SEVEN RESERVE tickets and five decades have past since the last time that the Clark family, of Muirton, in Crieff, lifted the Cawdor Challenge Cup at the National Stallion Show, but a little bit of luck from the Irish brought the family, which has been showing Clydesdale horses for more than a century, the supreme success for 2010.

And their Irish charm was found in ‘Paddy’ – Muirton Sabre – which won them the supreme Prince of Wales trophy at the show, in addition to lifting the male and Cawdor victories.

The National Stallion Show was being held for the first time in its history at the new United Auctions mart at Stirling – although it has not been since the show was held at the Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow, that the Clarks last topped the male championship, when they took the title home in the 1960s, to the Muirton Stud, at Abbey Farm, Madderty.

Muirton Sabre, a 23-month-old colt bred in Ireland by Alex Brown, was Thomas, Thomas and William Clark’s winner. He was sired by Bratlach Dillon, was bred out of Lagavar Beauty, and was purchased by the Clarks in Ireland as a three-month-old foal.

Since coming to Muirton, at Crieff, he has been champion at Angus Show, reserve at Braco and Perth shows and also, in 2009 was reserve male champion at the Royal Highland.

Selecting Muirton Sabre as their champion was male judges Peter Keron, who also hails from Madderty, in Crieff, with Paul Bedford, of Cawood in York – but these judges had little choose from with numbers forward disappointingly low – with the exception of the well-filled yearling colt class, which produced the reserve male champion in Redcastle Brelee Majestic, from the partnership of John Anderson and Lee Smith.

This grandson of Hillmoor Landmark was imported into Scotland only a month ago, but has been champion in Ontario, Canada, at Rockton and Simcoe shows and was also champion at the Toronto Winter Fair. He was home-bred by Lee – out of Brelee Princess Ainsley, and sired by Freedom Royal Majestic.

John Anderson, this time in partnership with Ron Brewster, also picked up the ticket for the best turned out male Clydesdale for their three-year-old colt, Great American GW Carver.

Reserve supreme and top of the considerably better supported female section – which was adjudicated by Jim Russell of Goodsburn, Strathaven and Martin Fountain, of Hollywood, Marston Montgomery – was Jim and Linzi Kennedy’s successful home-bred show mare, Hillhouse Millie.

Five-year-old Millie, which is sired by Hillhouse General Elect and out of Hillhouse Flashgirl, was supreme champion in November at the Winter Fair – but previously also won the female championship at the Stallion Show as a two-year-old filly.

This home-bred mare, from Hillhouse Farm, at Sandilands, also collected the ticket for the best turned out female Clydesdale.

Taking the reserve ticket after topping the superb display of 18 yearling fillies was Charlie Carrick’s home-bred filly, Littleward Orange Blossom, from Easter Littleward, at Thornhill, Stirling.

Champion only weeks earlier at the re-scheduled centenary Kilpatrick Foal Show, she was also champion at the Lothian and Borders foal show. She was home-bred out of the previous Cawford Cup winning mare, Littleward Lucinda, and was sired by Mollinhillhead Celebrity.

Winning the gelding championship for the second year in succession was 10-year-old Lyndsay Adamson, of Glenside Farm, Plean, Stirling. Her champion this year was the five-year-old Bruno, sired by Collessie Cut Above, which had won the gelding championship at Perth Show last August.

Points champions were David Walker and Beverley Brown of Galcantray Farm, at Cawdor, Nairn.