Ready, Set, Show! – Here come the horses!

Today, on what would have been the date of the Riding of the Marches, we begin out week-long online horse competition. We’ll be pitting eight past horse champions of the County Show against each other every day in a knock-out competition until we have just one left.

So lets get to today’s match-up, which is two light-legged animals.

First up we have last year’s County Show champion. This is an 11-year-old Irish Sports mare called Lisronagh (Rosie) The light-legged mare was ridden to victory by Alannah Norquoy, Ingquoy, South Ronaldsay

The mare was sired by Ricardo Z and out of the dam Silver Tassle.

At the 2019 County Show the mare’s victory followed a unanimous decision by the judges, who were wowed by her “marvelous confirmation” and presence in the ring. Judge Lina Cheyenne from Maud said “she just got better and better as the day went on. She had a beautiful walk and beautiful head and moves so well – a real quality horse.

Her competition today is the the winner of the 2012 County Show – that year’s light-legged ridden champion, Woodlands Bay, ridden by Jo Donaldson, Skelbist, Berstane Road. Woodlands Bay was a 12-year-old mare, Irish draught cross thoroughbred mare. Bought from George Babes, in Kilmarnock. Her sire and dam were not known.

Light-legged ridden judge that year, Terry Penna, from North Windbreck, in Deerness, said:“It was obedient. It stood when it had to and when it had to go into a canter it did.”

For more on our horse competition, to view the past County Show champions and vote for your favourite, click here.