forneth, sired by Doura Misty Lane Lyco, at foot.
Bud of Forneth then went on to win the reserve male championship.
Reserve in the female ring, was another noted show mare, from three-time Aberdeen championship winners John and Jacqueline Adamson, of Glenside Farm, Plean, Stirling. Their female reserve was the eight-year-old Hawkhill Katy, by Millisle Solway Bay and out of Hawkhill Mollie. Winner of no less than seven championships this show season, she has stood top at Gargunnock, Neilston, Ayr, Kinross, Doune and Dunblane, Wigtown and Dalry shows.
Second in her class to the female and eventual overall champion Howgillside Lady Heather, Katy also won her class at Aberdeen last year. She was bred by Tom Frew.
Aberdeen’s Lord and Lady Provost, Peter and Sandra Stephen, were once again guests at the show, taking in the sight of the 53 Clydesdales forward in the prizegiving parade at the close of the day’s competition.
Also receiving silverware was the young handlers winner Amanda Stewart, of Mollinshillhead, Cumbernauld, and young judges winner Kirsty Cruikshank, from George and Ruth Skinner’s Strathorn Stables, at Pitcaple. Alistair Christie, of Dalfoil, Balfron, had been their judge.
The top two placings in the ridden class were also won by horses and riders from Strathorn. First place went to Strathorn Jake, ridden by Amy Wolfe, closely followed by Wallace, ridden by Garry Picken. These horses were the top pick of ridden judge Lesley MacNaughton, of St Martins, West Tofts, Stanley, Perth.
Jim Aitken, of Phesdo Stables, Laurencekirk, gave the harness championship to Steven Ritchie, of Station Road, Whitehills, Forfar, with his wool harness, on Bobby Dazzler.