Tuesday 19 October 2010

Heavy Horses at Breamore


Looking back to a bright, warm Sunday afternoon in mid October. We drove up the Avon Valley road to farmland just north of Braemore village, where the Southern Counties Heavy Horse Association was holding the 39th Great All England Ploughing Championships and Show of Heavy Horses.

The event was held in a vast field with flat stubble land by the road and a gentle slope of stubble rising towards the west. A field that once would have been many smaller fields, separated by hedges. On the slopes, vintage tractors were ploughing. Down towards the road were the furrows of the morning`s ploughing with Heavy Horses, and a few teams still pulled their ploughs in the last few hours of the afternoon.

We made our way down through horse transporter lorries and trailers. Horses in their show finery stood , tied to the lorry sides and munching their haynets.

Ploughs, trailers, carts and vintage farm machinery were parked all around.


A farmer checking the harness of his beautiful dapple grey .


Resting Percherons....

Suffolk Punches.....


....and two Shire horses at the end of their ploughing, still in harness to the plough.


The fine brewers dray of Fullers Brewery from Chiswick, London, competed in the Trade Turnout class in the Show........


.....drawn by a pair of magnificent Shire horses.



Competing in the Leisure and Pleasure Turnout Class.



The Fullers Brewery Horses again.



A pair of Percherons in harness.



Prizewinners........





A horse and his man.......


....share quiet moments.

At the end of the afternoon came the Grand Parade. All competitors paraded in their finery around the ring. A truly magnificent sight. Here were the old breeds of working horses that previous generations depended on for working the land and for transport. There were Shires and grey Percherons, the now rare Suffolk Punches and Clydesdales, French Comtois horses and the Ardennes and Brabant Drafthorses originally from Belgium.

Farmers, still using these horses on their land, had travelled from all over Britain, from Scotland in the north and from Cornwall in the far South West. Their love of their horses was evident and the atmosphere of friendship and support had made this a happy day for all.








One of our local farmers was there with the Clydesdale x Cob horses who are used to plough his land . They also pull wagons of tourists on New Forest rides through the village lanes.


The stunning greys of the Percheron herd from Harbridge Farm were there. They would have only a few miles to travel home along the river valley.




Shining chestnut Suffolk Punches...



....and the Percherons again.




At rest......
Suffolks again......
......and a first prize rosette for them both.



At the end of the day, waiting to go home......


Some of the vintage tractors finishing their work......



Awaiting their journey home.....


....and beyond, the straight furrowed land that the horses had ploughed all day. A job well done.

At the end of the Grand Parade, we listened to the Heavy Horses` Prayer as the fine, beautiful animals stood patiently together, their coats shining in the evening sunshine. There were few dry eyes on the field as the words, so well deserved, rang across the company of horses.

A Tribute to the Horse

Where in this world can man find nobility without pride, friendship
without envy or beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is laced with muscle, and
strength by gentleness confined.
He serves without servility; he has fought
without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing
less violent.
There is nothing so quick, nothing more
patient.
England`s past has been borne on his back.
All our histories are his industry,
We are his heirs, he our inheritance.
"The Horse"

8 comments:

Karen said...

How I wish we had horse shows like that here. Old tractor shows, yes, but never one for draft horses. In fact, outside of Budweiser commercials, I don't think I've seen a draft horse in person in years.

WOL said...

The heavy horses are my very most favorite. Thanks for a great post. They say that tractors compact the land and squash all the air out of the soil. For a small farm, the horses are really better all around for the soil and in terms of operating cost, even though they are more work than tractors. But you can grow your own fuel, and if you choose the right horses, you get the new model for free!

Bovey Belle said...

What a WONDERFUL post and SUCH a turnout of horses for the match. There was a piece in the Telegraph recently about ploughing matches being very well-supported (even though it is a hobby now, and the majority/all? the farmers use tractors to plough with on their farms).

I really LOVED the photos - it was nearly as good as being there with you. Good to see Suffolk Punches in the line-up.

The poem at the end brought tears to my eyes, as it always does - I can hear the voice of Raymond Brookes-Ward reading this at the Horse of the Year Show . . .

Kath said...

I would have loved that day out. Seeing the heavy breeds, of which some are endangered, is a real pleasure.

Morning's Minion said...

For the record, I'm not a horse-woman. I have helped care for J's riding horses over the years and have fond thoughts for all but a few.
My grandfather farmed with horses long after everyone else had replaced them with tractors.
J and I would have enjoyed this exhibition--he loves vintage tractors as well as horses.
I learned of the Suffolk Punch breed several years ago when a traveling man came through Lander, WY. You have given me some other old breeds to look up.
I had prickles of tears before I got to the poem at the end of your lovely piece.
Thank you for sharing it.

BumbleVee said...

Wow... what a beautiful collection of photos ..

I love the heavy horses. We usually have several breeds at the Calgary Stampede...and it is the only part of the show I bother going to see. How wonderful it would be to go to one like this....all outside.... and doing their work. We usually only get to see them working with the big beer wagons and things like that... but, they are amazing animals......and, just to stand beside one and feel the immense size is always so amazing......

If you began this post before you did the other one...that is the reason it showed up before the other... it shows up by dates.... even if you finish it after posting the other...

Kate on Clinton said...

Beautiful - I love events like these, especially when they are farmers and their working horses. I've gone to the Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire, and they have oxen, heavy breeds, etc competitions. Some teams are solely maintained by people just for the competition and sport (and I hope the love of the animals), but the crowd favorites are always the real working teams.

Danielle Barlow said...

How wonderful to see them at work! Beautiful as they are at the County show, in their full regalia, it is seeing them in this way that I love most xx