Co Londonderry breeders victorious at Scottish event

Cawdor Cup winner, Downhill Master Tom from Geoffrey Tanner.
Photo: Jacqueline Pettigrew — Cawdor Cup winner, Downhill Master Tom from Geoffrey Tanner. Photo: Jacqueline Pettigrew

The show is run by the Glasgow Agricultural Society and sees exhibitors from all corners of the UK compete for the most prestigious trophies in the Clydesdale horse showing world.

The first show was held back in the mid-1800s at Glasgow Cattle Market, with its main purpose being the hiring of stallions for use around the country serving mares to breed future horses for working the land.

The Cawdor Cup was first awarded to the leading stallion back in 1892 by the Right Honourable Earl of Cawdor, when he was the breed society’s president, and can only be won by a horse once in his lifetime.

Doura Magic Touch stood supreme Clydesdale champion for Charlotte Young.
Photo: Jacqueline Pettigrew — Doura Magic Touch stood supreme Clydesdale champion for Charlotte Young. Photo: Jacqueline Pettigrew

The Tanners’ winning horse was their home-bred yearling colt, Downhill Master Tom.

By Eskechraggan Ernest, and out of Garleton Betty, he was a notable winner on the northern Irish show circuit last summer and was victorious at the Co Londonderry Foal Show in December.

The Tanners also took home the Medcalf trophy which is awarded to the breeder of the Cawdor Cup winner, a trophy which they also won back in 2013 when a horse they bred, Cawood Commodore won the event.

He later travelled across the Atlantic, having been bought by a Canadian breeder.

Dpownhill Master Tom with owners Geoffrey and Lesley Tanner - winners of the prestigious Cawdor Cup and the Medcalf Trophy for breeding the winner.
Photo: Jacqueline Pettigrew — Dpownhill Master Tom with owners Geoffrey and Lesley Tanner - winners of the prestigious Cawdor Cup and the Medcalf Trophy for breeding the winner. Photo: Jacqueline Pettigrew

The connection with Northern Ireland doesn’t stop there.

The male and the female Clydesdale championships went to Charlotte Young of Hall Stud, Coylton, Ayrshire, and her male winner, a three-year-old stallion named Doura Magic Touch, was bred in Coleraine by Victor and Raymond Scott, sired by their stallion, Glebeview Sir Charles.

Magic Touch is no stranger to the spotlight having claimed the Cawdor Cup two years ago. He took the male and supreme titles at last year’s National Stallion Show, won the male championship at last year’s Royal Highland and then took the breed’s reserve champion of champions ticket at the Winter Fair in November, amongst other victories in between.

And continuing the celebrations among the Irish contingent, the runner-up for the Cawdor Cup was also bred in the country.

Sandra Henderson of Ballycastle, Co Antrim, was the breeder of Muirton Spirit, a yearling colt out of her mare, Croagmore Roxy and sired by Muirton Spirit.

He was exhibited by the Clark family of Crieff, Perthshire, having been bought from Sandra last Autumn.