Clydesdale breeders reclaim cup
Championship goes to Perthshire family with more than 100 years of involvement in business
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A Perthshire family was celebrating at the weekend after lifting their first Cawdor Cup championship for Clydesdale males at the National Stallion Show since the 1960s.
Thomas Clark and twin sons, Thomas and William, of the Muirton Stud, Abbey Farm, Madderty, won the prestigious award at Saturday’s show with Muirton Sabre, a 23-month-old colt by Bratlach Dillon and out of Lagavar Beauty.
Sabre, nicknamed Paddy, went on to stand supreme and won the Prince of Wales Perpetual Trophy after beating the female and gelding champions.
The colt was bred in Ireland by Alex Brown, and from whom Mr Clark, the president of stallion show organiser, the Glasgow Agricultural Society, bought him.
Sabre was champion at Angus and reserve at Braco and Perth last year. He was also male runner-up at the Royal Highland.
The Clark family, who have been breeding Clydesdales for more than 100 years, have five times previously won the Cawdor Cup as well as been reserve on seven occasions.
Mr Clark said the last win was in Glasgow in the 1960s when the show was held in the Kelvin Hall.
Female leader was Hillhouse Millie, a rising five-year-old mare by Hillhouse General and Elect and out of Hillhouse Flashgirl.
She was supreme at the Clydesdale Winter Fair in November. Millie was also as a two-year-old female champion at the stallion show and went on that year to win nine other championships for owners James and Linzi Kennedy, of Hillhouse Farm, Sandilands, Lanark.
The gelding champion was the five-year-old Bruno, a horse that towered above owner Lyndsay Adamson, 10, of Glenside Farm, Plean, Stirling. It was the second year in a row that Lyndsay had won the show's gelding award, with Kelvinhead Express in 2009. Bruno was gelding leader at Perth last year.
Supreme in the Shetland lines was the miniature leader, Lexus Daphne, a rising 12-year-old mare by Bleachgreen Falcon and out of Black Beauty of Urgarth, from Lorna Jamieson, of Upper Auchenreoch, Springholm, Castle Douglas.
Daphne has twice before stood miniature champion at the show. She has also been reserve overall Shetland. Daphne was in 2008 also a winner in the Shetland Pony Society show scheme.
Reserve Shetland was Charlotte of Transy, who led the junior classes for breeder, Transy Stud, of Devonshaw Estate, Powmill, Dollar. Charlotte, a rising three-year-old filly by Earnbrig Ragnor and out of Centenary of Transy, won championships at Ayr and the NPS Strathallan in 2009 and was also first at the performance show and a junior champion at Malvern.
The show was voted a success in its new home at the Stirling Agricultural Centre, although entries on the day were down slightly.
Other results were:
Clydesdales
Cawdor Cup reserve – John Anderson, of 4 Alexandra Place, Arbroath, and Lee Smith, of Ontario, Canada, with Redcastle Brelee Majestic, a yearling colt by Freedom Royal Majestic and out of Brelee Princess Ainsley, champion foal and overall at the Royal Toronto Winter Fair and champion foal at Rockton and Simco, also Canada.
Gelding reserve – Catherine Alexander, of 23 Chalybeate, Haddington, with the rising three-year-old, Garleton Breeze, by Doura Above All and out of Hall Kate, a first prizewinner at the Border Union, Haddington and Royal Highland last year as well as second at the stallion show.
Female reserve – Charles W. Carrick, of Easter Littleward, Thornhill, Stirling, with Littleward Orange Blossom, a May-born filly by Mollinhillhead Celebrity and out of Littleward Lucinda, overall at the Kilpatrick Foal Show and female champion at the Lothian and Borders Foal Show.
Highland ponies: Ailsa Docherty, of 5 Currievale Park, Edinburgh, with the rising seven-year-old mare, Ailsa of Mendick, by Moss-side Iain Mor and out of Moss-side Eilean Dubh, bought in November from breeders Mr and Mrs John Dykes and from whom had been on loan for two years previously, a prizewinner in the in-hand classes at the Royal Highland in 2008 and a first at the breed show. Reserve – Sandie and Robert Kydd, of 25 Isla Road, Alyth, with the rising three-year-old, Burnside Vorlich, by Moss-side Iain Mor and out of Burnside Quintessa, bought as a weanling and reserve champion at the Tayside Foal Show as well as a first prizewinner at Black Isle, Fife, Perth and Aberdeen.
Mountain and moorland: Leanna Dryburgh and Alex Drysdale, of Raith-Hill Stud, Wester Bogie. Kirkcaldy, with the Welsh Section A, Talgoed Sandpiper, by Wellbank Emrys and out of Carnalw Swynol. Reserve – Lynneann Cameron and Alison Walker, of Inchgray Farmhouse, Fettercairn, with the Welsh Section A, Kudos Contessa, by Rosegarth Pioneer and out of Kudos Catrin.
Shetland
Standard reserve – Catherine Marshall, of Struie View, Mains of Condie, Forgandenny, Perth, with the home-bred rising eight-year-old mare, Struie Dainty, by Highfield Delius and out of Fendale Dazzle, champion at Stirling last year.
Junior reserve – John and Brenda Laing and their daughter Claire Brough, of the Eynhallow Stud, Eynhallow, Westown, with the May-born Eynhallow Cava, by Yarpha Chancer and out of Eynhallow Belle, first at Braco and part of the team that won the national breed show.
Miniature reserve – Will and Kathleen Campbell, of Midcalder, Thurso, with the six-year-old stallion, Rashiburn JR, by Hippminimus JR and out of Hippominimus Rubee, first at Elgin, Brodie and Huntly, reserve at last year's stallion show.
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