In-hand ponies and horses now shown under saddle

Volunteers and often less than well-paid secretaries make up the workforce at the local shows. However, their commitment is admirable to say the least. Relatively meagre savings gathered by previous committees for the proverbial ‘rainy day’ have come in handy for that very purpose, ensuring that the shows would go on – and they did.

Mountain and Moorland supreme ridden champion (left) was the Highland pony Dunedin Mascot pictured with owner/rider Katie Common alongside runner-up, the Connemara, Ochills Chiffchaff, with owner/breeder/rider Emma-Jane Murray

Like my own show at Central and West Fife, it was touch and go whether or not it would go ahead following a wet period during the run-up to show day so I witnessed at first hand the gargantuan efforts made to make it happen.

Local farmers, who form the backbone of the committee, found practical solutions to the considerable problems that faced them and, yes, they had to dip into the funds to create safe roadways for lorries and cars – money well spent.

Given the support from the local farming community and general public on the day, it was clear that it was all worth it as the sun shone and everyone had a good time. This was all the reward that was needed and any money made on the day was a bonus – and added to the reserves for the next challenging event.

In a month when expectations are building towards the annual treat that is the Royal Highland Show, it is worrying to think that lessons learned at local level have not been transferred to the Society’s board of directors and its management team.

It beggars belief that the future of this great event may be in jeopardy due to poor financial decisions by those whom the members have elected and employed. Regular readers of this column will be aware of my thoughts on the matter as I have questioned the role and competence of those at the top – and the secrecy that seemed to surround early decisions when prominent staff disappeared off the face of the Earth without explanation or trace. The writing was on the wall early doors.

There is no turning back of the clock, unfortunately, and we can only hope that the corporate road along which the Society has been led becomes a thing of the past and the staging of a no-frills Royal Highland Show once more becomes the Society’s primary objective.

People who ran successful shows in the past didn’t feel a need to tell the world how wonderful it is – all the talking was done for them. Furthermore, many will agree that personal agendas and egos should be left on the doorstep of Ingliston House in the weeks, months and years ahead.

Thankfully there is some good news on the horizon, which is a healthier than anticipated interest in competitions across the board this year, which includes an increased entry at the Royal Highland.

Locally, light horse entries are following a pattern of reduced numbers compared to pre-covid levels. However, the demand for competition is still there although trends have moved it on to a different place. With a greatly reduced number of studs in the country, in-hand classes have, by and large, fallen away and ridden classes for both children and adults are dominated by the mountain and moorland breeds.

Many of the adults who may have previously shown ponies and horses in hand have taken to the saddle with the British native ponies their chosen mount. There is a breed to suit everyone in terms of size, ability and temperament, so it is little wonder that their numbers are holding up with some excellent examples on show. That said, during this season, I haven’t seen a hunter as such and only a few plaited ponies of show standard – perhaps these types are being relegated to history but hopefully they will be in abundance at Ingliston.

There are exceptions to this and it is encouraging to witness Shetland pony breed sections where both numbers and standard are equally high. At my own local show, two of the oldest and most famous Shetland studs, Harviestoun and Transy, now in the capable hands of the third generation, battled it out for honours.

Meanwhile in the ridden ring, the relatively new classification that goes under the title of Training Stakes enjoyed a big entry in all its classes. Based on performance on the flat and over jumps, it is questionable how this section is classified within a showing programme but nevertheless it has become the lifeblood of most shows and long may it prosper.

Full marks go to the hard work and resilience shown by agricultural show committees witnessed over the past six weeks; their experience, skill, determination has ensured that shows have taken place throughout the country despite the considerable challenges thrown at them by wet weather. Volunteers and often less than well-paid secretaries make up the work force at the local shows however their commitment is admirable to say the least. Relatively meager savings gathered by previous committees for the proverbial 'rainy day' have come in handy for that very purpose ensuring that the shows would go on and they did.