Champion of both the in-hand and open ridden sections of the well supported Highland Pony Society Breed Show, Strathallan, was Willie and Jean Ralston’s stallion Moss-side Iain Mor (Ruaridh of Mendick/Moss-side Breagh), which began his day by winning the NPS/Baileys Horse Feeds supreme ridden (Olympia) pony of the year qualifier as well as that for Blair Castle.

He was shown by Richard Telford at whose yard he had only been for a short time after a busy season covering mares.

“He rode like a Rolls Royce and has a lovely walk,” said Mary McCall Smith, who assessed him. Reserve to Iain Mor in the open ridden section was Ruth Darling’s home-bred Chesterhill Forrester, by Moss-side Campsie Glen. As well as showing, Forrester takes part in dressage competitions. He was a winner in the winter novice restricted final in the Scottish Regionals at Rowallan earlier in the year.

For overall ridden honours it was the novice champion, Gillian McMurray’s Trailtrow Teaninich, winner of the NPS/Picton M&M novice ridden qualifier, and with it a qualifier forn Blair Castle, which was selected. The nursery novice winner Blair Castle Estate Ltd’s Atholl Annie (by Torrin of Croila) won the nursery novice class and was reserve novice. This was only her second show and she was ridden by Isla Morrison. As Kirstin McMurray and Teaninich had already won a Picton qualifier at the NPS Scotland Show, Strathallan, the qualifier went to the second placed pony, Jane McNaught’s five-year-old Craggan of Dunrui (a son of Kestrel of Fourmerk), which also won the in-hand junior gelding class. He had been champion gelding, in-hand, at Blair last year and was recently fifth, under saddle, at the Royal Highland.

Both overall champion and reserve are by the grass sickness survivor Ruaridh of Mendick (by Kincardine Ben Macdhui) which also sired the Royal Highland champion, Robert Davidson’s Trowan Madonna, and was himself champion in the HOYS section at Royal Norfolk.

The Dalbrack Trophy for the overall champion in both in-hand and performance classes went to Dunedin Rhuann, ridden by Christopher Grant, who is about to study agriculture at university. Rhuann, second in the Olympia qualifier, was also worker champion, qualifying for a trip to the NPS Championships at Malvern. Last year Rhuann was mountain and moorland ridden champion at the Border Union and this season was champion at Lanchester and Richmond.

Sheila Brook’s Jaune of Ednam House (by Mackenziedene), ridden by her grand-daughter Jessica Pugsley, was reserve worker. She had been reserve in the mountain and moorland ridden section at the Border Union last year, but this was her first ever attempt at a workers’ class. Reserve for the Dalbrack Trophy was Louise Cushnie’s Lancelot of Whitefield, which won a large senior gelding in-hand class and was second as a ridden novice. He had been used as a stallion until the end of the 2008 season, was broken by Louise herself, and is to be aimed at worker classes.

Hamish Cameron’s Turin Hill ponies excelled in the dressage, where he won both classes. Mayfly of Turin Hill (by Viscount of Whitefield) was best out of 38 entries in the prelim 12 class, and also third amongst the nursery novices. Heatherbelle of Turin Hill, (by the dressage specialist Kincardine Ben Macdhui, which is with Hamish’s herd of ponies), won the British Eventing novice test and the open ridden under 143cms class. Audrey Barron’s Kincardine Bluebell, which had won the driving class for Highland ponies at the Royal Highland, headed the driving entries, winning both classes. Charles Connell’s Whitefield Lord Chancellor won the working harness class, and Emily Dougan headed the senior young handlers with Norma Gillon’s Spottiswood Skarfskerry the junior ridden winner.

With Moss-side Iain Mor (overall M&M in-hand and overall Highland pony at Perth last year) chosen as in-hand champion, it was the second placed stallion, Willie and Jennifer Allan’s Glenmuir Lochaber (by Burnside Ben Nevis) which was selected as reserve. He had been champion at Fife this year and is line-bred back to the 1995 Royal Highland overall Highland pony champion Monarch of Millfield. Sally Coutts’ Joanna of Forglen, shown by Jill Ebdy, was not only the winning yeld mare competing in the performance classes, but also best of opposite sex to the champion.

Martin and Wendy Taylor’s Shona of Sunnyneuk won the non-performance yeld mare class. The Baird family’s Gaynor of Whitefield (Glen Aigas/Yvette of Whitefield) not only won the brood-mare class, but she and her filly won the Tarnach Trophy for the best mare and foal. For the third consecutive year an offspring of Matador of Whitefield was judged best foal. This year it was Sultan of Whitefield, out of Kate of Whitefield, which was chosen for the honour.

The winning three year old filly was Rose Macpherson’s homebred Glencallan Gold Leaf (by Moss-side McLaren), whilst Eilidh McQueen’s Lurgan Ben Cruachan (by Glenmuir Buzzard) headed the three year old geldings. Willie and Jean Ralston’s Moss-side Quercus Rubra (by Moss-side Iain Mor) was the two and three-year-old colt winner, and Heather Gow’s Westray of Alltnacailleach (by Donald of Sheilhill) led the two year old fillies. The winning two year old gelding was Abigail Gray’s Torranach of Achnacarry (by Tarka of Orangefield) and Charlie McQuattie’s Rambling Rose of Strathmore led a class of 19 yearling filly entries. The final in-hand class, for yearling colts or geldings, was won by HM The Queen’s Balmoral Mandarin (Ulleam of Croila/MIsty Morn of Turin Hill), led by Sylvia Ormiston. Mandarin had been reserve male Highland pony at the Royal Highland. Winners of the progeny class were two yeld mares, Willie and Jennifer Allan’s Meika of Millfield and Martin and Wendy Taylor’s Shona of Sunnyneuk. The veteran winner was Rachel Stewart’s Primrose of Tower, by Trademark of Whitefield.

LEADINGawards

In-hand (Judge: The Hon Mrs AD Leslie Smith, South Cantray, Croy, Inverness-shire). Champion – Moss-side Iain Mhor, W and J Ralston. Reserve – Glenmuir Lochaber, WKA and JA Allan

Stallion – 1, Moss-side Iain Mhor; 2, Glenmuir Lochaber; 3, Xylophone of Croila, AJ McArthur. Senior gelding – 1, Lancelot of Whitefield, L Cushnie; 2, Rory of Alltnacailleach, A McLeod; 3, Struthan of Sauchrie, C Munro. Yeld mare (entered in performance section) – 1, Joanna of Forglen, S Coutts; 2, Yokel of Croila, L Riddell; 3, Rignell Brora, D Spears and E Corkett. Junior gelding – 1, Craggan of Dunrui, J McNaught; 2, Carlung Kilbride, S Wardrop; 3, Trowan Monty, R Davidson. Yeld mare (non performance) – 1, Shona of Sunnyneuk, KM and WJ Taylor; 2, Gloria of Whitefield, Messrs GM Baird; 3, Molly of Dounemount, J Reid. Brood mare – 1, Gaynor of Whitefield, Messrs GM Baird; 2, Moss-side Jacobean Lady, WJ Ralston; 3, Tess of Glendoll, JK Smith. Filly foal – 1, Breagh of Murrayshall, JK Smith; 2, Moss-side Tiree Lady, W and J Ralston; 3, filly foal, Messrs GM Baird. Colt foal – 1 and best foal, Sultan of Whitefield, Messrs GM Baird; 2, Craigenroe Merlin, J Henderson; 3, Caberfeidh Lord of the Isles, F and L Boyd. Mare and foal with highest combined score of points – Gaynor of Whitefield and her filly foal. Filly 3-y-o – 1, Glencallan Gold Leaf, R MacPherson; 2, Ailsa of Strathmore, C McQuattie; 3, Burnside Victoria, A Munro and J McNaughton. Gelding 3-y-o – 1, Lurgan Ben Cruachan, E McQueen; 2, Capel of Moulzie, M Rogers; 3, Burnside Vorlich, R and S Kydd. Colts and stallions 2/3-y-o – 1, Moss-side Quercus Rubra, W and J Ralston. Filly 2-y-o – 1, Westray of Alltnacailleach, H Gow; 2, Lochlands Snow Maiden, K Lawson and W Sinclair; 3, Isla of Roisbeinn, A McLeod. Gelding 2-y-o – 1, Torranach of Achnacarry, AJ Gray; 2, Lurgan Ben Vrackie, S Murray. Yearling filly – 1, Rambling Rose of Strathmore, C McQuattie; 2, Rockcake of Whitefield, Messrs GM Baird; 3, Lochlands Mandora, K Lawson and W Sinclair. Yearling colt/gelding – 1, Balmoral Mandarin, HM The Queen; 2, Whitefield Prince Ruaridh, A and C Munro. Veteran – 1, Primrose of Tower, R Stewart; 2, Astrid of Glenmarkie, A Quinn. Progeny – 1, Meika of Millfield, WKA and JA Allan, and Shona of Sunnyneuk, KM and WJ Taylor; 2, Rosealie of Achnacarry, JBW Connell and Torranach of Achnacarry, AJ Gray; 3, Comet of Sunnyneuk, J Vasey and Commander of Sunnyneuk, G Docherty.

Ridden (Judge: Ms M McCall Smith, Connachan, Crieff). Overall ridden champion – Trailtrow Teaninich, G McMurray. Reserve – Moss-side Iain Mhor, W and J Ralston. Open ridden champion – Moss-side Iain Mhor. Reserve – Chesterfield Forester, R Darling. Novice ridden champion – Trailtrow Teaninich. Reserve – Atholl Anne, Blair Castle Ltd. NPS/Baileys Horse Feeds MandM Supreme Ridden Championship (Olympia) qualifier – 1, Moss-side Iain Mhor; 2, Dunedin Rhuann, J and C Grant; 3, Rory of Alltnacailleach, A McLeod. Qualifier NPS/Picton MandM Novice Ridden National Championships and qualifier NPS/Scotland/Kilmannan Stud Novice Ridden MandM Championships – 1, Trailtrow Teaninich; 2, Craggan of Dunrui, J McNaught; 3, Glen Bruar Haggis, L Cushnie. Open ridden under 143cms – 1, Heatherbelle of Turin Hill, JPG Cameron; 2, Trailtrow Teaninich; 3, Lambrigg Blackjack, C Grant. 148cms – 1, Chesterhill Forrester; 2, Brockloch Beinn, J McNaught; 3, Struthan of Sauchrie, C Munro. Novice ridden – 1, Chapelhill Cameron, K Newton; 2, Lancelot of Whitefield, L Cushnie; 3, Islay of Carlung, R Chisholm. Nursery novice – 1, Atholl Annie; 2, Lochlands Madonna, D Spears; 3, Mayfly of Turin Hill, JPG Cameron. Junior ridden – 1, Spottiswood Scarfskerry, N Gillon; 2, Jaune of Ednam House, S Brooks; 3, Mackay of St Vigeans, Mrs S and Miss C Carnegie.

Working hunter pony (Judge: Mrs P Stirling, South Blainslie Farm, Galashiels). Champion – Dunedin Rhuann, J and C Grant. Reserve – Jaune of Ednam House, S Brooks. WHP intermediate NPS/KBIS MandM Intermediate WHP National Championship qualfier – 1, Dunedin Rhuann; 2, Lambrigg Blackjack; 3, Thorn Xsara, WDO Valentine. WHP novice NPS /The Bowling Family MandM Novice WHP National Championship qualifier – 1, Carlung Innes, M McCloy; 2, Charlie of Muck, M Osborne; 3, Lancelot of Whitefield, L Cushnie. HPS novice WHP – 1, Jaune of Ednam House; 2, Rose of Glencree, P McQueen; 3,Black Jack of Logierait, A Cook.

Private driving (Judge: Mrs H Gow, Pitscandley, Forfar). Champion – Kincardine Bluebell. No reserve (the other two ponies were equal). Private driving – 1, Kincardine Bluebell; 2, Joanna of Forglen, S Coutts; 3, Heather of Glenshian, J Whitaker. Cones – 1, Kincardine Bluebell; 2, Heather of Glenshian; 3, Joanna of Forglen.

Dressage (Judge: Mrs I Ripley, Doune). Prelim 12 (2005) – 1, Mayfly of Turin Hill, JPG Cameron; 2, Dunedin Rhuann, J and C Grant; 3, Black Jack of Logierait, A Cook.

British Eventing novice dressage test III (2009) – 1, Heatherbelle of Turin Hill, JPG Cameron; 2, Morvern of Turin Hill, MJ Grant; 3, Mhairi of Castle Green, K Dewhurst.

Working harness (Judge: A Macarthur) – 1, Whitefield Lord Chancelot, C Connell; 2, Commander of Sunnyneuk, G Docherty; 3, Miranda Karri of Moulzie, I and R McInroy.

Young handlers (Judge: Mrs P Stirling). 8/12-y-o – 1, Carlung Kilbride, SP Wardrop; 2, Strathmore Blair, S Carnegie; 3, Dillan of Westbank, V Fletcher. 13/16-y-o – 1, Spottiswood Skarfskerry, E Dougan; 2, Jaune of Ednam House, S Brooks.

Trophy winners – Overall points champion in-hand, ridden, WHP, driving and dressage – Dunedin Rhuann, J and C Grant. Clandon (1) Reserve – Lancelot of Whitefield, L Cushnie. Clandon (2) reserve ridden champion – Moss-side Iain Mor, WJ Ralston Trailtrow: Overall (home produced) points champion in-hand, ridden, WHP, driving and dressage – Kincardine Bluebell, A Barron. Sidlaw Ranger: Overall points from ridden, WHP and dressage – Dunedin Rhuann. Kincardine: Best overall working hunter and dressage – Dunedin Rhuann.