independent Cornish news and comment

New trophy for Thee Shows Challenge

A well-known west country horse man will be remembered with a special award to be presented for the first time at the Royal Cornwall Show in June.

Douglas Kellow was a familiar figure at south west shows and a frequent winner, especially in the hunter classes. Through his travels as a judge, he was recognised over a wide area outside the south west.
A new perpetual trophy bearing his name will be presented to the winner of the Three Counties Challnge. He or she will be the competitor with most points in the hunter breeding classes built up over the summer at three shows – the Royal Cornwall, Devon County and Bath and West.

An old trophy still in the ownership of Douglas’s widow, Loveday, will be given a new lease of life and re-engraved in his name.

Although Douglas passed away in November 2006, the family will be well represented at the 2008 show.

Loveday, who still lives on the family farm at Lostwithiel, is likely to be showing a mare and foal in the hunter breeding classes

The mare is the last foal that Douglas bought and is due to foal in March.
Loveday’s daughter, Diane, and son-in-law John Jordan, who farm near Chagford in Devon, breed Dartmoor ponies and will be competing in several classes at the show.

Diane’s brother, David, is a judge in the ridden hunters section. He will be travelling up from his home in Brentwood in Essex for the occasion.

And during the show, the new trophy will be presented in memory of Douglas.
Points collected at the three shows are allocated to the first, second, third and fourth places in the hunter brood mares and young stock classes. Entrants must reside in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire are eligible to enter, making this a true west country event.
The competition is in its infancy, first staged in 2003, but has built up a strong following and attracts keen interest across the region.

Diane said her father – who judged at the Horse of the Year Show - enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie it engendered.
“We thought as a family that it would be nice to have something to remember him by so we wrote to the show and they agreed this would be an appropriate event.
“Mum has got a lovely silver cup which they won years ago. It’s sat there on the sideboard and mum thought it seemed silly not have use of that for someone else’s pleasure.
In 2007 in the horse section at the Royal Cornwall Show, the second-ever highest entry – at 1,688 – was recorded. This total excluded the show jumping figures so represented a very healthy turnout.
Classes have changed little for 2008 but there are important adjustments which might attract new interest.
The champion of the shire and heavy horse classes will go through to the West of England Heavy Horse championships, held in Dorset in September.
There is also a qualifier for the highest placed show harness/decorated harness in the shire classes on the Saturday.
Qualifiers for the Horse of the Year Show will be winners of the private driving, small, medium and heavyweight ridden hunters, working hunters, ladies hunters, mountain and Moorland ponies – ridden, and, first ridden mountain and moorland ponies on leading rein.
Also qualifying for the Horse of the Year Show will be the Cuddy Supreme in-hand champion.
The Royal Cornwall Show takes place at Wadebridge on the 5th, 6th and 7th of June.

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