| The South Wales Shire Horse Society Show.
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Abergavenny, Saturday 23rd July 2005.
The annual show of the South Wales Shire Horse Society, held in Bailey Park, Abergavenny, is a very friendly affair with a really pleasant atmosphere. It is devoted to Shire horses, with breed classes in the morning and harness classes and turnouts, plus the championship, grand parade and prize giving, in the afternoon. There was a good entry with some of the best Shires in the country, and horses came from as far afield as Buckinghamshire, Cheshire and the Isle of Wight.
‘The quality of horses was exceptionally good,’ said judge Mrs Norah Willis. ‘There was not just one outstanding animal. You usually talk about the horse you would like to take home with you, but this time you could have had your pick of horses to take home.’
She awarded the supreme championship to the bay Bodafon Lucinda Rose, winner of the barren mare class. Lucinda Rose is owned by D. and A. J. Williams of Llanerchymedd, Anglesey, and this is the second year running she has won this championship, under different judges. She was also the best home-bred horse.
‘Just exquisite,’ said Mrs Willis. ‘She’s a lovely mare. When she moved she really covered the ground and showed herself well. She put herself over to me and caught my eye.’
Reserve champion and junior champion was the winner of the two-year-old filly or gelding class, John Etches’ Royston April Rose, who won the championship at the Shropshire and West Midlands Show a month earlier.
‘Just such a lovely filly,’ said Mrs Willis. ‘She is very well grown. In another year she will be one hell of a filly, and will hopefully grow into a very nice mare. But there was such a good choice that anyone could have been junior champion, the three-year old, the two-year old, the yearling, or the colt.’
Bodafon Lucinda Rose and Royston April Rose were qualifier and reserve qualifier for the Shire Horse of the Year Championship, sponsored this year by the Newport Agricultural Society.
First in the stallion class was Tony Bull’s Arclid Minshull Monty, who went on to be reserve junior champion. He was reserve champion stallion at the Royal Show and a few days earlier he had won the stallion class at the Royal Welsh Show. ‘A very nice animal,’ said Mrs Willis. ‘I liked him on the day.’
Second was Steven Haines’ Barwood Blend, who took the Shire Horse Society’s Silver Spoon for the best stallion. This is presented to the highest placed horse who hasn't previously won such an award earlier in the year.
Winner of the gelding class was S. Tetlow’s & S. Redfern’s Bodernog Brigadier, who also had the best turned out handler. Second was Steven Haines’ Winestead Winston, who won the gelding class and the ridden class at the Royal Bath and West Show. P. Large’s Hanningfield Mr Mac, who was third, was plaited with burgundy and sky blue, a most attractive colour combination that I haven't noticed before.
The brood mare class was won by Cadfan and Wendy Slade’s bay Sladbrook Stewardess. She has an impressive list of wins at the Royal Show. As a yearling in 1999, she won the female championship and was reserve supreme Shire. In 2001 the show was not held, but in 2002 she was the female champion Shire. In 2003 she was champion Shire. This was the first year when a Supreme Heavy Horse Championship was held at the Royal for the champions of the Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk and Percheron classes, and she was the winner. In 2001 she was reserve champion Shire at the Horse of the Year Show.
I was thrilled when the Chief Ring Steward, Mr Leslie Moulden, invited me to present the rosettes and sash for the foal championship. ‘They were all nice foals,’ was Mrs Willis’ comment. ‘But the winner was lovely.’ This was Blackden Royal Emperor, who belongs to Hazel M. Gordon of Curbishley Farms Ltd. He is by Nottage Trump Card, who has a reputation for leaving good tempered foals, and is out of Blackden Queen of the Shires, who finished third in the brood mare class. He is unbeaten in his six outings so far this year, including every foal championship he has contested.
Reserve champion foal was another colt, Marvyn and Rosemary Messer’s West Winds Dafydd, who is by Brickell What’s Wanted, out of Decoy Princess Elizabeth, second in the brood mare class.
Cadfan and Wendy Slade also owned the winning yearling, Sladbrook Georgina, who won the Shire Horse Society’s Silver Spoon for the best mare or filly. Wendy Slade makes harness decorations and this filly won the award for the best plaited horse. Second was Terry Pleavin–Edge’s Moorfield Manor Mac, who won his class at the Royal Welsh Show a few days earlier.
Mr and Mrs Christopher Malkin’s Styal Miss Fashion won the class for three-year-old fillies and geldings. She was junior champion mare at the Shire Horse Society’s show at Peterborough in March. The previous week she had won one of the two championships held at the Newport Show in Shropshire, and was champion at that show last year.
Macs, owned by Mrs E M Cole of Dyfed Shires, won the neatest and cleanest class and the decorated harness class. He also presented a very attractive sight in the show turnout class. He was harnessed to a market cart from Dublin, which had the family on board, including a little boy looking very smart in a flat cap. The agricultural turnout class was won by George, who was pulling a hay waggon and belongs to Eric Such. Eric is a very popular competitor who has been coming here for many years and always has a smile on his face.
To finish the day, the organisers promised the largest grand parade of Shires to be seen outside the Shire Horse Society’s Spring Show, culminating in the prize giving.
There were other attractions, including trade stands, vintage tractors, classic cars and a bird of prey display. The Mayor of Abergavenny presented the prize for the best trade stand. The programme is inexpensive and attractively produced and the organisers all deserve to be congratulated for working so hard to make the day a success. If you are in South Wales on the Saturday after the Royal Welsh Show, please come along in 2006 and subsequent years. You will be sure of a splendid day out!
Rosemary Cooper.
RESULTS -
Judge Mrs Norah Willis.
Stallion, 2-y-o & over - 1 & reserve junior champion, T Bull’s Arclid Minshull Monty; 2 & silver spoon, S Haines’ Barwood Blend; 3, Miss N Stevens’ Holmewood Joseph.
Barren mare, 4-y-o & over - 1, champion, best home–bred & qualifier for the Shire Horse of the Year Championship, D & A J Williams’ Bodafon Lucinda Rose; 2, T Bull’s Homme Grey Lady; 3 J & T Pleavin-Edge’s Murraycroft Tina.
Gelding, 4-y-o & over - 1 & best turned out handler, S Tetlow’s & S Redfern’s Bodernog Brigadier; 2, S M Haines’ Winestead Winston; 3, P Large’s Hanningfield Mr Mac.
Brood mare - 1, C E & W Slade’s Sladbrook Stewardess; 2, M & R Messer’s Decoy Princess Elizabeth; 3, Ms H M Gordon’s Blackden Queen of the Shires.
Filly foal - 1, K G Tanner’s Catwg Gypsy Maid.
Colt foal - 1 & champion foal, Ms H M Gordon’s Blackden Royal Emperor; 2 & reserve champion foal, M & R Messer’s West Winds Dafydd; 3, C E & W Slade’s Sladbrook Son of Charlie.
Yearling - 1, silver spoon & best plaited, C E & W Slade’s Sladbrook Georgina; 2, J & T Pleavin-Edge’s Moorfield Manor Mac; 3, K G Tanner’s Bewholme Edward.
Filly or Gelding, 2-y-o - 1, junior champion, reserve champion & reserve qualifier for the Shire Horse of the Year Championship, J Etches’ Royston April Rose; 2, J Holder’s Trelow Erianthe; 3, D & A J Williams’ Bodafon Carys Ann.
Filly or Gelding, 3-y-o - 1, Mr & Mrs C Malkin’s Styal Miss Fashion; 2, J & T Pleavin–Edge’s Manor Eugenie; 3, Miss N Stevens’ Flaxley Regina.
Neatest & cleanest - 1, Mrs E M Cole’s Macs; 2, E J Such’s George; 3, P Large’s Hanningfield Mr Mac.
Decorated Harness - , Mrs E M Cole’s Macs; 2, E J Such’s George; 3, Mr & Mrs T Lloyd’s Gronant Charlie’s Girl.
Young handler - 1, Linzi Emberton; 2, Kirsty Pask; 3, Tina Howard.
Agricultural turnout - 1, E J Such’s George; 2, S G Miles’ Champion.
Show turnout - 1, Mrs E M Cole’s Macs.
Best shod (Judge Mr Paul Schofield) - 1, Miss M Swinley’s Flaxley Violet.