Clydesdales are back at Garvagh

Nevin Smyth, Finn Todd, Young Handler, with judge John Drummond.

Clydesdale horses made a welcome return to the Garvagh Clydesdale show & vintage tractor rally.

Absent from last year’s event the breeders put on an excellent display of in hand showing and driving skills of the breed.

The judge, John Drummond from Bratlach stud farm Co. Down, commented: “The Garvagh show has now established itself as on of the best shows in Northern Ireland, today was no exception with excellent classes of brood mares, foals & many young horses with great potential for the breed in future.”

The event took on a different format from previous years due to the ongoing pandemic. The vintage tractors assembled at the Garvagh car park and then made their way around the local roads to Kilrea and Aghadowey.

Tom Stewart led the parade on the club’s vintage Fordson major. At the same time the Clydesdales were in competition for top honours at the show field on the Coleraine Road. Sandra Henderson collected another championship title with her immaculately turned-out mare Croaghmore Roxy for her 5th supreme award. David Patterson collected the male champion award with his six-month-old colt foal Agivey Admiral breed from his own mare Agivey Sophie. Victor Millen showed the best overall foal to win the O’Connell Garvagh cup. The Hanna brothers, William and Craig enjoyed a successful day taking the reserve champion award with Macfin Rough Diamond on her first show outing. In previous years they were frequent winners of the young handler’s class. The winner of this year’s class was 10-year-old Finn Todd from Castlerock.

The club was especially pleased to receive a new cup donated by the Faulkner family from Ringsend in memory of Bertie Faulkner who passed away last year. For many years Bertie would have been a regular attender at Garvagh shows organised by the club with his faithful cob Sam he exhibited some very rare exhibits including an original Irish Jaunting Cart.

John Weir and Declan Ferris gave excellent displays of driving with traditional farm carts and horses presented with beautifully decorated harness. Darren Ryan, a relative novice to driving, gave a professional display with his eight-year-old Clydesdale Hillview Braveheart and attractive stallion cart.