New to the Blair Castle International Horse Trials and Country Fair for 2010 are two stallion parades.

The parades will take place in the main arena during the dressage lunch breaks, with sports horses taking centre stage on Thursday 26 and native breeds being showcased on Friday 27 August.

This is a chance for stallion owners to showcase their horses in front of a knowledgeable crowd of potential customers and mare owners and it has been well supported by studs with eight horses forward for Thursday’s parade, which coincides with the hunter, riding horse and working hunter classes.

Bollin Terry, a 16-year-old Thoroughbred stallion standing at Puddledub Stud in Fife is a proven sire of show horses and eventers, while at the other end of the spectrum, Classic Scott, standing at Laighwood Stud, Kinross, is a four-year-old Irish Draught standing for his first season. However these are just two of the stallions which will be parading on Thursday.

On Friday there are six native stallions entered on the day when the National Pony Society of Scotland holds its annual Scottish Championship Show.

Stallions include two Highland Ponies, including the many time champion, Moss-side Iain Mor, from Willie and Jean Ralston at Perth, the Welsh D, Pennal the Great from Starloch Stud in Ayrshire and the talented Connemara, Rebel Rouser who won the mountain and moorland working hunter championship at the Highland Show in 2008 and 2009. He stands at Knockwood Stud near Forres.

The Blair Castle International Horse Trials and Country Fair takes place from Thursday 26th to Sunday 29th August. Please check out the website at www.blairhorsetrials.co.uk for lots more information.