The prestigious Sanderson Trophy for the overall Scottish native horse or pony went to the Clydesdale champion, Collessie Jennifer, from Ronnie Black, of Collessie, Fife.

Judge Marguerite Osborne said of her champion: “She is a lovely horse which moved beautifully, very light on her feet."

Eight-year-old yeld mare, Jennifer, has been virtually unbeaten throughout her career. She won the Cawdor Cup at the Royal Highland back in 2015 and boasts an incredible pedigree of top show winners.

Reserve for the trophy was the Shetland winner, Wells Legend, a home-bred son of Wells Extra Special out of Wells Vita, from HP Sleigh and Son. The Sleigh family were competing both with Shetlands and in North Country Cheviot ring, where they lifted the reserve female honours, in the absence of Harry Sleigh snr, who passed away last October.

There can be no doubt he would be immensely proud of his sons, Harry and Stewie, as they continue to keep the Wells prefix at the top and in the headlines.

Clydesdale

The show saw a tremendous entry of Clydesdale horses, both in-hand as well as in the turnout competitions which are always great crowd pleasers, and quality was in abundance as breeders gear up for the World Clydesdale Show, which is being staged in Aberdeen, this October.

In-hand judges, Max Marriot and Colin Brown, both having travelled over from Australia, picked the female champion as their overall supreme Clydesdale. This was Collessie Jennifer, an eight-year-old mare which is no stranger to the limelight and whose exceptional bloodlines meant she was always destined for great success.

Her dam, Ormiston Mains Amber, was winner of the 2011 Cawdor Cup, maternal grand dam, Ormiston Mains Amelie, won the Highland twice, in 2008 and 2010, and great grand dam, Ormiston Mains Sophie, was winner of the Cawdor Cup in 2000. Her sire, Redcastle Brelee Majestic, was also a past Cawdor Cup winner.

Bred and owned by Ronnie Black, of Collessie, Fife, with son Pete on the halter, Jennifer was Cawdor Cup winner herself at the 2015 Highland and was the 'face of the Highland show' in 2017 when she appeared on TV, billboards and buses the length of Scotland.

She has also been making the headlines in the world of equine science, becoming the first Clydesdale mare to be flushed successfully in the UK, and her first embryo foal successfully arrived on the ground in 2020.

Standing reserve overall and male champion was the six-year-old gelding, Singlie Gav, from Jimmy Tennant, of Forth, Lanarkshire. It was very much a Tennant family affair, with Gav having been bred at older brother Tom’s farm in the Scottish Borders, and shown in the ring by younger brother, Pete.

He was reserve male champion last year at the Highland Showcase and went on to pull in the single cart class later that day.

Reserve female and Cawdor Cup winner was Burgess Outon Miracle from Colleen Marshall, of Whithorn. This home-bred four-year-old mare is by Eskechraggan Ernest and out of Rashillhouse Jessica Jean, a Rashillhouse Winston daughter. Miracle was breed champion at Ayr Show in May, stood reserve at the Great Yorkshire and was champion at Bute last year.

The reserve male championship went to Dillars Robbie, from Bob Hamilton, of Lesmahagow. This yearling colt was bred in Northern Ireland by James Irwin, being by Eskechraggan Ernest, out of the Carnaff Ambassador-sire mare, Highcairn Gracey.

Ridden Clydesdale

The ridden Clydesdale class is always a popular with the crowd and taking the section win was Isla Miller’s entry, Stobilee Zac.

Owned by Brian Bisset and ridden by Lucy Stewart, this 10-year-old gelding is by Great American GW Carver, out of Stobilee Ruby. He was bred by Robbie Morton, before being bought from Matthew Burks as a youngster.

Zac had qualified at Three Counties Show, at Malvern, the previous week and so the HOYS qualifying ticket fell to the second prize winner. This was Annette Noble’s Peggyslea Buddy, a nine-year-old gelding by Millisle Solway Bay, out of Ingleston Princess, which was ridden by daughter Ailsa.

Highland Pony

Champion Highland pony was the six-year-old mouse dun stallion, Fandango Na Dailach, from Dr Alwyn Pillain, of Angus.

Bred by Alwyn’s mother, Marguerite Osborne and shown by her sister, Virginia Osborne-Antolovi, he had been champion at the Royal Northern Spring Show earlier in the year and is by Glenwestcastle Loch Rannoch, out of Rhianna Na Dailach. Fandango went on to stand reserve in the in-hand mountain and moorland championship.

Standing reserve supreme was Maeve of Millfield, from father and daughter, Willie and Jennifer Allan. Maeve is a six-year-old brood mare by Glenmuir Lochaber, out of Myleene of Millfield.

She stood reserve champion at the Highland as a two-year-old and is also a past breed show champion at the breed show. She was shown with her foal at foot by Goa of Over Langshaw.

The reserve female was Shirley Clarke’s Bethoc of Conway, a four-year-old yeld mare by Stirlingdene, out of Iona of Conway.

Yestern of Alltnacailleach took the reserve male rosette for Lenice Gillett. This 12-year-old gelding is a grey dun son of Turin Hill Kylemore, out of Staffa Ii of Alltnacailleach, and was bred by Mrs Gow.

Highland Pony Under Saddle

Dunedin Mascot was the Highland pony under saddle supreme champion.

Ridden by Katie Common and owned by Jane McNaught, this 10-year-old gelding is by Dunedin Marksman, out of Dunedin Fairisle and was bred by Anne Mitchell. It had been open ridden champion two weeks previously and qualified for the Horse of the Year Show at the NPS Scotland Summer Show at Strathallan.

Reserve was Chris Grant, of Northumberland, with Dunedin McSporran, a 10-year-old gelding, again bred by Anne Mitchell, who had a great show with three in the championship. By Dunedin Marksman, out of Ballinhills Thumberlina. It is also headed for HOYS, having qualified at Derbyshire Festival.

Shetland Pony

Wells Legend, from HP Sleigh and Son, Turriff, was victorious in the Shetland rings.

This 12-year-old black stallion is by the past Royal Highland champion, Wells Extra Special, out of Wells Vita, and was reserve supreme at the Royal Northern Spring Show at the beginning of this year and had been champion at the Great Yorkshire in 2019. The Sleigh family are no strangers to Highland championships, with the stud having won more than 40 championships over the years, this being their sixth RHS win since 2009.

In a switch around, judge David Hodge, of Devon, awarded his reserve supreme title to the reserve female champion. That was Catherine Marshall’s Kerryston Elsa, a five-year-old yeld mare by Kerryston Theodrore, out of O’Hara of Aukhorn.

The standard female championship was awarded to Lorraine Bentham’s five-year-old yeld mare, Melland Queen of Scots. A daughter of Kinness Victory, out of Melland Ieper Star.

Winning the Harviestoun Roma Cup and the junior championship was the Eynhallow Stud, from Perthshire, with Eynhallow Dutch Corrie, a three-year-old home-bred filly by a previous winner of the same award, Eynhallow Dutch Prince, out of Eynhallow Belle.

Reserve male champion and reserve junior was Louise Wilson’s Cassindilly Hugo. This home-bred three-year-old is by Cassindilly Jayzee, out of Roughter Diamond.

Miniature Shetland Pony

Miniature Shetland champion was Lynda Cochrane’s senior champion, the six-year-old stallion, Ardnabeag Hamish.

By Ardnabeag Lomond, he is out of Plumtree Huckleberry and was bred by Gillian McIntosh. He was champion at Fife and champion mini at the Scottish Friends Open Show.

Reserve miniature was Hjaltland Hirta, from Donald and Lorna MacLeod, of Dornoch. By Vallendale Geordie, out of Fenella of Houlland, 12-year-old Hirta was champion at the Black Isle in 2014 and was second here in 2018. She was shown with her fourth foal at foot, a colt.

Chelsea Anderson took the reserve miniature female award with her yeld mare, Milday Roma. Bred by John Lawrie, this six-year-old is by Tawna Rubus, out of Milday Ruby.

Reserve miniature male was Linda McCurdie’s Ardanbeag Papa Stour, a six-year-old by Milday Oreo, this six-year-old is out of Ardanbeag Evening Primrose.

Mini junior champion was the MacLeod’s Lochfleet Skelbo Zenyatta, a two-year-old black filly by Halstock Midnight Madness, out of Gue Melody.

Heavy Horse Turnouts

The turnouts run throughout the four days and culminate with the six-horse class in the main ring on the Sunday afternoon, followed by the supreme championship.

Judge, Owen Garner, of Cambridge, had his work cut out, with the ring full to bursting with entries on occasions and his winner was a popular choice with the packed grandstand.

That was Victor and Raymond Scott’s team of six – Shane, Jack, Jock, Dan, Samson and Seth – pulling a twin axle dray built by the family six years ago. The team were driven by Victor’s grandson, Ben Mclaughlin.

The Glebeview team, from Limavady, Northern Ireland, had a great show, winning the single trade turnout class with Glebeview Shane pulling the dray, and Victor driving.

Taking the reserve supreme rosette was the unicorn class winner from John Goodwin, who travelled all the way north from the Isle of Sheppay. His bottle dray was pulled by Henry, Oscar and Dizzy B.

The ladies' cart class saw victory for Elaine Ramsay, driving her father’s Yorkie, while the farm cart class was won by Julia Hyslop’s Whinhill Majestic, with daughter Kirsty driving the harvest cart.

Harness, Grooming and Decoration

The championship in this year’s harness, grooming and decoration classes was awarded to Benny Duncan, of Balmalcolm, who was victorious in the best kept harness, best groomed horse, and wool classes, with his traditional Scotch harness.

Judge Dave Proctor found his winner of the floral class in Colina McCulloch’s entry, from Perthshire. She stood second in the best kept harness and best groomed horse classes.

Clydesdale Young Stockman

There were six competitors forward on Sunday morning for the young stockman class where entrants must wash their horse, dress its mane and tail, and prepare the horse for the showring before parading it for the judge.

Winning the class was 22-year-old Katie Willey, of Newcastle, who is no stranger to the competition having won it before, while standing reserve was Keira Gowans, of Kirriemuir. Keira is also a previous winner of both the young handler and young stockman class.

Clydesdale Young Handler

The young handlers class saw 13 forward and is judged on handling ability only – taking the top award was 19-year-old Craig Hanna, of Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, who went on to take reserve in the inter-breed young handlers competition.

The reserve award went to Wales, to 19-year-old Edward Leverett.