FEW would dispute the choice of Ronnie Black’s outstanding Clydesdale filly, Collessie Jennifer, as the official ‘face’ of the Royal Highland Show, described by Show manager, David Jackson, as ‘a stunning horse and a fitting star to feature in the advertising campaign to promote Scotland’s premier agricultural show.’

By now this beautiful, but gentle giant has appeared on billboards, buses, Edinburgh trams, social media and even television.

The fourth generation of ‘Highland Show’ champions from the same dam line, Jennifer herself was overall champion and Cawdor Cup winner at Ingliston, in 2016, the same year she was also judged overall champion at the National Stallion Show.

Of course, there will be a few dissenters but the overwhelming view among the heavy horse community would have to be one of admiration in acknowledging that this filly is the best the breed has seen for many generations.

One thing for sure, the Clydesdale Horse Society would have had to pay good money to cover an equivalent advertising campaign for their breed, so to Jennifer and the Royal Highland Show, it should be duly grateful.

Jennifer is also that rare commodity in her breed in that she is a strong, solid bay colour, with attractive white stockings and blaze – but not overly splashed with white as so often seen in the show ring.

It may be true that ‘no good horse is a bad colour’ but, flashy as it may be, you can get too much of a good thing where white is concerned in the eyes of many. It was on that subject that I have been interested to read hand-written notes of a letter to the Scotsman penned by the celebrated Scottish artist, John Murray Thomson(1885-1974), whose studio contents were sold at a Perth auction in late April.

Acknowledged as one of this country’s leading animal painters, Thomson was also a lecturer, author and one of those people who loved to have his letters published.

In the letter to which I refer, published in the 1950s, he wrote at length about the breeding of horses in Scotland over the previous three centuries, the work horse in particular. He praised the efforts of the farmers of Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, who were responsible for the development of the Clydesdale prior to the establishment of the Clydesdale Horse Society in 1877 and mentioned influences of the Flemish stallions brought to Lanarkshire in the 18th century and, later, Shire stallions which provided bone and feather.

On the subject of colour, he stated that grey, black and brown were common place with little white on head or legs. He specifically attributed the spread of excess white to the show ring when he wrote: “The spread of white above the knees and hocks became popular in the show ring being more conspicuous than dark legged competitors.

“Gradually, the white spread and now some Clydesdales are actually skewbalds or piebalds, with markings which would have amused the farmers of the 19th century and made them think of circus horses.”

What a brave man to have written this for publication – certainly a braver man than me. We can only conclude that he would have approved of Jennifer’s markings which he may have considered flashy, but acceptable.

As an ardent follower of auction sales throughout the country, I was interested to come across a series of lots which where offered in Dumfries earlier in the month which were pertinent to the history of the Clydesdale breed.

The 11 lots included 41 silver medals, all but one of which had been awarded to James Picken, who farmed at Laigh Langside, Craigie, by Kilmarnock. Quite obviously a doyen Clydesdale breeder and serious exhibitor of his day, his tally of medals included those presented by the Clydesdale Horse Society at Kilmarnock Show, on April 18, 1878, for best mare and 1April, 17, 1885, for best colt – which was named Royal Macgregor.

With the former presented only a year after the society’s formation, it fascinated me to think that those medals had been awarded to a breeder whose mares were integral to the foundation of the Clydesdale Horse Society Stud Book and to whom Murray Thomson lavished much praise.

Incredibly it only took the hammer price of £590 to secure all the lots and this special part of Clydesdale history.

Over a period from 1874 to 1880, some 14 medals were awarded to James Picken by the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland at a time when the awarding of medals was a common place among societies (note there was no ‘Royal’ in the society’s title at the time.)

Thankfully, the awarding of medals still exists to a lesser extent today and exhibitors of breed champions at the Royal Highland Show can look forward to a medal dropping through the letterbox some months after the show.

Prior to sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Royal Highland Show champion medals were called president’s medals – though neither were necessarily more valued than the tri-coloured presentation card which accompanied them.

Commonly kept on view on the kitchen wall, feed or tack room, prize cards have been a show tradition lost to time at a local level – so here’s hoping that the ‘Highland’ maintains the tradition for years to come.

Although not always hallmarked, the old medals were generally silver, while the modern ones are metal-based composites and, as such, have no melt-down value to the silver dealers.

All their real value lies in the achievement and sentiment which makes their appearance in sale catalogues all the more poignant. One has to wonder how many of them have been hidden away in boxes since the day they were won and never seen the light of day since?

There is a stark reality that future generations may have no interest in the achievements of their forebears or perhaps have no appetite to maintain their family ‘treasures’ for posterity.

There is also the simple attraction to convert the labours of the past into hard cash. Besides, in the case of silver, who wants to clean it nowadays? Such is the reality of life.