Royal Showground, Stoneleigh.
Monday July 3rd 2006.
by Rosemary Cooper.
‘Willingham Marie is a national treasure. That’s the only way to describe her,’ said judge Mr Richard Piggott of Gordon Bailey’s seven-year-old mare, whose succession of triumphs on the Royal Showground began with the female championship at the Percheron Breed Show.
‘It was lovely to see four brood mares and foals,’ he added. Willingham Marie’s very well-grown grey filly, foaled on 2nd February, won the foal class. Not yet registered, her stable name is Willow. ‘I believe Marie’s foal will become a national treasure as well,’ commented Mr Piggott. She is by Willingham Ernest, who also sired David Curtis’s winning barren mare, Hales Athena.
‘I was very impressed with Guela Leedham’s entry,’ said Mr Nigel Murfitt, who judged Percherons in the Royal Show classes. ‘She showed six horses, more than anyone else, and the way her children handled foals, who can be very difficult, was extremely good.’ Guela received congratulations on her entry from numerous people, including Show President Owen Garner, and her daughters won first and second in the
young handlers’ class.
Owen Garner won both gelding classes with home-bred horses by Willingham Marie’s sire, Ryan’s Day Granitdier. His senior gelding, Hales Ulysses, is eleven, but his iron grey three-year-old, Hales Creon, is the last foal this famous Canadian stallion ever sired.
Champion stallion was J Hall’s light grey Halls Hannibal, another of Willingham Ernest’s progeny. ‘He is an outstanding stallion, but so were the young horses,’ said Mr Piggott. At this show there is no overall champion, so Halls Hannibal never competed against Willingham Marie. The young horses in question were Robert Sampson’s Harbridge Eli and Harbridge Ezra, both sons of Willingham Axl. Reserve
champion stallion, Axl also competed in the class for pure-bred ridden Percherons.
Tina Rearney from Walsall, on her light grey gelding Eltra Bullet, wept tears of joy at winning this class, the only one for ridden heavy horses during the whole of the Royal Show. ‘He’s an eight-year-old, bred by Derek Tisdale,’ said Tina. ’He’s an everyday riding horse who does fun rides, dressage and cross-country, but I never drive him.’ ‘He gave me the best ride, and he was well turned out,’ said judge Miss Mary Fuller.
‘The number of horses was terrific and the standard was very good,’ commented Mr Piggott. ‘It was a wonderful day.’
Results.
In-hand Judge Mr Richard Piggott.
Gldng, 4–y–o & over – 1, E Garner & Sons’ Hales Ulysses; 2, J Gray’s Park King; 3, D Curtis’s Hales Zeus.
Gldng, 3–y–o & under – 1, E Garner & Sons’ Hales Creon; 2, M & L Scurrell’s Willingham Boxer.
Barren mare, 4–y–o & over – 1, D Curtis’s Hales Athena; 2, J McDermott’s Moon du Mont; 3. J McDermott’s Dinamite.
Brood mare – 1 & ch female, E Bailey & Sons’ Willingham Marie; 2, Mrs G Leedham’s Park Spring; 3, G Morton’s Hasholme Iroquois. Foal – 1, E Bailey & Sons’ foal; 2, G Morton’s Hasholme Squaw; 3, Mrs G Leedham’s Davgue Kathryn.
Yrlng – 1, Mrs G Leedham’s Davgue Rosie May; 2, Mrs G Leedham’s Rigolo de la Fiere.
Filly, 2–y–o – 1, res ch female & jnr ch female, J McDermott’s Quetsche du Chesney.
Filly, 3–y–o – 1 & res jnr ch female, M & L Scurrell’s Willingham Flo.
Mare or gldng not exceeding 16.2 hh – 1, G Morton’s Hasholme Iroquois.
Stln, 2–y–o – 1 & jnr ch stln, R Sampson’s Harbridge Eli; 2 & res jnr ch stln, R Sampson’s Harbridge Ezra. Stln, 4–y–o & over – 1 & ch stln, J Hall’s Halls Hannibal; 2 & res ch stln, R Sampson’s Willingham Axl.
Stlns, non-competitive. R Sampson’s Willingham Axl; J Hall’s Halls Hannibal.
Young handler – 1, Anna Leedham; 2, Kathryn Leedham; 3, Michelle Haines.
Pure–bred Ridden Percheron. Judge Miss M Fuller. – 1, Tina Reaney’s Eltra Bullet; 2, A Fennel’s Harbridge Sailor; 3, Claire McDermott’s Harbridge Topsy.
Best shod – 1, J Gray’s Park King. Best braided – 1, E Garner & Sons’ Hales Ulysses.