We had our summer show on Saturday 17th August with the wonderful Ochil Hills as the backdrop. There were bumper entries across the Miniature section which was presided over by Miss Emma Gibson. She found her Overall Champion in Adele Stewart’s 14yo Chestnut yeld mare Narinian Lottie. Lottie went on to win the Group of 3 ponies with her daughter, Elcho Lily, and her half sister Narinian Cuckoo before claiming the Overall Reserve Supreme sash. Reserve in the Miniature section was the Alichbrae Stud’s homebred 3yo filly Alichbrae Roxy. A few weeks prior Roxy had been Miniature Junior Champion and Reserve Overall Miniature Champion at Braco Show. Alichbrae Stud’s success did not end there. Their 2yo Colt, Alichbrae Euphoria, stood Reserve Overall Miniature Junior Champion (to Roxy) and picked up the Novice Junior and Overall Novice Miniature Championships on route. 

  Over in the Coloured ring there was quality over quantity, Miss Di Johnson oversaw this ring.. The Endrick Stud’s 4yo grey mare, Endrick Mayfair was Novice Champion. The Open section was almost a clean sweep for the bay’s with the Mawcarse Stud’s Kingsacre Rejoice taking top honours. A delightful 4yo mare by Buxted Minstrel, Rejoice was a prolific winner in her junior years. Reserve Overall Coloured and picking up the Junior Championships along the way was Amy McConville’s homebred bay 2yo filly Baldinnie Patience Is A Virtue. She is well named as she was the first filly to be born under the Baldinnie prefix after a string of colts. Virtue went on to be Reserve Overall Junior Champion.

  Miss Corinna Seipp made the long trip up from Devon to judge the Black ring and found her champion in Susan Bridgeman’s 5yo mare Musselbrough Elida. A winner at the Breed Show last year she is a young mare with a bright future ahead of her. In Reserve was the reigning Highland Show Champion, Kerloch Rupert. Picking up the Junior honours was Donna Lochtie’s homebred 3yo filly Glendyburn Lady Devine. She is out of the big winning mare Mawcarse Lady Dionne who once again triumphed in the Broodmare class. The Novice section was won by M & E Warren’s 7yo yeld mare Mirkwood Callisto. Shown once as a 2yo before being left to mature she will be seeing much more of the ring in the next few seasons. 

  The Ridden classes are always popular and the winner of the Lead Rein class went on to be Ridden Champion and then Supreme of Show. Addingham Darcy and her rider Sophie Beattie showed just what it takes to win, I suppose Nicky did a good job too holding onto the end of the lead rein! Darcy is a wonderful kids pony, she has carried many difference children round the show ring over the last few years and will be taking a year out from ridden duties next year to be a mum. Reserve in the Ridden section was Grace Fraser with Northview Eboneezer. This pairing is new to affiliated shetland showing as up until late last year Eboneezer was unregistered but thanks to the determination of Pamela, Grace’s mother, they tracked down his breeder and his parents and got all of the required DNA and pieces of paper sent off for him to get his stud book number. 

  We had some new classes this year. Two Working Hunter classes were added to the schedule. Both were won by Bryony Mackinnon on Cochno Vincent. Bryony also won the trophy for the Best Rider under 16yo on a catch ride in the First Ridden class on M7E Warren’s Mirkwood Rainsong. The Reserve Champion rosette in the workers went to the delightful mini combination of Rossbrae Double Decker and Isabella Paul. 

  The Central Group’s next show will be the Youngstock Show on Saturday 9th of November at Stirling Mart. Mrs Joy Barugh is judging. Following this we have our AGM on Sunday 17th November at the King Robert Hotel, Stirling. All members are welcome to attend and as ever we always welcome new members to the Group.