Downhill Snowflake crowned East Mainland
Taking the overall yard honours at this year’s East Mainland Show was the champion horse, a Clydesdale named Downhill Snowflake.
The Smith’s of Kirkwall won the horse title at last year’s show with the mare and then went on to win the supreme championship at the County Show. Shown by J. D. & D. M. Smith, Holburn, Holm Branch Road, the Irish-bred seven-year-old horse was sired by Carnaff Ambassador and out of the dam Garleton Betty.
Ian Smith, who has been attending and showing at the East Mainland Show for 60 years, said he was disappointed to be the only exhibitor in the heavy horse section.
“I feel we must support the show,” he said. “She has been a prolific winner in and out of Orkney. Last year she was supreme champion at the County. Some of the Clydesdale boys asked me why I bought her but she has been a gem to work with and always behaves well on the day. She goes in and does what she is supposed to do.”
Judge John Scott, of Linklater Drive, Kirkwall, said all three section judges had been pretty much in agreement on the overall horse or pony champion. He said: “She is a very good moving mare with good body conformation. My wife used to compete against her.”
Despite her being the only entry, Mr Scott added: “She is a very typical Clydesdale mare – I like that; I don’t believe in fads and fancies!”
Judge of the light-legged section, Frances Sinclair, of Dounby, said once she saw the Clydesdale run out, she saw she was the overall winner.
The prize for Reserve Champion of the Yard went to a texel lamb, owned by R. E. & J. F. Scott, from Holm. The February-born ewe was named overall champion of the sheep section earlier in the day following a close competition against Alan Smith’s reserve champion cheviot lamb.
The champion of the cattle section was a 16-month-old Charolais bull, named Ballieston Mack, shown by W. R. Baillie & Co, of Biggings, Toab, the reserve champion in the competition was an October-born stot calf shown by James S. Baillie & Co, Sebay Farm, Tankerness.
A two-year-old nanny Boer goat, shown by eight-year-old Dorothy Bremner, from School house, Deerness, took the top prize in the goat section, while the show’s poultry section saw double win for Eddie Craigie, who took the top prize with his australorp hen and reserve with a white call duck.
Top dog at this year’s show was 3-year-old boxer, Cooper, exhibited by Eleanor McBeath, from Kirkwall.
The pets section saw Isaac and Lexie Dearness, both from Heather Lea, Dearness take the sections two top prizes with Freya the Bearded Dragon and Tiggy the Jack Russell puppy, respectively .