Keighley Show #4
My favourite part of any agricultural show is seeing the heavy horses, so I was delighted to find quite a few on show in Keighley. Once an essential part of a farm and used for pulling ploughs and carts, nowadays they're mostly kept as pets and for show, though a few are still used as working horses. (It's not that long ago that the city of Bradford stopped keeping them. They used to use them to pull water carts to water the plant displays around the city centre, and some breweries used them as dray horses until fairly recently.) There are two native breeds - Shire horses and Scottish Clydesdales - and I'm not sure how you tell them apart.
Perhaps my love for them is in my blood, as one of my great grandfathers was a horseman on a farm.
The judges are very thorough, checking every aspect of their appearance and build, from the lush 'feathers' over their feet to their gait when trotting.
The Shire horses are my favourites, too; my heart beats faster when I see them.
ReplyDeleteSuch beauties! Of course there is lots of care given to them before these shows!
ReplyDeleteVery handsome.
ReplyDeleteYes. Those big breeds are glorious.Thanks for the photos.
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