Being Scotland's largest native breed, the Clydesdale is always a great favourite with the public at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston near Edinburgh and this year was no exception. Very much akin to the Royal Show in England, the Royal Highland is the premier Show in Scotland and this year it attracted some 150,000 paying visitors over its four day run. The aisles between the temporary stables where the Clydesdales were housed were always busy with people stopping to gaze at the animals and to pat them and wonder at their gentleness.

The in hand showing classes tend to attract the real enthusiasts and a party of 20 Clydesdale Breeders of America had front row seats throughout the judging (they had already been on various farm visits throughout Ireland and Scotland). In both the male and female rings the quality on offer was excellent. At the end of the judging, it became clear that one sire "Collessie Cut Above" owned and bred by the new President of the Society Ronnie Black, of Newton of Collessie, Ladybank, Fife had 'swept the board', with offspring of his lifting both the male and female championships and with others lifting the top prizes in their classes. Cut Above was the 1997 Cawdor Cup winner (the most prestigious prize awarded by the Society in any year) and it is now proven that his stock are major prizewinners too.

The male champion, Woodhouse Hamlet, a 1996 entire colt, was bred by Mike Thomson of Phesdo Stables, by Cut Above and out of Phesdo Mandy. This was exhibited by Tom Fountain of Derbyshire. The female champion, Littleward Lucinda was also a 2 year old, bred and exhibited by Messrs Carrick of Thornhill by Stirling. She is out of Littleward Lisanne. The filly that ran her a close second in her class was also by Cut Above - this was Cocklaw Valetta, out of Cocklaw Diana and bred and exhibited by Matt Robinson from near Hexham. Another Cut Above winner was the yearling filly Craigluscar Miriam shown Anna Dickinson on behalf of her grandfather Archie Graham of Dunfermline. The Overall Championship saw the filly triumph over the colt.

There was great excitement and joy when she then went on to be awarded the Queens Cup. This cup circulates the various sections of the show each year, this year the competition being between Scotland's indiginous horses, namely the Clydesdales, the Highlands and the Shetlands - somewhat 'Little and Large'!

The Heavy Horse Driving turnouts always prove to be show stoppers and when the teams of four headed up the sweeping roadway towards the main ring, the earth literally moved! As team after team thundered up the hill to enter the arena through an archway the hairs on the back of people's necks stood on end as they thrilled to the sight. There were a few shire horse teams in this as well as Clydesdales and the judge favoured them in the fours, but by the time the sixes came into the ring on the Sunday, the Clydesdales came back to the fore, with Hugh Ramsay's team of 6 taking this class and the overall championship. In all there were 52 driving horses filling the main ring at high noon.

There was a bit of a rush following this driving class, as some of the horses had to be unhitched in a hurry and trotted off to be used as 'models' for the Young Stockmans class. This class was open to youngsters under the age of 20, who got an hour and a half to wash and dress out the horses prior to showing them. Competition was keen, the standards verged on the professional and the rivalry was friendly - almost! The judge this year, George Wight from Aberdeenshire, was most keen to see a well washed horse with clean heels, and he favoured those too who made a good job of the tails. By one point, the winner was the youngest entrant in the class, Philly Stephen from Edinburgh (age15). Second came Colin Wilson (18) from Castle Douglas, Third was Charleen Seaton (19) from Northern Ireland and in fourth place came Philly's older sister, Niki (19). The Young Handler of the Year Final followed on immediately and Colin Wilson and Philly Stephen reversed their placings. Third in this class was Audrey Lamb (17) from Lanarkshire and in fourth was Shaun Harrison (15) also from the heart of Clydesdale country. The future is safe in their hands.