Stow Vermont on top at show

Breeders from Cumbria, Shetland, Dingwall and Aberdeenshire took the top awards at the Aberdeen and Northern Marts' (ANM) show and sale of registered pedigree Shetland ponies at Inverurie's Thainstone Centre yesterday.

The event attracted more than 160 entries. Champion standard was Stow Vermont, a yearling colt from James Swan, of Conon Bridge. It sold for 500gn to Dorothy and Robert Griffiths, Llanrhidian, Swansea. Reserve standardwasathree-year-old bay filly, Laaward Moss Rose, from Sonja Flaws, of GrutnessHouse, Sumburgh, Virkie, Shetland. It made 850gn to David Hodge, Okehampton, Devon.

Standard foal champion was the black filly foal, Finnister Sandy, from Irene and Paul Rutherford, of Gletness, South Nesting, Shetland.

“Trade was much better than many had anticipated”

It traded at 100gn to A. McDonald, Rait, Perth. Reserve was a black filly, Yarpha Vanessa from James Slater, of Groundwater, Orphir, Orkney, which sold for 60gn to J.G. Carson, Salsburgh, Shotts.

Miniature champion was a five-year-old bay mare, Hartside Chance, from L. Jackson, Gamblesby, Penrith, which was unsold. Reserve and champion miniature foal was a piebald filly foal, Tillyorn Willow, from James Burr, Cosyneuk, Echt. The foal also won the Glenbogie Perpetual Trophy for the best broken coloured Shetland foalandsold for the sale’s top price of 1,000gn to James Stewart, of Kintore. Mr Burr also won the reserve miniature foal with a bay filly foal, Tillyorn Wriggle. It sold for 250gn to Eric and Sheena Knight, of Fearn.

Philip Reid, of ANM, said: “We had a very busy ringside and trade was much better than many had anticipated.”