A Glorious Day at the Royal Highland Show
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
A Welshie Big Adventure in Scotland
If you have read many of my blog posts, you might get the idea I am a bit obsessed with animals. I love all animals, but have a special place in my heart for dogs, cats, birds and farm animals. Put me on a farm and I will gladly offer to feed the lambs, milk the cows, or tend to the goats.
Last week was the annual Royal Highland Show just outside of Edinburgh. Roberta, our daughter, Brian and I were lucky enough to spend a glorious day at the Royal Highland Show (RHS). It had everything an aspiring farm girl could dream of, with horse jumping, best of breed selection for cattle, sheep and horses, and excellent local Scottish food.
Meeting the Animals
Prior to the RHF, the most recent fair I attended was the Emmet County Fair in Petoskey, Michigan last summer. The RHS is somewhat similar to a U.S. county fair but it represents the best of the entire country instead of a small locality.
We walked up and down rows upon rows of sheep and cattle. I was amazed by the vast number of breeds of sheep I had never seen or heard of before.
There were black sheep, white and black sheep and even a breed that looked like Dennis Rodman’s orange hair! I did some internet research on orange sheep and learned several interesting things. First, sheep herders will dye their sheep's fur bright orange to deter rustlers from stealing them. When I googled, 'orange sheep' this is the first thing that popped up.
After a deeper dive, I learned that there are a few breeds that have what is referred to as ginger color fleece. I believe the breed we saw is a Castlemilk Moorit or a Black Faced Hoggs sheep. Of course, I may be wrong, so feel free to let me know what you think it is. They are pretty rare to come by so if you have never seen one before here is what they look like.
Roberta and I genuinely thought that they were dyed, but we later learned otherwise.
Animal Competition
During the day, we saw farmers as young as ten showing their sheep and cattle in rings judged by professionals. It was very serious work for these youth and the judges.
Unlike some 4H participants back in the U.S., these animals and their care would likely be their livelihood when they grew up.
It wasn’t just the youth that were competing, but the young adults as well. Just like at home, everyone who was a competitor at the RHS took great pride in their animals and wanted them to look their very best.
During one sheep judging event, I witnessed a man polishing the hooves of his sheep to make them glossy.
In a society where about 80% of the land is green, sheep and cattle are major staples of the British economy. I can attest to the percentage of green space here. Driving as much as we have over the last three months, we have passed through towns and villages where fields are right outside their doorsteps.
Even departing from large cities like Stirling or Edinburgh you see fields pop up quickly once you leave the city center.
Horse Jumping
When I was little, I asked my parents if I could have a horse. Having taken plenty of riding lessons, I felt it was just normal to ask for a horse of my own. My shrewd mother agreed to this on one condition. For an entire summer, I had to work in the stable where I rode and help care for horses.
Well, at the age of 12, I was enamored by the thought of owning a horse, but after a day or so of mucking out stalls, I’d come to discover that renting a horse for the day might be more my style. But my love for riding continued. When the girls were little I would take them horseback riding so they were never afraid of horses.
Roberta and I settled into seats in the main arena to watch the final jumping competition. Trucks drove into the ring carrying loads of horse jumps, a mat that looked like water, flower planters and other objects you see during a jumping event.
Once the area for the contestants was set up, the beautiful horses and their elegant riders began to enter and get comfortable. Several horses and riders practiced on jumps set up for them, while others just stared into the area where the competitive jumps were taking shape.
For over an hour we watched the riders and their mounts attempt to navigate the course without any errors. Both of us would lift a little from our seats as the horses and their riders leapt into the air. We also would groan when a bar would be clipped and sometimes fall off.
The worst experience by far was watching a pair beautifully navigate the entire course until a large flock of seagulls descended upon the remaining two jumps. The birds swooped, and flew in such numbers, that the horse got spooked and clipped a bar on each jump. The grandstand collectively groaned when this happened.
I was so wrapped up in the action that I neglected to take any photos!
The Livestock Parade and Half-Highland Heavy Horse Competition
I don’t see many draft horses in the United States, with the exception of the Budweiser Clydesdales.
Here at the RHS there is an entire category of show devoted just to them. We saw the finals where there were different types of buggies or carts with anywhere from one to six horses pulling them.
The most physically impressive was the six horse cart while the most graceful was a woman riding a trap with one horse.
Each contestant was given the opportunity to circle the ring more than once to show off both the human’s abilities to maneuver the horse's as well as the horses skills at following commands.
Following this competition was the livestock parade and what a parade it was! Each breed of cattle was paraded out into the arena
and paraded back and forth for everyone to see and admire. The best in show for each breed lead each section followed by the other competitors.
Next followed the many types of Scottish ponies and horses processing in the same way as the cattle.
In all my life I have never experienced such a breathtaking display of animals. None of my photos does this display justice. It is something you should see in person.
Food and Drink
As with any good fair, it is important to showcase the food and drinks of the local area. We stopped by a booth and sampled some lamb pies that were full of flavorful lamb surrounded by a very flaky crust.
Roberta spotted an interesting vendor of local drinks, and so we consumed our pies and made our way over to do some tasting. The name of the company is Wild & Wonder Drinks and they started this year.
We spent some time sampling their liqueurs and vodka and came away with a couple bottles to bring home. Sadly they are not in the U.S. yet but if you happen to be in Great Britain make sure to give it a try. I can personally recommend the Elder Spiced with Ginger Ale. If you would like more information on Wild and Wonder Drinks click here.
Seeing is Believing
For anyone who has an interest in animal husbandry, farm life and learning more about cattle and sheep breeds, the Royal Highland Show is a must see event. Getting a chance to watch draft horses pulling carts, horses competing in jumping, and so many sheep and cattle looking their best is not something I will ever forget.
If you live in Scotland, England or Wales I encourage you to make a weekend out of it and come for a couple days. You can stay in Edinburgh and visit the fair each day.
Dogs are allowed to attend the fair, but may not enter the livestock pens for obvious reasons. We saw a handful of dogs but chose not to bring our own because Winston gets too wound up around livestock and we couldn’t have visited as many pens with the dogs present.
If you are interested in following the RHS click here for further information.
Coming Up
This weekend we have a Welsh walked scheduled at Callandar Park in Falkirk. We are all looking forward to meeting some Scottish Welsh terriers and sharing a meal together.
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