CLYDESDALE breeders and exhibitors, along with interested spectators, braved the elements to attend the 55th Co Londonderry Horse Breeding Society Clydesdale foal show, which was held last Saturday at Ballymena Livestock Market.

This year’s judge was Benny Duncan of Balmalcolm Clydesdales in Fife, whose overall champion was the senior filly foal, the Hanna family’s home-bred Macfin Highland Queen. This April-foaled bay is by the Bratlach Dillon stallion Muirton Sabre, the 2010 male Cawdor Cup winner, who was bred in Ballycastle by Alex Brown and stands with the Hannas outside Ballymoney.

The champion, who also picked up the titles of best foal bred in Ireland, best home-bred exhibit and best presented animal, is out of the 2011 Glebeview Sir Charles mare Macfin Crystal Gail and is thus a full-sister to Macfin Delta Dawn. The latter was crowned champion Clydesdale at Balmoral in 2022 and 2023 and won all before her at this year’s Royal Highland Show in June.

On the Thursday, she topped the final line-up in her three-year-old filly class, was crowned champion female (Cawdor Cup) and then champion overall Clydesdale. The following afternoon, Macfin Delta Dawn won the Sanderson trophy for the best animal between the four Scottish native horse and pony breeds and the Queen’s Cup for best heavy horse, which, when last awarded in 2016 was won by the Hannas’ Macfin Diamond Queen.

Muitron Sabre also sired the overall reserve champion of the show, the senior champion Croaghmore Maureen, a full-sister to the much beribboned, Cawdor Cup-winning stallion Muirton Spirit. Home-bred by her Ballycastle exhibitor, Sandra Henderson, this two-year-old bay filly, who claimed the top title 12 months ago and was overall reserve in 2021, is bred along the same lines as Macfin Delta Dawn, being out of a Glebeview Sir Charles mare but, in this instance, Henderson’s prolific winner, Croaghmore Roxy.

Reserve

The reserve foal champion, and opposite sex winner, was the junior colt Agivey Trademark, a son of Roeshall Apollo, who was bred by Garvagh farrier David Patterson out of his Roeshall Calypso mare Agivey Sophie. Bred by the aforementioned Alex Brown, the reserve senior champion was the yearling filly, Lagavar Primrose. Now owned by the McKay family in Dervock, the bay/roan is by Carnaff Trueform out of Lagavar Nellie (by Bratlach Special Blend).

The day’s other female winners were the Taggart family’s Ballaney Lady Clover, a 2014 daughter of Carnaff Perfection (three-year-old and upwards mares) and Jill McAllister’s Carnaff Trueform bay Artnagullion Material Girl (junior filly foal). Victor and Raymond Scott won the two-year-old colt or gelding class with Glebeview Paddy (by Macfin Starlight), Declan Ferris’ Glebeview Whisper (by Glebeview Lucky Boy) won the yearling colt or gelding class and Matthew Patton’s Aird Stevie (by Doura Magic Touch) topped Duncan’s final line-up in the senior colt foal class.

As in 2022, there were seven forward for the young handlers’ class, which was won by Finn Todd, who had finished second here last December. Eden Milligan filled that vacated spot on this occasion, with Patrick O’Boyle placing third and qualifying for the Clydesdale Horse Society young handlers’ championship at the Royal Highland Show next year (Thursday, June 20th to Sunday, June 23rd). This show signals the start of the 2023/2024 young handlers’ championship, which will continue through the summer show season.