The Suffolk Horse Spectacular was – quite simply – spectacular!
The Suffolk Horse Spectacular – September 3rd 2023 The Suffolk Horse Spectacular was – quite simply – spectacular! The event took place at the Food Museum in Stowmarket, Suffolk, and approximately 40 horses were present. The highlight of the day, as with every Spectacular, was the Supreme Suffolk Championship. The competition is open to any registered Suffolk horse which is eligible to enter any of the affiliated shows throughout the season. Twelve horses competed for the Supreme Championship Trophy, judged by a panel of three judges: Mrs R Baker, Amy Nichols and Peter Bundock, with a commentary by Peter Crockford. The 2023 Supreme Champion is Colony Eli (pictured below), bred and owned by the Suffolk Punch Trust. The 2023 Champion Female is Eyke Elizabeth, bred and owned by John and Fiona Fleming. The Champion Gelding is Samford Billy, owned by John Latham & Hazel Chapman. Visitors to the Spectacular were entertained throughout the day with a busy ring programme which included in hand harness classes, young handlers’ competition, horse drawn vehicles, ridden, logging and agility demonstrations, an in hand parade, and a parade of other heavy horse breeds. One of the highlights of the day must be the Fancy Dress Parade.…
Read moreCherry’s “Life with Horses”
Cherry Grover and I have both followed Ray Hubbard in giving talks to local Village Hall groups and Women’s Institutes to let them know about the work of the Suffolk Horse Society (SHS) in promoting and preserving the breed. These talks have also encouraged new members and brought some funds for the Society. In the Autumn of 2022, the Covid restrictions on meeting were finally being lifted. We decided that it was time to reinstate the social evenings that have always given members of the Society a chance to meet in a relaxed and non-competitive setting (unlike the show ring!) Cherry has always been a well organised lady, and this is reflected in the way that she carefully collected photographs of her horsey activities from childhood onwards. She went further than this and filed them in albums with brief notes about the setting. They did not include 35mm slides. Having been part of the PowerPoint presentation that I gave to celebrate the end of the National Lottery funded Oral History project, Cherry knew that I could get photographs on to a computer as ‘slides’. I then had the privilege of scanning all her photographs, making ‘slides’, and then deciding with…
Read moreMeet the new Suffolk Horse Society President Mary Ryder-Davies
In the Suffolk Horse Society’s Centenary year, 1977, I became a volunteer to help with the Centenary Dinner under the Presidency and Chairmanship of Col Sir Robert Gooch of Benacre who was President from 1953, until he died in 1978. Mr Wilf Woods was the Secretary in 1977, but after 60 years of service and at a great age, he decided to retire due to ill health and in 1979 my husband Philip was appointed Secretary and Roger Clark became Chairman. The family, Joanna, William and Benjamin, who were then very young, and I, found ourselves roped in to join other volunteers for all the tasks, events and fundraising which began in the early 80’s, especially the first Suffolk Punch Spectacular at Easton Farm Park near Woodbridge in 1981. We all went to shows and events in different parts of the country and met members of all heavy horse breeds who became friends. In those earlier days, as with today, it was a case of ‘all hands to the plough’. The merchandise for the Society’s ‘stand’ was taken to shows in my or another volunteer’s car, with larger metal stand items taken with the Hollesley Bay horses in the lorry…
Read moreThe Suffolk Horse Society ‘Van’
The Suffolk Horse Society ‘Van’ was ready for the start of the show season and is already a seasoned traveller. Belinda and the van are travelling to many areas across the country, supporting owners displaying and showing their Suffolks, raising awareness and spreading the word. THE SUFFOLK HORSE SOCIETY VAN AND STAND ARE COMING TO AN EVENT NEAR YOU! Holbeache Town and country fair 17.06.2023 over 2 days Derbyshire county show 25.06.2023 1 day The Royal Norfolk Show -28.06.2023 over 2 days – you will find us in the RBST Rare Breeds Animal Farm with Duke the Suffolk Horse. The Hanbury Show 01.07.2023 -1 day Heveningham Hall 08.07.2023- 2 days Great Yorkshire Show 11.07.2023- 4 days Framlingham Show 15.07.2023 1 Day Royal Lancashire Show 21.07.2023 3 days Ragley Game Fayre 28.07.2023 -3 days Burwarton Agricultural Show -04.08.2023 -1 day Cambridge Country Show 05.08.2023-2 days Essex Heavy Horse Show 07.08.2023 -1 day Halifax Agricultural Show 12.08.2023 -1 day Framlingham country show 19.08.2023 -2 days Aylsham Show 28.08.2023- 1 day Moreton in Marsh Show – 02.09.2023 -1 day Suffolk Horse Spectacular 03.09.2023 -1 day Henham Steam Rally 16.09.2023 2- days Gressenhall Plough Day -1 day Palace House Newmarket 01.10.2023 Please note, the…
Read moreSave the date
Save the date – 2024 AGM 20th April 2024 2.00pm Trinity Park, Ipswich
Read moreCongratulations New Foals
Congratulations to all members who have recently had foals born. Please don’t forget that the office must be informed within seven days of the birth of a foal. This is one of the conditions of the grant application.
Read moreShows and Events for 2023
Dont forget to keep up to date on all the SHS shows and events for 2023. Look on the events tab to see more. Look in the individual show results before the event to see details of the Affiliated shows and closing dates etc. please note not all information has been supplied to date but will will update when we have the information
Read moreFour new Suffolk Horse Society Stallions available this year
The Suffolk Horse Society have 4 new licenced stallions so far in 2023 with more to be inspected. Please check out the stallion information on the website under Horse Business / Stallion List Easton General Grane Valley Elton Holbeache Seth Whiterose Phoenix If you would like the new version of the SPARKS report for your mares including the four new stallions please contact the office .
Read moreSuffolk Horse Society AGM update 2023
Suffolk Horse Society Update The 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Suffolk Horse Society took place on April 22nd and we would like to provide an update for all members. The following six members were successful in the election and will now take their place on Council: Mrs Lawrence Hoskins Mr Frank Kinge Mr John Latham Mr Bruce Langley McKim Mr George Pratt Mr Chris Spalding Mrs Mary Ryder-Davies was welcomed as President, and Mr Neil Syrett as President Elect. At the meeting of Council following the AGM, Mr Mark Donsworth stood down from the role of Chairman after completing three years in the chair. Ms Sue Wager was unanimously elected as Chairman of Council. Mrs Gail Sprake was returned as Vice Chairman of Council. Mr Alan Hawes remains the Honorary Treasurer. A more detailed report on the Annual General Meeting will be included in the summer edition of the Suffolk Horse Society magazine.
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