Spotlight on horses

Gordon Cook has looked through his collection of photographs and found this selection of beautiful pictures of working horses.

“Unfortunately,” he says, “there is a sad absence of information with the old prints.

“Clockwise from the top left, this parade of mares and foals was photographed about 70 years ago, and it looks as if it might be at an Angus Show. The grandstand is possibly a temporary structure, hoping that the proverbial good gust of wind does not come along.

“The ploughing match in the next picture was at Gardyne Home Farm, near Friockheim, on February 2 1946.

“There is a possibility that the horse and plough were from the Mains of Balgavies Farm, and that the lad leading the horse was aged 16.

No sign of the bags of pies for competitors, though!

“This is the winner of the Horse In Harness class in an agricultural show, on July 27 – alas location and year are unknown.

“The other information on the picture is A. Kelly, Mains of Auchmithie, who was possibly the man holding the horse, unless that was the farmer’s name.

“And finally, the only information about these loving mares and foals, the next generation, is the name of the photographer, D. Smith.”

It is likely that some Courier readers can supply more information about these shows and locations.

If so, we’d love to hear your stories and anything you can add. Please email

Home-bred foals with their proud and watchful mums.

Shining harness in the sunshine being admired by the two passersby to the right.

A ploughing match near Friockheim in February 1946.

A grand parade at an agricultural show many years ago.