Opinion
My latest judging appointment was at the Irish Draught Horse Society annual breed show, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The show attracted big numbers and I was encouraged to see so much enthusiasm and passion for the breed. It was a real showcase, particularly for breeders and producers to show their stallions, mares and youngstock. There was something for everyone, with in-hand, showing, dressage, side-saddle and working hunter classes. It really shows just how versatile and trainable the breed is.
{"content":"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"}