Welsh Cob named Champion of the Yard in Sanday

On a glorious day of sunshine, today, the Sanday show culminated with the show’s four judges having a heated debate over which animal would be named champion of the yard – with the consensus split between the horse champ and the best cattle exhibit.

However, it was the best horse exhibit, a 12-year-old gelding ridden by young Caitlin Muir, that won the majority of the judges over, prompting an outburst of emotion from the 14-year-old Ms Muir.

The Welsh Cob gelding, named Gems Diamond Joe, or Joey, owned by the Muir family, from Drummonds, was bought in Inverness four years ago.

Speaking about the winner, the day’s horse judge Suki Linnett, from South Ronaldsay, said he was “outstanding”. She added: The winner was beautifully presented and well-ridden in the ridden class and well-handled in the in-hand. He was just a really nice Welsh Cob.”

Coming a close second was the champion of the cattle section, shown by M. & A. Lennie, Seaview. This was a homebred four-year-old in-calf Limousin cross heifer called Champagne Supernova. This heifer won the show back in 2015 as a calf. She is from the AI bull Wilodge Fastrac and our of a homebred Limousin cross cow.

The winner of this year’s sheep section, a homebred hone-crop Texel ewe, was shown by the show president, Raymond Brown from Colligarth Farms.

The poultry section’s top title went to a mature Muscovy drake shown by Wulfric Clackson from West Manse, while the show’s top dog was a five-year-old German Shepherd cross Malamute, named Eska, shown by Ben Spencer from Marston.