Heavy horses highlight of the Highland

The Clydesdale Horse Society is planning a major celebration of the breed’s history at next month’s Royal Highland Show, featuring a “spectacular” 40-horse main ring display.

The event, backed by an award worth £6,000 from the show organisers, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), will take place at 4.15pm on Friday June 21.

A programme designed to celebrate the history of the Clydesdale horse, with a special focus on the breed’s contribution to Scottish farming, has been created by Fife-based Benny Duncan and long-standing breed society member, George Skinner from Aberdeenshire.

In addition to honouring the breed’s farming past, the display will also celebrate some of the more modern uses of the breed.

RHASS chairman Jimmy Warnock said: “The heavy horses are always a crowd pleaser, but this display will be something altogether more special. The power these animals possess is awe-inspiring but what is often overlooked is the contribution these animals have made in farming and food production.”