EQUESTRIAN: Cawdor Cup comes to Ireland for the first time

This is the highlight of their showing career as 'The Ninth Cawdor Challenge Cup' is the most prestigious prize for Clydesdale horses.

It is owned by the Clydesdale Horse Society and is presented to the best female exhibited by a member of the Society. This was only Geoffrey's second time exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show. A record 104 clydesdales were entered.

Forty years previously, Alex bred the winner of the Cawdor Cup, Downhill Princess Anne, however this is the first time the Cawdor Cup has been brought to Ireland.

Woodhouse Sunshine also won the James Clark Perpetual Trophy for Reserve Champion and the JD Dawson Perpetual Memorial Trophy for the best female three-year-old and under.

Alex has been showing clydesdales throughout Ireland for over 60 years and son Geoffrey has followed in his footsteps for the past 13 years.

Alex has bred clydesdales which have gone to Canada and Australia. The clydesdale was always a working horse and was replaced early in the 20th century by mechanical power.

The horses are now mainly kept for pleasure, showing, riding and driving.