The 65th Annual Soham heavy horse show took place within the towns carnival on May bank holiday Monday. This year the show attracted a reduced entry with Shires the prominent breed on display and sadly no Percherons. That said the entries came from a wide area including Barnsbridge Shires from Lincolnshire, Nicola Read from Cheshunt and Glenn Cass from Essex.
The classes got underway with a combined class for and non-pure bred Shire, Percheron or Suffolk. Three Clydesdales were forward alongside a part-bred Shire. The winner was Clydesdale Downhill Castleton owned and shown by long-time supporter of the breed Nicola Read. It was then onto the Shire classes where Pelham Peggy May owned by Pelham Shires and shown by Laura Hagger took the honours in the two and three-year-old class. The mare and foal classes saw Decoy Royal Sunrise, now owned by Glenn Cass win the four-year-old mare class while Aylett’s Phantom Spirit, their first foal, won the foal class. Closing the Shire classes was the breed Championship where Pelham Peggy May was judged Champion with Decoy Royal Sunrise reserve. The Suffolk breed Champion was Penisarglynn Montgomery owned and shown by Sue Adams. The Champions and Reserves then went through to the Supreme Championship, here it was Pelham Peggy May who claimed the Supreme Show Champion title with Decoy Royal Sunrise again the Reserve Champion.
The second half of the show was for the multi-breed specialist classes and started with one of the most important, the Ecobale Young Handlers. This class is open to anyone between 12 and 18 years-old and provides the handlers to help ensure the future of the breeds. A small entry but is was a win first time out for new young handler Amy Hornsey from Barnsbridge Shires with Laurel Bank Queen Victoria. Though it was her first time out in public Amy had been receiving training from Barnsbridge’s former Champion young handler Oliver Chaffey. The ridden class saw three entries, two Clydesdales and a Shire. Honours went to the Shire Diggys Cerys owned by Neil Andrews and ridden by Katie Butters.
There were also wins for Clydesdales Downhill Castleton owned by Nicola Read in the Harness class and Cloghabruck Molly owned by Hilary Middleton in the Agricultural implement class. The single turnout class was won by Shire Stapley Hill Major with a Two-wheel cart driven by Sophie Bartram. The show ended with a grand parade of all competitors and award presentations.
In-hand classes album https://www.facebook.com/pg/Snap-magcom-2061747147426100/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2184757515125062
In-harness & Turnout album https://www.facebook.com/pg/Snap-magcom-2061747147426100/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2184779531789527
Ridden class album https://www.facebook.com/pg/Snap-magcom-2061747147426100/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2184782098455937
Young handlers class album https://www.facebook.com/pg/Snap-magcom-2061747147426100/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2184784681789012
Gary Malkin
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