Archive

Spring 2020

Get ready for the National Shire Horse Show!

The National Shire Horse Show is the biggest and best of the heavy horse shows in the UK – and it’s on 20-22 March at Staffordshire Showground.  Heavy Horse World is running a special show sale for backnumbers and binders at discounted prices in the Spring issue – and you can buy the magazine at the Heavy Horse Enthusiast stand at the show.  One of the oldest horse shows in the world, 250 pedigree Shires are expected from the UK and Europe.  Visitors can enjoy the iconic breed in a range of classes and displays – and this year shoeing demonstrations return.  Tickets can be bought through the Shire Horse Society website.

Winter 2019

Our pick of the Summer Shows!

Show reports are more than just collections of results – follow your favourite heavies as they compete to win rosettes and prizes all over the country and discover their fortunes.  Enjoy our great photos from our first-class photographers!  Among events covered this issue are: the Great Yorkshire; Royal Welsh; Aldborough & Boroughbridge; Aberdeen Clydesdale; Penistone; Keighley; Hollowell; Herts & Essex; Great Dorset; Trimpley and the Suffolk Spectacular. Pictured are: turnout class winner at Aldborough, Stuart Green with Jack in a working rulley, and Philip Moss’ Hillmoor Lady Luck at Hope Show where she won the brood mare class and her foal, Hillmoor Limited Edition,took best foal, both photographed by Carol Stevens.

Autumn 2019

Great photos from the shows!

Get your shows fix with our 25-page section dedicated to shows from all over the country!  Our photographers and reporters have been hard at work covering top events from the first half of the season including: the Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Royal Three Counties, Derbyshire, Royal Cheshire, Royal Norfolk and the Royal Highland Shows to name just a few.  In-hand, turnout, ridden, two-wheeled cart, young handlers – we feature the winners and competitors in all the classes. Pictured is J Bower’s supreme champion Shire at the Suffolk County Show, Thames Oak Heavens Gift, and Gawin Holmes’ Royal Three Counties Show turnout champion, both photographed by Kevin Wright.

Summer 2019

Discover a wealth of stories from this year’s Shire and Clydesdale breed shows!

Congratulations to Charlotte Young and Doura Magic Touch who won the overall and male championships at the Clydesdale National Stallion Show, with Amanda Stewart’s female champion Mollinhillhead Donna’s Dream reserve overall. At the National Shire Horse Show William Bedford’s Landcliffe Charlie was the winner for the second time running, shown by his brother, Walt, and another brother, Paul, won the female championship with Fellthorpe Esther Jane. In the ridden section John Anderson’s Gautby Arclid Flashman ridden by Morag Snow was the winner and qualifier for the British Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year championship at HOYS – the horse was sold at the show. Pictured are Ronnie Black’s Cawdor Cup winner Collessie Connoisseur from the Clydesdale National Stallion Show and Martin Fountain’s Woodhouse Rainman who took the reserve stallion and junior championships at the Shire Show.

Spring 2019

Which events will you attend this year?

The Spring issue is our shows issue, with an amazing variety of activities planned for 2019 – and as always features our HHW FREE Events List, including all those events of which we have been notified by the deadline. There’s plenty of news about individual shows up and down the country, and we feature the Clydesdale Winter Fair, as well as fantastic photos from top ploughing matches at the end of last season. Plus our new mini-feature, Show in the Spotlight. Photos by Amanda Stewart and Diana Zeuner.

Winter 2018

Big shows section featuring all the events from the second half of the season!

Led by the Shire Horse of the Year and the British Ridden Heavy Horse Championships at the Horse of the Year Show, our centre-page section this issue brings you over 20 pages of photos and reports from all over the country. They include the Great Yorkshire; the Shire Horse Society’s Working Horse Festival; the Royal Welsh, the Suffolk Spectacular; Midland and North West & Wales Shire Foal Shows and Sales; the New Forest Show; the 50th anniversary Great Dorset Steam Fair Heavy Horse Event and more, + ploughing matches. Photos by Kevin Wright and Carol Stevens.

Autumn 2018

All the news and photos from your favourite shows!

Our big centre-page section brings you over 20 pages of photos and reports from shows and events held all over the country in the first half of the 2018 summer season.  With little rain to bother show organisers for a change, exhibitors were instead coping with the hot dry weather!  Shows covered include Nottinghamshire, Suffolk County, Derbyshire, Royal Cheshire, Lincolnshire, Royal Three Counties, Royal Norfolk, Royal Highland, South of England, and more.  Pictures by Adrian Sinclair and Kevin Wright.

Summer 2018

140 years for the Shire Horse Society

The 2018 National Shire Horse Show celebrated 140 years of the society which nurtures and promotes the UK’s numerically largest heavy horse breed.  There were innovations and challenges this year, including the introduction of new shoeing rules and incredibly wintry weather – but out of it all came wins for William Bedford’s Landcliffe Charlie as the National Stallion Champion and King George V Cup winner, and Martin Fountain’s Woodhouse Calendar Girl, last year’s Shire Horse of the Year, who triumphed as champion female.  Other successes included John Goodwin with his unicorn, and Robinson’s Brewery’s Acle Thomas, champion gelding, produced by Paul and Matthew Bedford.  Photographs: Kevin Wright.

Spring 2018

Celebrating the centenary of the Percheron in Britain

The British Percheron Horse Society celebrates its centenary (1918-2018) this year, with a major two-day event at the Weald & Downland Living Museum near Chichester, West Sussex on 2/3 June.  The celebration will be part of the museum’s Living History Festival and coincides with special demonstrations using draught horses to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, in which Percherons played an important part.  The BPHS event will not be a show but a demonstration by members reflecting the part played by the Percheron in this country.  Special guests from France, home of the breed, will be attending. In the picture is Michael White with his Percheron mare Willingham Mary and her foal at Ashby Show last year.  Photograph: Kevin Wright.

Winter 2017

Top triumphs in Shire Horse of the Year and Ridden Heavy Horse Championships

The second half of the shows season is dominated by these two events at the Horse of the Year Show, and congratulations go to a much admired Shire mare who has come on steadily over the years and a multi-versatile Percheron who rounded off his first year as a ridden heavy in style – Martin Fountain’s Woodhouse Miss Dynamite and David Curtis’ Hales Hector. Our big events section covers the whole country and includes the Royal Welsh Show, the Suffolk Spectacular, Leicestershire County Show, the Great Dorset Steam Fair, the Wessex In-hand and Harness Championships and the Midland and North West & Wales Shire Foal Shows.

Autumn 2017

Triumphs and sadness in 2017 Show season

Our huge centre-page Shows section features the Suffolk and British Percheron breed shows as well as top county events such as Nottinghamshire, Royal Bath & West, Royal Three Counties, Suffolk, Royal Norfolk, Royal Cheshire and the Royal Highland. The first half of the season saw some great triumphs – notably, and for the second year running, the Stuart Group Supreme In-hand Championship at the Royal Norfolk Show for Fiona Clark’s Shotleyfield Dazzling Duke, who was Suffolk champion there as well as the supreme champion at the Suffolk Horses Society’s Breed Show. We also included a fantastic shot of John Goodwin’s unicorn of Shires at Suffolk County Show, taken by Kevin Wright. But there was also sad news at the height of the summer and after HHW had gone to press with the passing of Richard & Robert Bedford’s multi-champion and much-appreciated Shire mare, Hartcliff Rhianna. She was admired at many of the shows we report on this issue.

Summer 2017

King family triumphs at 2017 National Shire Horse Show

The 2017 flagship event for the Shire Horse Society saw history made when the King family from Cheshire took the stallion, mare and gelding championships, a feat rarely achieved. Three days of showing at the event’s new home, Staffordshire County Showground, visitors enjoyed in-hand, turnout, ridden and harness classes. Pictured is Matthew King with stallion champion, Snelson Gatsby, and the qualifier for the Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year at HOYS in October, J Anderson’s Gautby Arclid Flashman, ridden by Morag Snow.

Spring 2017

30 years of Heavy Horse World magazine!

This year we celebrate our 30th anniversary – Heavy Horse World is the UK’s longest-running publication devoted to draught horses! For three decades we have been exploring and promoting the heavy horse breeds of the British Isles – the Shire, Clydesdale, Suffolk and British Percheron – as well as overseas breeds in this country and beyond, plus working ponies and crosses. Heavy Horse World covers all aspects of draught horse activity – showing, breeding, in-hand, turnouts, farm and market garden work, horse-drawn equipment (modern and historic), forestry work, promotional activity, driving trials and riding. We hope all those of you who have contributed stories and pictures or have enjoyed reading the magazine over the years will celebrate with us!

Winter 2016

Shire final and ridden UK championship top this year’s season!

Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Shire Horse of the Year final and the first-ever Ridden Heavy Horse of the Year championship – Martin Fountain’s Woodhouse Calendar Girl, and Virginia Osborne with Clydesdale, Kinclune Danny Boy. The Horse of the Year Show was a particularly special one for the heavy horse world, as it also saw the reintroduction of the Musical Drive of the Heavy Horses.

Autumn 2016

Celebrate the winners at shows around the country!

Enjoy fantastic photographs – many from Kevin Wright – and quality reports from the first of the season’s shows from all over the UK, including the Suffolk and Percheron breed shows, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Suffolk, Royal Three Counties, Royal Norfolk and Royal Highland.

Summer 2016

Discover the winners at the Shire and Clydesdale breed shows

Read reports from our top contributors and photographers on these two major events which kick-start the breeding and showing season. Congratulations to all winners but especially Clydesdale National Stallion Show overall supreme and winner of the Prince of Wales Cup, Ronnie Black’s Collessie Jennifer and National Shire Horse Show King George V Cup winner Jonathan Worthington’s Shire stallion Leverton Leon. Stacy Fletcher became the first ever qualifier for the new Heavy Horse Ridden Championship to be held at this year’s Horse of the Year Show in October. Kevin Wright took this classic shot of the decorated harness winner, Faye & Mike Bottomer’s Fifield Admiral.

Spring 2016

Meet the noses!

You don’t have to find a show to catch up with your favourite equines. Some of them are at visitor attractions open regularly – like these two inquisitive fellows at the Suffolk Punch Trust, Hollesley, Suffolk. Step back in time and discover Suffolk’s rural farming past, meet the rare Suffolk horses and understand the part they played in shaping the landscape of East Anglia, and find out about the historic Colony Stud.

Winter 2015

2015 Shire Horse of the Year!

Congratulations to Paul Bedford who has notched up his third win in the Shire Horse of the Year championship with his spectacular stallion, Metheringham Upton Hamlet. Congratulations also to turnout champion Tom Henfrey, ridden champion Stacy Fletcher and top ploughman of 2015, Jim Elliott.

Autumn 2015

Biggest shows section ever!

This issue includes our biggest shows section ever – 25 pages of fantastic photographs, insightful reports and results from events all over the country. They include the Suffolk and British Percheron breed shows as well as top county shows such as Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cheshire and the Royal Highland, and smaller events like the Melton Mowbray Show, the West Wales Shire Horse Show and SESHA’s two-day show in the south east.

Summer 2015

Top Shire prize goes to Germany

The top Shire horse prize – the King George V Trophy for the champion stallion – went overseas for the first time in the breed’s history, when Dr Volker Schumann of Hattingen, Germany won with his two-year-old Schumann’s Eragon at this year’s National Shire Horse Show at Grantham. Meanwhile, in Scotland Robert Hamilton took the coveted Cawdor Cup with his Dillars Excel at the breed show equivalent for the Clydesdales, held at the Royal Highland Showground. Supreme champion at the show was Robert Sibbald’s mare Shielhill Diamond Jubilee. Read eight pages of reports on the two events in this issue, and find out more about Dr Schumann’s big stud near Dusseldorf.