Livestock breeders in Scotland dream of securing a breed championship at the Highland Show – for many it is the pinnacle of their ambition. A few manage to achieve this summit on a handful of occasions.

But Harry Sleigh, St John's Wells, Fyvie, who died recently, was able to count no fewer than 56 Highland Show championships with Shetland ponies, Clydesdale horses, and commercial sheep, amassed by himself, his father and his grandfather.

In addition to his many successes in the show ring, Harry saw many of his Shetland ponies either exported to countries across the world or sold to leading studs in the UK.

His most recent success at the Ingliston showground was at this summer’s Showcase event – which replaced the traditional Highland Show – ironically, because of Covid-19, to which he would succumb. That followed an amazing run of victories in the Shetland breed in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2019.

The success of Wells Shetland onies at the Highland Show was not confined to the individual championship, as twice in the past decade in 2015 and 2019, Harry’s ponies went on to take the coveted Sanderson Award for best overall heavy horse champion,

Harry’s standing in the world of exhibiting horses was confirmed in 2016 when the Wells’ stud was awarded the prestigious John Miller Trophy. This is given to the exhibitor – across all breeds – who had presented stock to an extremely high standard and who had also enhanced the show for other exhibitors.

Harry also had two of the three finalists in The Scottish Farmer's 'Champion of the Decade' competition held last year with the stallion Wells McCoy, which had won at Ingliston in 2016 and was champion and supreme horse at the Aberdeen Spring Show the same year. This Stow Review-sired pony had provided the family with its unbelievable 35th Shetland championship from the RHS since 1950 until that time. He was also the sire of show winner, Wells Dancing Brave.

The Highland Show successes were not achieved in isolation as, in 2012, Harry won the award for the best overall horse or pony bred by exhibitor at the prestigious Royal Northern Agricultural Society Spring Show. More recently, in 2019, Harry was honoured when he was presented with the trophy for 'Horse-breeder of the Year' by horsescotland, the national organisation for all equestrian sports and activity in this country.

While these awards were at the top of the breeding pyramid, Wells ponies and commercial sheep bred on Harry’s farm picked up numerous awards at smaller, more local shows. He was especially supportive of Turriff Show, with a decades long record of exhibiting at it.

On one special day, Harry’s competitive spirit must have been satisfied and the quality of his stock confirmed after he had picked up the Shetland champions’ tickets at both Banchory and Nairn shows.

Showing livestock was in Harry’s blood. Both his father and grandfather had highly successful careers with their stock in the ring and when, in 2009, following the death of their father, Harry took over the farm with his brother, John, including around 50 of the top ponies in the country, Harry did not shy away from the top level competition. In fact, he revelled in it.

When the Wells Shetland Pony Stud was established in 1915, the guiding principles were that Scotland’s smallest native breed should be based on their hardiness, their conformation and their mobility. More than 100 years later, Harry still stuck to those tenets.

On leaving Turriff Academy – as soon as he was eligible to do so – Harry went home to work with his father, and mother, Ann, on the family farm. Apart from prize-winning Shetlands, the farm was renowned for its Half-bred and Cheviot sheep, with both featuring in successful forays to both the Highland Show and to local events.

The farm extends to 1500 acres, with crops, breeding cattle and sheep, as well as the Shetland ponies. More recently, Harry and John also diversified into renewable energy with wind turbines

Away from his farming and livestock exhibiting life, Harry immersed himself in supporting the local community. He chaired the Community Council for Fyvie, Rothienorman and Monquhitter and he also served as an enthusiastic member of the local amenities committee.

In his younger days, he played football with some of the local amateur teams and when these days passed, he was also a regular on the football pitches of the North-east in his capacity as a referee. Although friendly off the playing field, his word or his whistle were not to be ignored or even challenged on the pitch.

While his support in the livestock world was for the most iconic and traditional of breeds, his musical preference was eclectic, but his favourite was heavy metal, especially Iron Maiden.

He is survived by his widow, whom he met when she came as Wendy Stewart into the Turriff area as the first female vet. Their friendship blossomed when both were members of Turriff YFC. They married in Fyvie church in 1994. Sons Harry and Stewart (Stewie) both work in the farming industry

His family wish it to be known that Harry’s death followed a month in hospital with Covid-19 despite being double vaccinated. “He was part of a very tiny cohort of people, who still lose their life to this horrendous virus, leaving clinicians with no answers,” they said.